Putting Tokyo on a pedestal

Re “Tokyo’s life lessons for L.A.,” Column, April 15

Before moving to Japan five years ago from San Pedro, I never thought any place could match L.A.

Until I moved to Tokyo. This beautiful, vibrant, clean city is thriving. It’s also very safe. When I first arrived, I ventured out to a nightclub. As I returned home in the wee hours, a group of men walked directly behind me. My L.A. instincts set in -- my jaw tightened and my fists clenched. But as the men walked by, they gave me a polite greeting and that was that.

I’m a realist. I know that Tokyo isn’t perfect -- I still haven’t found anything I can call real Mexican food -- but I agree with Steve Lopez wholeheartedly when he suggests that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his deputy mayor of transportation, Jaime de la Vega, should visit Tokyo and take a few notes.

Dave Brown

Kashiwa, Japan

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I was stationed in Tokyo during the Korean War, and you are right: The Japanese are all that you say they are. But they are also very insular and group-oriented and definitely not inclined to express their individuality.

We Americans are not perfect, but among other things, we do have diversity and individuality, and we do pay interest on savings accounts. In other words, the Japanese are great at what they do, but as history has shown, we’re just as good if not better.

Morris Chapnick

West Hollywood

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My heart swelled with pride on reading Lopez’s column. Being a second-generation Japanese American, I’m happy that my ancestors came from a place that reveres elders, appreciates wonders like the yearly cherry blossom bloom and practices plain good manners.

Lopez writes that the media covering “The Soloist” were more interested in the friendship between Lopez and Nathaniel Ayers than in the actors playing the men in the movie. This is promising, because mental illness is still taboo in Japan. By showing that even a Juilliard-trained musician can suffer from this disease, maybe the movie will help Japanese society become more accepting of it.

Kristine Satoko

Haenschke

North Hills