Chris Arnade walked through Japan again, and his notes are as good as ever.

In both cases, the working and middle class Japanese and English are forced by a lack of options, to develop their own sense of self. Which includes lots of hobbies.

They are not inflicted with the US-style careerism, where you’re never supposed to be satisfied with what you have. Where the belief that you can, with the right amount of dedication, move up into ever and ever higher classes, presumably with the intent to reach a materialistic nirvana. Which I guess is a five-bedroom home, with a four-car garage, and a big lawn. A big lawn you pay someone else to take care of, because who has the time for gardening?

That’s why I came back to Japan, and that’s why I walked England twice, and why I will keep coming back to both.

And I’ll keep coming back to Chris’s newsletter!