Suffocating

I spent years living in Tokyo.  My apartment in Tokyo is about 2 kilometers away from Tokyo station.  It was a new and modern building.  I can easily bike to work in the finan cial center of Tokyo, which is Otemachi and Marunochi by Tokyo station.  Just a couple minute walk away is the imperial palace's huge garden.  Running around the imperial palace is still one of the best memories I have in Tokyo - it is exactly 5.92 km for one loop, I think I did it once within 25 minutes (wow, those good old times - I have been pondering to pick up jogging again after 3 years). 
 
I enjoyed my life in Tokyo.  My Japanese is good enough to order food and drink (my knowledge of alcohol and how to pronounce them in Japan amazed my Japanese teacher), can have simple conversations with skating mates.  Pretty much hassle free to live in this big city - dealing with the bank, sending out a post, sorting out tax issues in local ward office, taking taxi (it was fun to chat to taxi driver especially when I was half pissed) were not a big problem.  Tokyo is clean, orderly, safe and comfortable in every aspect.  Japanese had worked together to eliminate uncertainties for centuries.  There are written or unspoken rules which regulate everyone's behavior and life.  They have done it so well by Japanese-nizing immigrants, being xenophobia to foreigners (or things that are not Japanese origin), drawing a clear line between in and out. 

It is an efficient way to eliminate conflicts so people can focus their energy for something else, but the questions are, for what?  Better living?  More fancy gadgets?  What's the purpose of this society and where it is heading?  I wouldn't say Tokyo has achieved the perfect balance, it has problems on its own.  But the staleness and conservative mindset have suffocated any sparks that could possibly lead to changes.  Take the woman status issue as an example, why the women are still hard-done by in today's Japanese society?  Everyone sees it but no one seems to be able to do anything about it.  

Foreigners will have a good life in Tokyo because you are never being scrutinized as a Japanese,  hence, less pressure.  And at the same time, you get to enjoy the convenience of the super city.  Nevertheless, you are never considered to be in, or be part of the community.  I guess the answer to that anxiety (some probably would not agree) is to have more drinks in the foreigner wonderland Roponggi.