It’s the third day post holiday, finally the list of required documents are put together for the tourist visa to Japan.

What’s so nice about applying a Japanese visa in Toronto that these is never a line up in the embassy. Security is so casually handled. A simple metal detector guarded by a uniformed security guard that doesn’t even seen to notice my entry.

Inside the embassy, two tables are placed besides the wall in the waiting area. Waiting area and the office area are seperated by a glass wall.

I was fill with wonder to see the lady that I spoke to on the phone. She was all nice and funny, and was thinking of my will. When I asked on the phone how long my visa will be approved she said with anxiety after a long pause “how about 1 week, is that too long?”. lol. I didn’t antivipate the lenght of the approval process was negotiable.

While she was carefully and thoroughly investigating my application, I skim the others in the office and their desk. Documents piled up on all five desks but hardly there are computers. An Ojisan with grey hair sitting straight was reading a stack of Japanese news paper.  On his desk, there are more news papers and a cup of tea. The way and speed he reads reminds me my grandpa and his all time favorite column on the local news paper during the post dinner family reading period. At the end of the office, a younger woman was on the phone the whole time. The phone seen to be the most advance technology in this small office.

The process was quick. I am here with all the required documents ready. They have what they need. I was told to revisit in a week with $30 ready, and my first Japanese visa will be ready. The whole thing is straight forward and painless compare with what I have gone through to get a visa to the Unite States. There is no full body search, no waiting, no questioning, no finger print, no eyeball scanning. Both countries are well developed, however, if applying a Japanese visa is riding the Shinkansen bullet train, getting a U.S. visa is like sitting on a double deck tour bus which is humiliating from head to toe.

One step closer. Yadaaaaa