Impressions of a Country of Contradictions

Japan is a country of contradictions. It pulses with energy on the brink of chaos, yet knows when to stop to appreciate the more simple things in life. On one hand we would encounter a beautiful temple, with people of all ages engaging in traditional religious rituals, and see a young couple in traditional kimonos quietly moving along a path through a Zen garden. The next moment we would find ourselves crammed into a train car with young men in black business suits and ties each holding a briefcase, and others in skinny jeans sporting pink-tinged mohawks, all focussed on their mobile phones while incessant announcements blared over the loudspeakers. Yet somehow it all works. It seems to me that Japan is the harmonious melding of past, present and future, creating a culture unlike any other Asian country.

What surprises me about Japan is how clean everything looked despite a lack of trash cans in the streets; how many shopping malls there are; the prolific number of vending machines on the streets; the fact that there are usually several restaurants on every city block and they are always full of people; and how many people we pass on the streets wearing face masks (we read that it started as protection from allergies but today are increasingly worn for protection from getting or spreading viruses).

What impresses me about Japan are the people, who are hard-working, stoic (despite so many natural disasters), kind, quick to help and honest (we always felt perfectly safe); how organized the train system in Japan is (apparently the longest delay for a bullet train in 20 years is 18 seconds!); how quickly Japanese society went from being closed off from the outside world for 200 years, to becoming an economic and military superpower, to being utterly destroyed in WW2, to rebuilding and embracing western values so quickly while retaining their unique cultural character.

Finally let me clarify a word I used in the last post about my impressions of Japan. I said that there were things about the country that "disappointed" us. Disappoint was the wrong word to use (it was midnight and my brain was tired). I think that there can be no disappointment in any travel experience. Places or activities that don't meet our expectations should not be labelled as negative or disappointing but rather be seen as simply different from what we are used to. We should embrace each new place and each adventure---with the positives and seemingly negatives---as all part of the challenge to understand a different culture and lifestyle from what we are accustomed.

So rather than saying Japan disappointed us (apologies Kevin, I shouldn't have included you in my impressions)), let's say it overwhelmed me. The sheer volume of people, the traffic, the noise, the rampant consumerism, the transportation system (so many options to choose from), difficulty in finding street addresses (and therefore recommended restaurants), the lack of recognizable language, thus information...all these were overwhelming, almost frightening. One could easily get lost in or lose control of a situation, and be forced to go with whatever is presented, whether or not it is part of the travel agenda. But that is usually a good thing...and what real travel is all about!

I have my son, my excellent travel partner and a wonderful person, to thank for reminding me not to stress, to go with the flow and it will all work out. And it did.