Japan’s loss is Taiwan’s gain. We left Japan this afternoon for the next leg of our journey, Taipei! We also rejoined our comrades from the Hong Kong group, so we are 12 once more. We have a busy schedule of business visits, a guided tour, and finally some free time on the weekend.
Reflections on Tokyo: What can you learn about a culture in a few days? And is what you think you learned accurate? I don’t know the answer to those questions, but I will share our perceptions of Japan.
There is a strange mix of cultural influences in Japan. On the one hand, they are a polite and serene people, on the other, there is a frantic energy in much of what they do. They seem incompatible but it seems to work here. The people were unfailingly friendly to us, but they also moved fast, always focused on what they were doing and where they were going.
The focus on efficiency is evident here. Very little is superfluous. Everything is only as big as it has to be.
For the traveller, Japan is an expensive place. The language barrier was far greater than we anticipated, Perhaps the most difficult our groups have experienced outside of mainland China.
The people, the culture, the architecture, the natural beauty of Japan: all made for an unforgettable trip for us, short though it was.
And now Taiwan is our host. Very different in many ways. Check back to follow us on this new leg of our journey.
Global Studies 2012: Asia 