To me, by far the biggest change is having Google Translate on your smartphone - this way, you can translate and read all Japanese inscriptions. You are no longer illiterate in Japan! This takes away the excitement of pointing at menu items without having a slightest idea what they mean and hoping to get something edible, but it's a huge improvement overall.
People seem to bow a lot less than they did 12 years ago. The beautiful Harajuku station building has been demolished and replaced with an awful looking glass and concrete monster.
But overall, Tokyo hasn't changed that much.
Originally Posted by
bmwe92fan
Tokyo is MUCH more navigable for foreigners than ever.... When I first moved here I couldn't find much English at all in train stations
That's an interesting perspective.
My first time in Japan was 2005, and Tokyo was quite navigable with English back then already (Osaka on the other hand was pure hell - it was the only Japanese city where I got lost).