Mesmerized by Japan 

Mesmerized by Japan

Ogenki Des Ka?

Exciting, exciting, exciting, it has been so far in my trip to Japan. I have momentarily forgotten about my sadness leaving Victoria. I love many things about Japan – it has an efficient (albeit confusing) subway system, excellent service everywhere, great food, superb technology, and cultured people. And if you have a Prime Minister looking like a rock star, it makes the country looks way cooler.

I’m staying with Yumi, a crazy cat whom I met during her exchange program at UVic. She’ll visit me in Singapore in July, when my brother gets married. Her parents are adorable and very easy-going people. Just two days ago we went BBQ by the beach in the Chiba Prefecture which is a 4 hour ride away from Machiya, Tokyo where Yumi lives. On the way there, I get to visit the field that the family owns.



Japan seems to get something right. What happened to that “either/or” question that embracing technological or modern values, one will lose the traditional ones? Japan manages to fuse both. Yumi’s house is a microcosmic example to support that view. Her house is designed typically Japanese – the one that you see in the movies with wooden windows and covered with paper screens. Inside however, you see many technological advanced features from the dishwasher to the water heater, the state of the art DVD player to the cordless iron. Nonetheless, these equipments are displayed in a nonchalant way, not display them for others to see like how pretentious society likes to do. I guess it reflects in the humbleness and the realization that equipments and technology do not rule lives. Japan progressed but it has its feet on the ground.

Many societies can take heed from Japan. Maintain the ground but do not be afraid to take chances. I guess this is one of the important values we can ever learn from this country which explains a lot about the country’s confidence. Many nations are in the midst of identifying one’s identity. What is symbolica of a nation? For the Canadians, what is representative of the couintry? The maple leaf or a peace-loving country? These insecurities finds itself not only in Canada, but in Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. Unfortunately economic reasons or market mechanism seem to be the main director of nations’ values.

On the 5th, I’m going to Nagoya for the World Expo. It was last held in Vancouver at 2000. This year, Japan is hosting it. And the theme that Japan proposes for this year’s Expo is “Nature’s Wisdom”. How apt. A cause after my own heart...... Expo in Japan, 2005

Meantime, my Japanese vocabulary has been building up, let me teach you a few.....
Gochi so-sama: Thanks for the meal
Owayi Dekite Gurishe-Des: Happy to see you again