House of the Rising Sun

After returning from a two week adventure in Japan, I’ve found myself struggling to accurately describe it’s multifaceted beauty to family and friends. On one hand, I feel Back from the Future and on the other, I feel like I’m back from a bygone era where people stopped to smell the cherry blossoms. Japan is strikes a simultaneous blend of the traditional, modern and bleeding edge. It is a fascinating treasure to behold.  

We attempted to explore a real cross section of  Japanese ‘life,’ from the hyper tech metropolis that is Tokyo to the lo-fi historic glimpse in the Japanese Alps. From sprawling cities to shrines alike, we we’re met with gracious smiles and a consistent pride in work as impressive as the volume of World Heritage Sites. The Japanese ethos has engendered a dutiful populace who take the utmost care in their work. Whether it’s brewing an cup of (expert) coffee or conducting a Shinkansen bullet train, there was no noticeable difference in effort and concentration. Back on the coffee note, we did enjoy some of the best coffee I have ever had while in this Green Tea obsessed nation. The Japanese are just that good. We we’re struck at the absence of ‘cutting corners’ in the service/hospitality industry. Folks appeared to take their time and do things the right way without complaints/strain. The language barrier was huge, as we went with zero knowledge outside of “please” and “thank you.” Thankfully, English is taught in most Japanese schools. Often in addition to Kanji characters, English is the unofficial signage second language – hallelujah! Despite ‘barriers’ to communicating, surprisingly, it didn’t stop passerby’s giving us a helping hand with directions and maps. On a few occasions, people engaged us and offered to ‘help.’ Navigation in Tokyo, in particular, is extremely challenging, since many streets remain unnamed. A remnant from old Edo’s (Tokyo) desire to thwart invasion.

Zen . Harmony

A friend asked ‘what was the best thing you did?’ and I couldn’t answer her concisely. For me, it’s not a country where you go for a certain activity/event, rather it’s a culture to immerse in, observe and admire. My favorite thing was simply being there and soaking up the palpable ‘Zen’ feeling. There’s an ease, a harmony, even on an overcrowded subway car during rush hour. The West’s obsession with the individual, as in ‘me,’ and ‘I,’ is lost in Japan. The culture values the country/community/society as a whole and views it’s health as the top propriety versus a more…um…self-centered approach. This is demonstrated in exceptional manners and patience.  

As you may have surmised from my glowing one-sided review, Japan is my new favorite place. Not that it doesn’t have it’s unfair share of problems – it does. However, it’s clean, safe (non-geologically speaking), organized and well mannered. I’ve recommend that everyone makes the trip to experience this magical land of dualities. They truly seem to have it dialed in and in my mind, a model nation in many enlightened ways. Arigato Gozaimas, Japan. Sayonara!