Japan Part II - A truly unique culture.

As we traveled through Japan we continued to notice how varied the culture was, perhaps it is generational, though I think it's deeper than that. We noticed it in the neighborhoods, food, "religion" and more. I tried to capture some of this juxtaposition here, not a typical blog post, but I hope you enjoy reading it.

For those interested in our travels more concretely, what we did, what we loved, what we would have skipped, check out this blog post. And, if you're interested in my guest writer's latest review of alcohol's in Asia, check out this epic post.

First impressions… this small country (land size similar to California, though Japan has 3x the population of California) has more culture than we’ve seen anywhere else. And what’s most interesting is the juxtaposition within the culture. I’m sure a PHD somewhere has had a field day with this so I’ll keep our observations to just that, what we experienced and try to explain what I mean a bit more.

Let’s start with pop-culture and a HUGE caveat. You all know me, so you also know I’m not that hip. But wow was I impressed with depth and breath of pop-culture here. From Anime and Manga to Japanese "cute culture" (Kawaii), the blue-grey hair trend and overall general fashion style, we were blown away. The creativity in design, fashion and art are everywhere. More so in Tokyo, but visible throughout the country. The buildings upon buildings with floors upon floors of anime collectibles is mind blowing. The commitment to "cute culture" with “Bo-peep” costumes, so aptly described by someone in our group, with the hair, make-up, accessories was truly fun(ny) to see.

Interestingly, the extreme fashion and anime world also brings a sexuality with it. It’s more blatant in some things we observed than others, but a juxtaposition to the conformity and modesty we also observed. The characters on posters, collectibles and the cute-culture costumes walking down the street are all very sexual, some in a more innocent way than others. This innocent sexuality is juxtaposed to and likely stemming from the conformity of uniform also seen everywhere we went. From school kids in matching navy blue uniforms to commuters on the metro in the same color schemes. I can see where the need to be individually unique comes from. Regardless of style choice, the Japanese dress well. It’s rare to see the oh-so-common athleisure look that is oh-so-common in the U.S. today.

On the other side of the coin you have a very traditional culture steeped in Buddhism and Shintoism. Shrines and Temples dot the cities and towns more than even the churches of Europe. For lack of a better word, religion is present in every day life. Phrases like “itadakimasu” are said before a meal to give gratitude to those involved with the labor for the food being received, from farmers to cooks to the animals, It translates roughly to “I humbly receive”. Chopsticks are carefully placed parallel to the edge of the table, between the person and the food, to create a barrier or line between our world and the world we are taking from in the food we eat.

There’s a connection to nature in the culture that is inspiring. A simple example...we thought, perhaps naively that Sakura (cherry blossoms) were confined to a couple of areas. Surprise, they are everywhere! Sakura line the streets, rivers, canals, parks and more. And the depth of integration in daily life was unexpected. Cherry blossoms mark the start of the Japanese new year, the fiscal new year beginning in April and the start of school year as well. The imagery, flavor and essence of Sakura are offered in cocktails and desserts, they are part of clothing design, jewelry design, nail designs (yes!), pop-culture and consumable items like tissues and consumer good packaging.

When you add food to the discussion, again you see tradition with depths of umami in more than the flavors. There is pride and expertise in everything, especially the food with many restaurants focused on a speciality. There are restaurants that specialize in Soba, Sushi, Udon, Ramen, Teppanyaki, Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, Taiyaki and who do little else than those specialties, but they do them SO well. And then there is the overwhelming food stall experience in places like Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Nishiki Market in Kyoto, Dotonburi, Osaka, and the street lined restaurants kiosks in Fukuoka. And let's not forget conveyor belt sushi either! But there is etiquette in this too, PLEASE DO NOT WALK AND EAT.

Dotonburi, Osaka

Culture is also prevalent in the etiquette we experienced. Bowing is still common practice, thank yous are culture unto itself with different phrases used for the first thank you versus the final thank you. With very few trash cans around public areas and streets, people carry their trash home and don't litter. Food is treated as a respected resource; we commonly saw signs in sushi bars suggesting to only add the amount of soy sauce you need to your dish and refill if needed. The metro has another set of etiquette - everyone waits patiently on the metro for those who first need to exit. And yet, the metros, during the worst of commute times offer no personal space. I’ve never felt so intimate with complete strangers, bodies on bodies literally flowing like a current with the movement of the train, like sardines in a can. I’m sure my hands touched more than my husband’s ass at some point!

I think all four of us felt like we had only scratched the surface of this pretty amazing country and the culture it offers. Even with 33 days in Japan, I could imagine coming back to continue exploring, enjoying and learning more about this culture and country. For more about what we did, what we'd recommend doing or skipping, check out this blog post too.