New York was cold.
The high was around 1°C, and the low dropped to minus 6.
By evening, snow began to fall.
Compared with Kamakura, it felt like I had come to a much colder place.
Still, the temperature here was higher than in Sapporo.
So, it was not such a big deal.
That said, cold is cold.
Even so, I went out for a walk.
There were not many people walking outside, but once inside a shopping mall, it was crowded with people.
After a while, it began to feel not so different from Shibuya or Shinjuku in Tokyo.
What is different is the variety of people.
In Japan, the vast majority are Japanese, with foreign tourists making up the rest.
Here, the word “foreigner” itself feels unnecessary.
When I first arrived in New York, my daughter said that she did not feel conscious of being Japanese here.
Now I understand what she meant.
This is not my first time abroad.
Still, New York feels different from the West Coast and from Europe.
In NY, ethnic diversity exists as an unquestioned part of everyday life.
To be honest, I am not fond of inbound tourism.
What I dislike is when visitors make no effort to adapt to Japanese customs.
Here, however, different customs are thoroughly mixed together, and there is no expectation of shared values.
Ethical standards vary widely.
Naturally, manners do as well.
Yet one thing seems to be shared: people try not to trouble others.
Even so, this appears less a matter of goodwill than a practical way to avoid unnecessary friction.
I visited a few shops I had researched on YouTube, but most of what they sold could easily be found in Japan.
Aside from souvenirs, I will probably avoid unnecessary spending.
Macy’s was still holding its Christmas sale and looked festive.
This atmosphere will likely continue through the weekend.
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