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JAPAN
About Japan
For a country that lived in self-imposed isolation until 150 years
ago, Japan has not hesitated in making up for lost time since the
world came calling. Anyone who's eaten sushi or used a Sony Walkman
feels they know something about this slinky archipelago of some
6800 volcanic islands tucked away off the far eastern coast of Asia,
and yet, from the moment of arrival in this oddly familiar, quintessentially
Oriental land it's almost as if you've touched down on another planet.
Japan is a place of ancient gods and customs, but is also the cutting
edge of cool modernity. High-speed trains whisk you from one end
of the country to another with frightening punctuality. You can
catch sight of a farmer tending his paddy field, then turn the corner
and find yourself next to a neon-festooned electronic games parlour
in the suburb of a sprawling metropolis. One day you could be picking
through the fashions in the biggest department store on earth, the
next relaxing in an outdoor hot-spring pool, watching cherry blossom
or snowflakes fall, depending on the season.
Few other countries have, in the space of a few generations, experienced
so much or made such an impact. Industrialized at lightning speed,
Japan shed its feudal trappings to become the most powerful and
outwardly aggressive country in Asia in a matter of decades. After
defeat in World War II, it transformed itself from atom bomb victim
to wonder economy, the envy of the globe. Currently facing up to
recession and rising unemployment after years of conspicuous consumption,
Japan still remains fabulously wealthy and intent on reinvention
for the twenty-first century, when, together with South Korea, it
will become the first Asian nation to host soccer's World Cup in
2002.
Japan is never going to be a cheap place to travel, but there's
no reason why it should be wildly expensive either. Some of the
most atmospheric and traditionally Japanese places to stay and eat
are often those that are the best value. Furthermore, the recession
and tentative moves towards deregulation of the airlines, among
other industries, have led to significant price-cutting in some
areas.
In the cities you'll first be struck by the mass of people. In this
mountainous country, one and a half times the size of Britain, the
vast majority of the 127 million population live on the crowded
coastal plains of the main island of Honshu . The three other main
islands, running north to south, are Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu
, and all are linked to Honshu by bridges and tunnels that are part
of one of Japan's modern wonders - its efficient transport network
of trains and highways.
If you're after the latest buzz, the hippest fashions and technologies,
and a worldwide selection of food, head for the exciting, overwhelming
metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka. The cities are also the best places
in which to sample Japan's traditional performance arts, such as
Kabuki and N9 plays, to catch the titanic clash of sumo wrestlers,
and track down the wealth of Japanese visual arts in the major museums.
Outside the cities, from the wide open spaces and deep volcanic
lakes of Hokkaido, blanketed by snow every winter, to the balmy
subtropical islands of Okinawa, there's a vast range of other holiday
options, including hiking, skiing, scuba diving and surfing. You'll
seldom have to travel far to catch sight of a lofty castle, ancient
temple or shrine, or locals celebrating at a colourful street festival.
The Japanese are inveterate travellers within their own country
and there's hardly a town or village, no matter how small or plain,
that doesn't boast some unique attraction.
It's not all perfect, though. Experts on focusing on detail (the
exquisite wrapping of gifts and the tantalizing presentation of
food are just two examples), the Japanese often miss the broader
picture. Rampant development and sometimes appalling pollution are
difficult to square with a country also renowned for cleanliness
and appreciation of nature. Part of the problem is that natural
cataclysms, such as earthquakes and typhoons, regularly hit Japan,
so few people expect things to last for long anyway. There's also
a blindness to the pernicious impact of mass tourism, with ranks
of gift shops, ugly hotels and crowds often ruining potentially
idyllic spots.
And yet, time and again, Japan redeems itself with unexpectedly
beautiful landscapes, charmingly courteous people, and its tangible
sense of history and cherished traditions. Most intriguing of all
is the opaqueness at the heart of this mysterious "hidden"
culture that stems from a blurring of traditional boundaries between
East and West - Japan is neither wholly one nor the other. |
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