Japan
Standing amidst the streets of Kyoto, snapping one digital photo after another, my brother Kevin paused and pondered, “Do the Japanese think foreigners are camera crazy?” Coming from my experience I would have to answer with a definite YES. Japan is as exotic and beautiful as you imagine it to be and I’ve never taken more photographs in my life. Fo-real….I have never seen such a harmonious, refined and balanced integration between architecture and landscape. For the first time, I really understood the genius behind Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpieces in the States, those Japanese influenced homes built after his visit to Japan in 1905. The older I get the more I tend to believe that architecture is the most significant of all the arts. It plays such a powerful yet sublime role in our daily experiences. I had so many questions about Japan. Why do people consider this culture feminine in nature? Why are these people such perfectionists at everything they do? Why is this place so anal-retentively clean?
There are a lot of reasons why Japan is one of if not the most sophisticated and modern countries in the world. Japan had nearly 400 years of peace and seclusion, developing the first most urbanized society on the planet in which the arts and culture thrived. Surprisingly, The country was invaded only once by yours truly, the American forces in retaliation to the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Centuries earlier, the Mongolian empire lead by Kublai Khan attempted to invade Japan on two separate occasions but their navy was wiped out by a succession of typhoons. This lucky typhoon has been known as the kamikaze (divine wind) – a name later given to the suicide pilots of WWII. Japan was so isolated for so many years that it refused its people to travel overseas and refused to open up foreign trade until Commodore Matthew Perry of the US Navy arrived in 1853 with a squadron of ships to demand the opening up of Japan to trade.
One of the most important national values to the Japanese is peace and harmony or wa .
One of the reasons why this concept of the wa is so valued is simply because of its geography. Japan is an island country, which is characterized by different traits than those of continental and peninsular countries. Different ethnic people were constantly at war in continental and peninsular countries. For island countries, the ocean served as a natural barrier against foreign invasions. The greatest danger for island countries didn’t come from external threats but from internal struggles. If an internal war erupted, the people living on the island had nowhere to run. They would have no choice but to fight each other, spelling the end for all involved. Nearly all island countries, not just Japan, consider peace and harmony to be very important. To avoid the tragedy of endless wars, the people placed a so-called divine ruler at the top who, in actuality, had no real power. Avoiding conflict in order to preserve wa is deeply embedded in the psyche and customs of the Japanese. I am reminded of our experience on the night train from Fukuoka to Tokyo where every person who passed even remotely close to me stuck up their hand and said, “excuse me” in Japanese. In Korea, this is hardly the case, as ajumma (elderly ladies) constantly bump into you and cut in front of you at the supermarket. It’s interesting to observe the similarities between the British and Japanese. Both countries have two coexisting systems, the symbolic power (king/emperor) and the real power(parliament/Bakufu). And both cultures have similar mannerisms centered on being amiable, polite and gentle. Along with world–renowned cordiality, the Japanese also exhibit the need for their own private territory. They seem to have their own little private capsules. In contrast, the Koreans have very close, intertwined relationships. The closer they get to people, the more they encroach upon their territories. The Koreans also consider it perfectly natural for other people to encroach upon their territories. In sum, the Japanese tend to avoid close direct contact with others while the Koreans tend to promote such contact. The differences between these two cultures are exemplified by the ways they approach videogames. Japanese kids tend to play videogames alone. Japan is the most advanced country in the world when it comes to creating games that can be played alone. It falls way behind, however, when it comes to games played with other people such as online games. This trip to Japan reminds me of how different China, Korea and Japan actually are. We’re talking about different alphabets, different chopsticks, different mannerisms ect. The list is long.
So there are a couple of misconceptions regarding Japan. One misconception is that Japan is small. I suppose it is relative. Compared to the U.S. Japan is small. Yet compared to other Asian countries, Japan is fairly big and roughly the size of California. The archipelago is made of over 3000 islands and stretches from Russia in the north to Okinawa in the Tropics just north of the Philippines. The other misconception is that Japan is expensive. If you check into 4 star hotels, shop for clothes, or take taxis then it is expensive. But if you get a rail pass and stay at business hotels then Japan is similar if not cheaper than your expenses in the States. Though I have to admit that it helps when you are visiting from Korea and don’t have to buy a $1200 plane ticket to visit the place.
