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AsiaEA > Japan > Introduction
J A P A N |
Cherry blossoms and rock gardens,
chrysanthemums and bonsai, microchips and mega industries, kimonos and kabuki, geishas and
samurais, haiku and hara-kiri, Japan
presents the visitor with a study in contrasts. It can be very modern with concrete
jungles like Tokyo- or it can present an enchanting, typically Japanese picture of
settlements like Kyoto, with its myriad gardens and temples. It can wear the serenity of
Mt. Fuji or scramble with the rush hour traffic of downtown Tokyo. |
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In between lies a whole host of cities and
towns, some with historical associations, like the legendary port of Yokohama, much
celebrated in fiction; and some associated with everlasting human tragedies. But there is one thing all of
Japan has in common, and that is an unfailing sense of tradition and culture. No matter
how modern, how technologically advanced the Japanese might become, there is always an
affinity for tradition: and this is reflected in every aspect of their lives. Under the
steel and the concrete lies Nippon- with its temples, its gardens, its streets and its
teahouses: very traditional, very Japanese.
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Japan is a bit awesome for
many foreigners- there’s something very strait-laced and very regimental about the
Japanese, or so it would appear, to a casual observer and the country as such is so
perfect- efficient, clean, beautiful- that it can be a little intimidating- if you
don’t dig any further. The image Japan has acquired over the years is of a country
where dignity, honour and hard work are ethics so part of life that they have become
bywords for the country and its people. |
But
scratch the surface. And you’ll find a land that is extremely beautiful, where
values, morals and good manners are prized but faux pas are tolerated, a people who can be
very hospitable and very warm, once you come to know them. And, as a tourist, you should,
if you really want to get to the core of Japan, try to get to know its people- their
culture, their customs, their ability to be very traditional and yet very, very
contemporary.
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F A C
T B O X |
| Full country name |
Japan
(Nippon) |
| Area |
377,435
sq km |
| Population |
125
million |
| Capital City |
Tokyo |
| People |
Japanese,
Ainu, Korean |
| Language |
Japanese |
Religion |
Shinto,
Buddhist, Christian |
| Government |
Constitutional
monarchy |
| Head of State |
Emperor
Akihito |
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