I have always wondered about the inner workings of a country since I started to travel abroad. As an 8-year old, I had the opportunity to travel to Japan and, as far as I can remember, the Japanese people were at the forefront of technology, simplicity and elegance. This year, I was lucky to explore Tokyo and Sapporo and experience the tradition, mastery and courtesy of this magnificent country as an adult.

Japan is probably the safest and cleanest country that I have ever visited. Traffic? Most take public transportation. Trash? It’s a sign of respect by every Japanese citizen to keep their cities clean. Fresh Produce, Seafood, Meat and other ingredients? Amazing! You will never find a wilted lettuce leaf or bruised tomato for sale; each vendor takes pride on what they sell. Uniforms? Impeccably dressed, whether you are a housekeeper or a cab driver. In fact, cab drivers wear suits. The airport housekeeper wears starched fresh pants and a golf shirt.

In Japan, it is not how fancy your car or how big your house; it’s about simplicity, enjoying your country and loving your countrymen. They work hard all week and weekends, but when they are off work, family comes first. And while the cars aren’t fancy, they are Japanese-made. You can count on your hands the number of non-Japanese car brands seen.

And the food…it’s all about mastering their craft. Each restaurant has one specialty and doesn’t stray from it. This apparently works. When the product is excellent, people will stand in line for hours for a seat at your table. In every dish, you can see how they highly respect the fruits of their natural resources.

The use of technology is a marvel. For example, at hotels, you tap your room key in the elevator and it will bring you to your floor. To reduce their carbon footprint, most businesses use phones or tablets, instead of paper.

The Japanese adhere to tradition. They do their traditional bow before parting ways. At every departure of an airplane, all runway attendants line up and, once the tug has been released, will bow to the plane. In anything that they do, their rich culture is projected.

The Japanese are extremely courteous. They bow, smile, greet and acknowledge. There’s no shouting or cursing. Everyone is on time. Everything seems to run like clockwork. This is why I don’t mind the 22-hour travel time to get there because you will be in a Zen state when you get there.

All the above are true examples of love for country and self-discipline from which we all can learn.