The Enigma of Japan
Japan is a fascinating, enigmatic country–full of contradictions, yet somehow perfectly aligned. It's a country at the forefront of technological development, yet firmly rooted in ancient tradition; it's an all-out assault on the senses, but also the birthplace and epicentre of zen; it's one of the most refined countries in the world, but also home to a thriving, kinky, and relatively open sex industry. Spending three weeks in Japan, you can just begin to scratch the surface of some of these contradictions, and the country will leave you wanting more.
Arriving in Japan, one of the first things that you notice is how clean it is. Maybe not Singapore clean, but miles above many equally modern Asian or North American countries. The public toilets are always spotless (and they usually have heated seats). The tap water is safe to drink nationwide. The pervasive sewage smell that plagues so many Asian countries is nonexistent. There is almost no graffiti on the walls. And the streets and sidewalks are completely devoid of leaves, dog shit, and gum. But, like so many other enigmas, there are almost no public trash cans in Japan. Like zero.
There's nowhere else in the world where you'll see salarymen, heading to work, openly reading porn on the subway. Or find women strolling down the street in traditional kimono and getta, chatting on their iPhone X. This is a country that has one of the oldest and most advanced recycling programs in the world, but still individually plastic wraps all of its fruits and vegetables. A country where there are precise and carefully observed customs for pouring and consuming alcohol, but it's impossible to ride the subway at night without seeing at least a few grown men passed out on the floor, sometimes in their own vomit. A country that made prostitution illegal, but only included traditional intercourse, leaving all other sexual acts perfectly above board.
This is a country that has traditionally been isolationist and anti-American, but bought 7/11 and set up shops on every block. It's one of the most technologically advanced countries in the entire world, yet it still hasn't adopted credit card technology. It's world renowned for its temples, yet less than half the population is actively religious. It's a country where gambling is technically against the criminal code, but you can't walk down the street without hearing the bleating of a pachinko machine. A country famous for the Yakuza, but blessed with one of the lowest crime rates in the world. A country where everyone will use two hands to give or receive money, but nobody will hold the door open for you. This is the only place in the world where you can find a traditional yakitori stall tucked away down an alley in the middle of a sea of neon, a maid cafe next to an elementary school, or an elderly retiree offering free maps and advice to tourists on the street.
In short, Japan is a country that defies explanation except to say that it's very... Japanese. Somehow, all of its myriad idiosyncrasies make Japan exactly what it is–a country that you could return to a hundred times and still not understand. But whether or not you ever really understand it, you'll love it.
