Introduction
When it comes to travel, there's something absolutely captivating about exploring new destinations and immersing yourself in their unique vibes. Our wanderlust-filled souls find joy in every corner of the world, from ancient temples to bustling streets and serene landscapes. Japan offers all of them.
The story of my Japan travel blog started three years back when my wife
and I decided to take a driving tour to Japan in March 2020. The Covid forced
the cancellation. The self-managed trip was launched again in relatively
impromptu manner. The trip was
exceptionally successful and gratifying in terms of sightseeing scenic beauty, cuisine, culture, , history,
education, and other aspects that make traveling fulfilling, here's what you
might experience during your visit. I feel totally enamored many aspects of
this trip, so I am sharing the travel experiences and some reflections of the
great experience. This is basically a travel blog but does have few social observations,
personal opinions and commentaries based
on my background and quest to learn more about Japan.
Background: People in my generation
has gone through unique perceptions about Japan. Japan has always been very fascinating
grabbing lots of attention yet remain so elusive. So I need to analyze my
mental lenses for Japan before I post the pictures of Japan through camera
lenses. I do not when my fascination with Japan started. It could be well introduced
to me in childhood through a very popular Bollywood song
मेरा जूता है जापानी, ये पतलून इङ्ग्लिस्तानी
सर पे लाल टोपी रूसी, फ़िर भी दिल है हिन्दुस्तानी
My High school principal was an accomplished poet in Gujarati, who introduced Haiku(1965),
the Japanese poetic form to Gujarati and it became very popular. Early Novels in Gujarati Novel has a backdrop
of Japanese victory over Russia (1905). Many
in parent’s generations cheered
for Japan during pre- WW-II era over
British colonialists. Few Japanese books like “Hidden Flower” ( Pearl Buck),
“Thousand cranes” ( Yasunari Kawabata who won the Noble Prize in literature in
1968), became Popular. Even in Eurocentric culture and the western dominance,
Japan provided counter balance and has been always pride of Asia, and a
role-model.
Then came the epic film “Tora! Tora! Tora!” about the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor and the prophetic statement by the reluctant Japanese admiral. That started my learning of history giving a different
picture about the imperial past of Japan.
In the late 1980s, Japan
appeared on the verge of an economic takeover of the world. The purchase of
Columbia Pictures by Sony and the Rockefeller Center by Mitsubishi Real Estate
at the time were two of the more dramatic examples of Japanese economic power.
In Australia, residents of Queensland’s Gold Coast (with the notable exception of
local real estate agents) protested the Japanese buy-up of prime real estate.
The reaction in many parts of the world was fear. Movies such as "Rising Sun" intimated that there was a rather sinister plot by inscrutable kingpins to make
Japan the next superpower by taking control of the global economy. My employer
IBM exposed the Fujitsu and Hitachi which was believed to be the biggest industrial espionage case ever. Yet governments around the world at the time
vied for investment from Japan,
Then in the late 1980s, Japan got stuck in recession. Japanese
companies, too, which appeared unstoppable in the 1980s, are suddenly looking
for international partners to help them out of their dire financial straits,
hence the recent link-up between Nissan and the French automobile company
Renault, preceded by the American company Ford’s massive purchase of Mazda
shares.
Japan and Japanese
society have been continuously subject of the headlines and scholarly analysis
and debates. Is Japan Isolationist or expansionist? Are they peace-loving or war-like? Considerate of other cultures or arrogantly
dismissive? Willing members of the international community or shy and fearful
of engaging with others? Wildly successful or perched on the edge of economic
ruin? Creators of stunningly beautiful art forms or destroyers of pristine
natural environments
Japan also has a history of excessive
nationalism, populism, and destructive xenophobia. Newspapers over the past few
decades have provided all of these images!
Japan provides many important case studies and great examples of social changes like dealing
with the aging population, urban development, and the nature of secular democracyand role of religion. More so for a developing
nation like India also having the ancient civilization and burden of mythology
and traditions vying to be a modern
nation.
Two weeks of trip and a set
of cursory, anecdotal experiences cannot answer such complex issues. However, there are few observations that has reliable points.
posted by TusharInAsia @ June 02, 2023
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