We arrived in Fukuoka via the Hydrofoil from Busan. It took only about 3 hours and it was by far the fastest boat I’ve ever been on. It actually has a jet engine powering the damn thing. Fukuoka is an international city on the southern island of Kyushu. One of the first experiences in Japan was the taste of the infamous ramen noodle at Ramen Stadium in Canal City, a modern mall with an artificial canal that wraps around futuristic structures. Ramen in Japan is nothing like it is at home. It consists of thick gravy made from pork bones along with egg noodles, slices of tender pork and hard-boiled eggs. This restaurant had the coolest way of ordering food. Basically, we selected our meal from a large vending machine that spits out tickets. Talk about efficient – just hand your ticket to the waiter and have a seat. Everything is achieved in one swift swoop. Japan is considered the most creative country in the world (at least according to the Economist’s Intelligence Unit) and there were no shortage of electronic wizardries, gizmos and innovations. As an artist/designer I felt like a kid in a candy store.
We booked a night train to Tokyo that took 15 hours or something crazy. It wasn’t a fast bullet train but it was fun to travel this way and it reminded us of backpacking around Europe after college. On the train, we met a young gal with her mother and chatted away, learning about Japanese customs and culture. When we arrived in Tokyo the next morning we were stunned like deer in front of headlights. Kevin and I stood there in the middle of the Tokyo Train station not really knowing what to do. This is our first experience of Japanese sensory overload. There was just so much information that we had no direction and no clue. Fortunately, we found the tourist office and they booked us hotels for our entire stay in Japan including Kyoto.
Tokyo can be summed up very simply. It is similar to NYC but much cleaner, more modern, a lot less diverse but with more people. Since I love factoids, here is one for you. In Tokyo, there are around 13,500 residents per square kilometer. Kevin and I learned this tidbit the hard way after riding the most congested subway I’ve ever ridden. Some of you know how bad the 4/5 express trains gets in Manhattan. That is nothing compared to Tokyo rush-hour. Currently, there is a major problem with sexual harassment on the subway because women are helplessly immobile. Some infamous Japanese guy got caught recently after a rumor floating around suggested that this guy had a record of over 10,000 gropings a year. Now they have train cars for women only. How I raised my arm to capture a photo in the train is still a mystery to me.
We cruised around and stopped at various neighborhoods checking out various restaurants and cafes. The highlight for me was our excursion through The Shibuya district. This place is like the ‘new Times Square’ of Tokyo with a flood of projection screens, lights, and advertisements. What astonished me was how clean the place was with much activity and people. Kevin and I found a charming restaurant/lounge in the one of the back alleys surrounding the main area.
Kyoto
The trip to the city of Kyoto was definitely a highlight of my summer. Out of all the places in Japan, this is a must see and should be given the highest priority by any visitor to Japan. The Lonely Planet book is spot on the money when it reads that one could spend many months in Kyoto and never run out of gardens and temples to see. There are over 2000 temples, gardens and shrines in Kyoto. What I love about this city is that it feels like a small village yet it is a big city with subways and such. I noticed that it doesn’t feel overcrowded and dense like other Asian cities feel. This is also one of the most traditional Japanese cities in the country since it was left untouched throughout World War II. Kevin and I checked into a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn where you sleep on light pillow mats on a bamboo surface. At first I questioned my ability to get a good night sleep but to my surprise, it was great. After cruising to different temples on the first day, we made one of the best decisions by taking a walking tour with Johnny Hillwalker, an elderly Japanese man who has been giving walks for years now. The tour lasted four hours and Johnny Walker told us a lot about Japanese culture. First, we visited the biggest Buddhist temple in Kyoto and Johnny gave an eloquent speech about Buddhism. Basically he talked about the idea that God doesn’t care if you are white or black, Muslim or Jewish. God doesn’t care if you are poor or rich..God doesn’t even care if you are good or bad. The only thing God cares about is whether you are alive or dead…and if you’re dead, then God welcomes you to his Kingdom. He also explained a little bit about Japan’s indigenous religion Shinto. Shinto involves the worship of Kami or spirits. Shinto actually translates as ‘The Way of the Gods’. Basically, everything in existence is a spirit including the chair you sit on or the car you drive. His explanation also clued me into the possible reason for why the Japanese are so concerned with cleanliness. Essentially, in order to receive the spirits, one must be purified. One lady asked a very good question to our charming tour guide. “If everything is a spirit then isn’t dirt a spirit?” the lady asked. Johnny never gave us an answer.
