A Writer’s Visit to Japan and the Importance of Small Details in Storytelling
Always travel with a journal for noting your observation
Last week I focused on our visit to Akkaido, this week I’m shifting gears.
Time. How do you measure it? In speculative fiction sometimes the characters get stuck living the same day over and over again. When you cross the international date line, depending on the direction you’re traveling, reliving a day on the calendar becomes a reality. Or in the case of traveling to Tokyo from the United States, you lose a day.
I was so exhausted, having only slept a few hours during the 15-hour plane ride, I struggled to fully appreciate the different skyline and architecture as we approached the city from the airport. As a writer I’ve learned tiny observations are important. Whenever I travel, I try Jotting down some notes in a small notebook or on my phone before going to sleep. This practice helps.
The section of Tokyo where we stayed initially was in Minato City, an 18 -minute walk from the Imperial Palace. Tucked in between narrow one-way streets it took a few minutes for our cab driver to find the building and then it was another wait to get settled into our hotel room. Already longing for a good night’s sleep in a real bed, we ate casually at casual bar in the neighborhood populated with convenience stores, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Meals are an Important Part of Each Day
Morning, I was ready for a full breakfast. A traditional Japanese breakfast includes soup and salad. The soup might be miso or a seafood chowder. The salad, a small bowl of dressed greens or vegetables, is in place of fruit. I think this because fruit is expensive. I saw beautiful strawberries at the market stands, and a dozen berries might be seven dollars. If fruit was served, with any meal I purchased during my visit, it was a small garnish on the plate.
The protein choices were grilled salmon, ginger sliced pork, or eggs. Also served was a bowl of rice. The balance of flavors and textures was a fine way to begin my day.
What was missing was a napkin. I searched my tray and the table. No napkins. How was I going to protect my clothes from getting food stains while traveling? I discovered, in a small holder, tiny thin rectangles of soft paper. They looked like napkins for small dolls. Those were the napkins. I also discovered a small moist towelette in a package on the tray. These towelettes are for cleaning your hands before and after the meal. All the restaurants I dined at, large or small, expensive or humble provided the same, a towelette and the tiny napkin. Nothing more.
When using chopsticks, you hold your bowl close to your mouth. I learned to lean forward and eat carefully. The tiny napkin barely covered one corner of my lap, I pulled myself closer towards the dining table.
Trash Disposal
The conservation of paper for napkins, carries over to the way trash is handled. In Japan, the goal is to produce as little trash as possible. All trash is clearly separated into different receptacles for recycling. In my hometown of Annapolis, Maryland it is easy to find a trash can when taking a walk downtown. In the bustling city of Tokyo, a trash receptacle can be hard to find.
Personally, you are responsible for your own trash. Three days into our visit, we were on a tour bus to visit Lake Kawaguchiko and the Chureito Pagoda for spectacular views of Mount Fuji. My husband attempted to throw his empty paper coffee cup into the plastic trash bin at the front of the bus and was told, each passenger is supposed to take their own trash and dispose of it elsewhere. “Limited space,” they explained. This got us in the habit of always being on the look-out for opportunities to dispose of trash- such as on the tray for busing dishes at the restaurant where we ate our breakfast.
On researching the subject of trash in Japan I learned that in residential neighborhoods, one person is in charge of making certain that everyone on their street properly disposes of their garbage. Specific types of trash are collected on the designated days. One day might only be for collection of combustibles, and another day strictly for vegetation waste. Densely populated and socially responsible, Japan’s matter of dealing with garbage is fascinating for an American to observe.
Show Not Tell Using Details
These are all small details, cultural details that make visiting another country a learning experience. Those same types of details can make for an interesting story, whether the story is factual or a work of fiction. The tiny actions and habits of the characters help bring them to life.
In the writing world we say Show Not Tell. Don’t tell the reader a character is greedy. Instead show the reader the character’s greed: stuffing free candy into their pockets, perhaps depriving children of their share at a Independence Day Parade.
The wisdom is that if we show a character admiring his reflection in the mirror, we don’t have to tell the reader the character is vain. We’ve demonstrated by the character’s actions that he is concerned with his appearance. If we describe someone taking small careful bites from their sandwich, dabbing the edge of their mouth with a napkin and brushing away any wayward crumbs, we are showing they are fastidious.
By showing instead of telling, you are enabling the reader to participate in the story by noting facts about characters and drawing their own conclusions.
WRITING PROMPT: Think of a small detail related to a person’s actions. Maybe it’s the way they always repeat “thank you” multiple times or maybe they always rinse out the garbage can each time they empty it. Perhaps they have a habit of wiping their hands on their pants or cleaning their nails while watching a show on their streaming device.
What kinds of specific details can you attach to one of your characters or recall about someone in your life? Write a scene, fiction or creative nonfiction using some of those details. Try adding new details to something you are already working on to see how it changes the work.
I began by writing about time and our perception of time. Checking a timepiece, timing an activity, counting out seconds are three examples of how a writer can both add an element of urgency and can show readers how preoccupied a character is with getting something done. In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, the white rabbit is periodically consulting his pocket watch. What does that detail tell you?
Traveling to a different place, even another town ten miles away, can provide fresh perspective for seeing the world in different ways. Observe, remember and use what you’ve learned in writing and life.
Thank you for reading and feel free to share your comments and any questions. If you enjoyed this post and want to support my writing, consider purchasing my little chapbook filled with short essays and poems, RECIPES FROM MY GARDEN .
Don’t miss a future post by signing up for FREE to receive an email each time I post on WordPress, Medium or Substack- depending on which platform you prefer. It’s a New Year. Enjoy each moment and if you’re a writer, keep writing those sentences.
Originally published at http://nadjamaril.com on January 14, 2025.
