IT IS THE PEOPLE
Beyond Japan’s incredible scenery and cultural experiences, my enduring memories come from interactions with its people.
Unfailingly polite, nothing is ever too much trouble for the Japanese people I have encountered on my visits. Being helpful seems to be in their DNA. Should they see you struggling with directions (whether it be from looking at a map or studying your phone for Google Maps) they will approach, politely offering to help, an act of kindness I appreciated regularly when navigating the metropolis of Tokyo.
I’ve always felt safe in Japan. Often travelling solo, I’d feel at ease hiking a trail from Kurama to Kibune, or evening wanderings along the atmospheric Pontocho St in Kyoto, or exploring the busy downtown districts of Tokyo.
Travelling around Japan is easy
Travel anywhere in Japan easily, quickly and efficiently on the well-organised train network. And nothing beats opening a bento box – the Japanese version of a lunch box – on a Shinkansen (bullet train). Guaranteed to make a fast train trip even more interesting.
Japanese hospitality
I recall the outstanding omotenashi (the Japanese mindset of hospitality) experienced at overnight stays in small regional villages. In the Gifu Prefecture we stayed in a traditional gassho-style farmhouse in the small village of Ainokura. I spied the skewed fish in the fire pit and said to my son, James, I bet that is our dinner. And yes it was to be. Thankfully James explained in Japanese my dislike of fish and she made the most beautiful platter of vegetables. Nothing was too much trouble.
And then we had a memorable connection with the staff and owners of Kakurinbo, a 550-year-old Inn at Minobusan, a two-hour train journey from Tokyo. And in the Kyoto Prefecture, the generosity of my guesthouse hosts in my funaya, an ancient wooden house over the water in the fishing village of Ine.
Minimal English is spoken in these places, but a smile and a few words of Japanese are all that is needed.
You don’t have to speak Japanese
There are so many translate apps now it is relatively easy to covey what you are after with a few sentences typed into an app. I sometimes get an English speaking person in my hotel or air b & B to write down in Japanese my destination. That way i can show it and am readily understood.
Their unfailing politeness may sometimes feel dis ingenuine. It may be hard to think this way – but please try – it is their culture and they do it to everyone. (not wanting to take away how special it feels to be treated with such genuine enthusiasm.
Returning to Japan
After visiting a few times, the last time was in January 2020, just before Japan and the rest of the world closed their doors because of the pandemic, I returned to Tokyo in April 2023. It felts so good to be back. So familiar. This time it was a quick overnight stay in Tokyo before boarding a cruise on the Azamara Quest From Tokyo we sailed to Osaka, then Kochi, followed by a visit to Kagoshima. These were all places I had not visited before, so it was all fresh and new.
My first cruise AND my first overseas trip since Japan, in January 2020. The people, the culture, the food, the landscapes, ah Japan, you’ve captured a place in my heart forever.
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