Iva Habeš Lončarić

They warned us that we might not be welcome because we are foreigners, but I didn't experience that. Everyone was extremely polite and kind. The biggest "culture shock" for me was seeing a mass of people in one place. I thought I wouldn't be able to cross the street, but not one person pushed or even touched me. The Japanese do not smoke in the streets, except in designated places. But that's why their restaurants are filled with smoke. I liked everything, especially the food and the temples and the fact that there is respect for personal space and that everybody patiently waits for their turn. I was fascinated by how they are very environmentally minded and sort their waste.