title: Tokyo story. A British nurse is setting up an infection control service in Japan.
abstract: Tokyo is an amazing capital city, just as you would expect: tall buildings, bright lights, overcrowded and fast paced. Japan was a bit of a culture shock at first, but things have settled down since I learned a few key Japanese phrases for such questions as 'Can I have... ?' and 'Where is... ?' There are many places to visit in this city of almost 15 million people. Getting around is straightforward, as there is an efficient underground system with the station names in English as well as Japanese. The trains are on time and fully air-conditioned, but during rush hours it can get very uncomfortable with so many people squashed inside the carriages. The food ranges from inexpensive pavement cafes serving batter-fried octopus to exclusive sushi restaurants. Every type of food is available in the many restaurants, but I enjoy trying traditional Japanese dishes. The food is always fresh, well presented and tasty. Some of the more unusual dishes include raw horse, raw eggs, sea urchins and live fish. I have been taken to a karaoke bar by my work colleagues and it was great, but very different from what I had expected. You only sing to the people you are with and there are a number of rooms in the bar, depending on how many of you there are, which reduces the public humiliation factor.
authors.affiliation: Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nevill
mesh_terms: D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007564:Japan; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013041:Specialties, Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D013192:Staff Development / Q000458:organization & administration; D006113:United Kingdom