After spending the last two weeks of 2007 in Asia, I thought for sure that I’d blog the whole trip as soon as I got back. Even while I was there, I found myself crafting quick posts in my head while waiting to fall asleep, and at least two times it took some effort to avoid ducking into an Internet cafe to spout my “insights” across the Pacific, oven fresh.

Much like a stoned frat boy watching The Wall for the first time, every minute detail seemed to reveal to me something about the larger cultural picture, when the truth is that I know relatively little about the region’s people or history. That aside, there are a few things I want to get out there before they slip down the memory hole for good. So begins the first in a small series of posts about my adventures:

For as long as I can remember, and long, long before Scarlett and Bill got lost there, I’ve wanted to visit Japan. What I find most attractive about Japanese culture is its deep, loving attention to detail. Everything, from the candy wrappers to the manhole covers, seems to have been engineered by someone who asked themselves the following:

• If I were interacting with this object, how exactly would I want it to serve me?
• Is it possible to accomplish the above in a way that would make me smile?

There are a lot of terms for this. One is ‘considerate design,’ and it’s everywhere in Japan. Take this little gem, for instance–a robotic beer tap I found in a lounge at Narita airport.

Why create such a thing? Well, a person who doesn’t know to tilt their glass when using a beer tap (or is too lazy to do so) shouldn’t have to bear the consequences. Haven’t we come far enough as a species that they should be able to enjoy a beer like the rest of us, with a manageable head of foam, and therefore, a modicum of dignity? I never thought about it this way, but great design is about leveling the playing field, because everyone deserves a fair shake, dammit.