Japanese people living in the smaller cities and villages tend to uphold bankers hours.  The hours surrounding sunrise are dedicated to family.  The streets remain empty until late morning.  Most workdays begin at 10AM.  This is a shift from the stories I have heard about the consummate corporate employee who holds his career in the highest regard.  Workers and students tend to end their labor later though, and are out and about around 6pm and eating dinner with family by eight o’clock.

There is a lot of construction going on in Nara city.  The building industry tends to take long periods of time to complete projects.  This is a necessary annoyance and a topic of infuriation for locals and taxi cab drivers.  Construction workers wear uniforms that have the word FUTURE embroidered on their backs. A brilliant strategic plan, who could get mad at someone who literally shoulders potential?

I must leave my cozy hotel room now to find an ATM that is compatible with my bankcard and investigate the fee for a temporary international cell phone.  Wish me luck.