Sneak Preview

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.

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 tea-houses: very traditional, very Japanese.

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.

Japan is an enigma - travel to Japan to discover it!

It is customary to change or take off your shoes when you enter some restaurants so be prepared. Wear slip- on shoes instead of tie-ups – much easier to take off.

Bathing is quite a ritual in Japan and it would be wise to be aware of the customary practices. These days it is common practice to have separate bathing areas for men and women. In the small ryokans or in Japanese homes normally one bathes in the evenings. Also be aware that very often there is only one bathroom in the house and the bathtub is used only for soaking by everyone. So be sure not to pull out the plug after you finish as also be careful not to step in with soap on you!

Historically Speaking

Japan’s history is a dramatic one, in parts. The tales of samurais (who hasn’t heard of them?), shoguns and honour-or-death are the stuff romances are made of, and Japan has plenty of it in its history. The first to take power into their hands were the Yamato, who between 300 and 500 A.D, seized the fertile Kansai plain and set about expanding westward; theirs was a aristocratic martial rule, and this the model continued for centuries altogether. By the 8th century, Buddhism (which had arrived from China) reached its peak, and Japan’s first capital was established at Nara but shifted to Kyoto four centuries later. By the time Kyoto became the centre of Japanese power, the emperor had been reduced to a mere figurehead; power was decentralized, and the samurai (warrior class) gained in stature. By the 1500s, Japanese art had reached great heights; Zen Buddhism was the most widely practiced religion, and the first foreigners, the Portuguese- in the guise of traders- appeared on the scene.

After 1600, the capital shifted again- this time to Tokyo, under the Tokugawa Shogunate, which made it their military capital. Although the period saw great progress in the arts, it also witnessed a xenophobic uprising- one that led Japan to close its doors to foreigners (overseas trade re-started only in 1853, by the efforts of the American Commodore Matthew Perry). This was to herald a new era for the country; 15 years later, the Shoguns were overthrown and the Meiji Restoration- returning the Meiji emperor to the throne- took place. Under the slowly increasing exposure to the west, modernization arrived in Japan and simultaneously the country moved towards a more militant mood. The annexation of Manchuria and the bombing of Pearl Harbour brought the country bang into the middle of World War II as one of the Axis powers. By the end of the war, Japan had been utterly devastated, become the first country to have a nuclear bomb dropped upon it (around 50 cities besides Hiroshima & Nagasaki suffered terribly), and generally lost its political, military and financial might. But hard work has helped the country to grow into one of the most economically powerful nations of the world- in a mere half-century.

Habitat

Japan is romantically called the 'The Land of the Rising Sun’ - the country which first sees the dawn. The archipelago, which makes up Japan stretches right down the eastern edge of Asia; 4 large islands- Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu- and about 1000 smaller ones- form the country. The land stretches from sub-tropical in the south to sub-arctic in the north, and encompasses a whole range of topography; rivers, lakes, plateaus and mountains. Japan is one of the most seismic countries in the world- it has a number of volcanoes, hot springs, and close to a thousand earthquakes every year (most, thankfully, very mild). It is also known for its natural beauty- especially for its mountains, which cover around 3000 km, and the tallest of which is the magnificent Mt. Fujiyama, 3776 m tall and picture perfect.

Japan’s main environmental problems include an alarming shortage of land space, and air pollution, which results in smog, particularly in the cities and acid rain.

Flora and Fauna

Thanks to Japan’s amazing climatic and topographical diversity, the indigenous flora and fauna of the country is very varied too. Unfortunately, however, little of it can still be seen- not just because of deforestation, but also due to the massive import of European and American plant species into the country. Despite this, there are still pockets where you can see Japan the way nature intended it to be- Hokkaido and alpine parts of Central Honshu are perhaps the most unspoilt parts of the country.

Among the most distinctive forms of animal life in Japan are the extremely rare and endangered red-crested cranes, the brown bears of Hokkaido, macaques, giant salamanders, and the Iriomote wildcat indigenous to the Ryuk island group, and often described as a 'living fossil’- it’s been around for ages.