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.
