Mindfulness has become trendy around the world in recent years – but in Japan, it’s been ingrained into the culture for centuries. As the sleek shinkansen bullet train glided noiselessly into the station, I watched a strange ritual begin. During the brief stop, the conductor in the last carriage began talking to himself. He proceeded to perform a series of tasks, commenting aloud on each one and vigorously gesticulating at various bits of the train all the while.
-BBC
