127 Million Packed into Cali

This week I've been keeping busy in an official orientation to Japan. The military requires this four day class for everyone that is staying in Japan. The first day was so dry--mostly admin stuff regarding the process/procedures/policies of the base. Today was so much better. It was all about the Japanese people, culture, cuisine, sports, religion, holidays, money and language. You name it, we talked about it. Here are some fun facts I thought I'd share to give you a better idea of the country profile. Japan is approximately the size of California but holds a population 1/3 the United States at 127+ million people. Out of the country's total land, a relatively small percentage is able to be urbanized, only 19% is used for industry and residential purposes (67% is mountainous forest and 11% is used for farming). This means that 2/3rd the population is crammed into 1/3 of the country! No wonder I couldn't find any green space when I took the train up to Tokyo. There are 422 thousand people in Yokosuka alone, which is only 32 square miles itself. This means there are 10,830 people per square mile. Tokyo is even more crowded with 12.37 million in 844 square miles. That's 14.6 thousand people per square mile! People aren't the only things crowded together. We learned that there are 1 of those crazy vending machines for every 20 people in Japan- i'm telling you they're everywhere (515 alone on base). AND, get this! During rush hours there actually 'train pushers' (I can't wait to get a pic). Platform workers wearing white gloves help individuals squeeze onto their train by stuffing/pushing body parts! The gentleman giving the seminar today touched on something that I've experienced myself when coming back from a crazy adventure. When you try to convey the experience with those who haven't experienced the same thing, you just can't do it justice. So do us a favor come on over and see Japan for yourself.