Japan’s culture, which is distinctive and unique, makes their country attractive to visitors worldwide.
Tokyo is a very fast-paced city like New York and London. A city of skyscrapers, shopping malls, hotels, red-light establishments, and people walking on a busy sidewalk.
For a family with children, Disneyland is always the first destination. Tokyo Disney was the first Disney park built outside the US and the third most visited park in the world.
You can’t leave Tokyo without the experience of crossing one of the world’s busiest intersections – the Shibuya pedestrian crossing. It has ten lanes of traffic and five crossroads converge with lights. A surge of people passes one another in chaos minding their own business.
The locals call this crossing a “scramble.” It is particularly dramatic and chaotic on a Friday or Saturday night, where locals and tourists cross these intersections in the middle of the busy neon lights.
If you love dogs or even if you’re not, you’ll be amazed by the story of the dog named Hachiko. He used to wait daily for his master in front of the Shibuya train station to walk home together. Then, one day, his master died and never made it back to Hachiko. And for seven years, every night, Hachiko came back to the Shibuya station and waited for his master. The people then built a monument in honor of Hachiko and his sad story. It’s an inspiring story of the relationship between a dog and his master.
Hello Kitty is a popular character in Japan. Her full name is Kitty White. She’s a fictional cartoon with a red bow and no mouth. According to her story, she is a third-grade student who lives outside London. She became a product line, including clothing and toy. It was a big hit in the Philippines many years ago. I was a fan.
Fashion in Japan is mostly extreme and “avant-garde.” It means experimental or with distinct modernism. I call it chic.
Transportation in Japan is very efficient, especially in big cities like Tokyo. The train is commonly used, and you can entrust with punctuality, cleanliness, and discipline. However, riding these trains can be confusing, and you can be lost in the distance. Communication is very crucial to get to your destination, especially if you are by yourself. So bring a Japanese dictionary to help you navigate.
Japanese food is one of the most popular cuisines globally. They have a traditional Japanese cooking method, what they call a “rules of five.” It emphasizes variety and balance. They achieve it through the use of five colors (black, white, red, yellow, and green,) five cooking techniques (raw, grill, steam, boil, and fry,) and five flavors (sweet, spicy, salty, sour, and bitter). If someone follows this tradition, you’ll create fantastic Japanese cuisine.
There’s so much to see and experience in Japan. This country, with continuous technological advancement, a rich culture, friendly people, and a beautiful landscape, is worth a trip.
AloJapan.com