Oct 11, 2025
It’s raining this morning, so I’ve been taking it slow — just sitting around and reading a book.
On days like this, I usually want to head to a cozy café, grab a cup of coffee, and just relax.
But unfortunately, there aren’t any cafés like that around here in this countryside town.
And even if there are, they’re all big commercial chains like Starbucks.
When I think back to my time in Vancouver, there were quite a few small, independently owned cafés.
Inside those cafés, people seemed to just enjoy chatting, or quietly spend time in their own worlds.
At least, that’s how I remember it.
Here in Japan—or rather, in this rural area where I live—it’s rare to see people taking that kind of slow, easy time in cafés.
Everyone looks like they’re chasing something.
Most of them are studying for some qualification, or typing away at their laptops.
What feels strange to me is that even high school students pack into cafés to study—early on weekday mornings, or during weekends.
It’s impressive, admirable even, but there’s a sort of restless energy in the air.
Maybe I feel that way because I’m also in the middle of job hunting, trying to stay productive, just like everyone else.
At least 80% of the people in cafés around here are working on something.
Is it a cultural difference? A mindset difference?
I’ve been reading that humans share more than 99% of their genes, regardless of race, so biologically there shouldn’t be that much difference.
But somehow, that less-than-one-percent seems to make such a huge impact.
Of course, I’m not here to debate the genetics — what really fascinates me is how deeply culture and society shape people’s behavior.
It’s not about which is better or worse.
But since coming back to Japan, I’ve realized how much I’ve started behaving in a “Japanese” way again.
When I was in Canada, I think I was just escaping reality — dealing with visa stuff, trying to make it through each day.
I didn’t have much time to think about the future.
Or maybe I just didn’t want to think about it.
But even now, I wonder — is there really a need to be so anxious about everything?
Anyway, those are the kinds of thoughts running through my head this Saturday morning.
Blame it all on the rain.
