Japanese culture, amazing tourism and how Atomic attacks shaped the Japan of today.
Having been a fan of Japan for many years, it's easy for me to pontificate about all the reasons it's my favourite country in the world.
I'd wanted to take my teenage children to Japan for a while, as I think the earlier you can visit, the lessons Japan has to offer, as well as providing a touristic experience that is as close to being on another planet as you can get (whilst still being very very safe), the better long term education you get.
People who've not been to Japan are often incredulous that it's my favourite country. Reasons for this range from simple misconceptions about the food to cultural myths.
The most common impression people have, that is completely wrong, is that it is similar to China in it's food and culture.
To really understand the Japan of today, you have to go back a few hundred years to the Shogun era. Whilst ultimately the Emperor was at the top of the pile, it was the Shogun who really wielded the power through his Daiymos (Lords), and subsequently the real muscle, the Samurai.
It was essentially a monarchy as we have today in the UK where the Emperor/ King was more of a ceremonial figure but the Shogun needed him in order to legitimise their actions, which were often brutal, whilst they used the Emperors as puppets.
What you also need to remember about this period is that Japan was in almost complete isolation from 1639-1853 and during this period of no outside contact known as "Sakoku", they developed a strong sense of culture and customs, many of which remain today. Some say the Japanese, as a nation, are insular, but it was born out of this period and their development of a very strong sense of identity, which they did / do not want to dilute.
So, having not ever seen anyone from outside of Japan, this change, whilst inevitable, even if had not been forced upon them by American naval superiority, was a turning point. The Shogunate was very much a military led Government and they put down any rebellions or coups with unreserved brutality. Yet, there was an enormous sense of honour which runs deep through their society today and a respect and self discipline that means they have very little crime. You could accidentally leave your phone on a table outside a cafe and come back 2 hours later and it will still be there. Stealing what is your not yours is just not in their makeup.
However, Japan's military mindset continued after isolation as they realised the world was moving very quickly in the development of ships and other conventional weapons.
Hence, their concentration on being strong, militarily, was unwavering in the latter part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th.
By the time WW2 started, they had the 3rd strongest navy in the world, a decent airforce and one of the largest standing armies behind Germany and the Soviets.
If you combine the Japanese resolve, the toughness instilled through decades of Samurai warriors and the most important part of the Japanese culture, honour, then you had a formidable force.
This refusal to surrender leads to the most horrific acts the human race has ever seen, with the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Let's not forget that Hiroshima was largely a civilian city, portrayed to Truman as a legitimate military target, and even after seeing 70,000 people practically disintegrate or die instantly, the Japanese refused to throw in the towel. Hence, the US made good on their promise to deliver the 2nd bomb 3 days later on August 9th 1945. Even the Japanese could not withstand that and eventually surrendered.
This was the most pivotal point in Japanese history for a host of reasons.
Firstly, they were forced to bow down to the USA and they had never bent a knee for anyone before that. The fact they had recklessly baited the sleeping giant, as so poignantly predicted by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in the immediate aftermath of the Pearl Harbour attack, was perhaps poetic justice...
Secondly, the people of Japan had to very quickly accept that they were beatable, no matter how hard they fought. They were now inferior in terms of firepower and that was more the humbling. The fact that every other enemy of the USA was in the same position at that point in 1945 meant it was more humbling than humiliating, but still.
All this is important because it directly contributes to the Japanese culture and political stance we see today.
Before the 6th August 1945, Japan was a brutal enemy to confront as the Americans found whilst fighting their way across the small islands leading to the Japanese mainland. Those Japanese were on the back foot but still fought a very hard rear guard action on Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Peleliu. At the beginning of the war and throughout it, the Japanese displayed barbaric acts of cruelty to civilians and prisoners of war, but they were brought to heal, eventually, in a matter of 3 days.
This had 2 major effects.
Firstly, they never ever wanted to experience an atomic/ nuclear attack again and foreign policy would be shaped to assure that.
Secondly, it humbled the Japanese people so much, the entire psyche of the nation shifted from one of aggression and barbarity (within the military at least) to one of appeasement and peace.
When I visited the Peace Museum in Hiroshima, I really began to understand Japanese culture. I asked a lady at the museum how she felt about the Americans ? Her response was that she had no hard feelings towards the USA. They had been repeatedly warned and had refused to heed the warnings. In addition, which is quite under-reported, in the aftermath of the 2 Atomic strikes, the Americans sent a lot of medical aid and flew many thousands to the USA for treatment on skin burns and the like. Indeed, a few years after the war they would be trading together furiously with 20 flights a day between Tokyo and Detroit to service the motor industry alone.
The resulting country you see and visit today is, in my opinion, the best country in the world.
Despite being a free capitalist society, the crime rate is incredibly low. Serious crime incidents in 2023 were around 12,000 reported crimes. To put this in perspective, the UK reported 1,000,000 such crimes in the same period and it is half the size in population of Japan. Overall, out of 195 countries, Japan is the 9th safest andf 1-8 are all relatively tiny states such as Denmark and Iceland.
They are not so religious in the sense we know, but they mostly follow the beliefs of Shinto-Buddhism, which was a version of Buddhism that came from other parts of Asia.
Essentially, this is not a God-worshipping type of religion, but more a way of life. It's about your principles, respect, the way you conduct yourself at home and at work. This underlying fabric holds this society together and ensures it operates from the same page.
The culture is deep, rooted in ceremony, respect, hierarchy, etiquette and ancient board games like Mahjong.
The history is rich and very interesting. Samurai, ninja, Shogunates and Emperors dominate the scene until the 1850's.
Food and drink are revered the world over, from sake to sashimi and its hard to find a bad meal in the country Above all, as a visitor, you will experience a welcome and hospitality that very few other countries offer. The accommodation is varied between western brands, Ryokans and excellent Japanese hotel brands like Okura.
There is unique scenery like Mount Fuji, stunning lakes, mountain ranges, volcanoes, unique islands like sub-tropical Okinawa and beautiful rural villages.
Add in some of the most amazing amusement parks in the world, karaoke, driving real Mario Karts on the streets of Tokyo, dog cafe's, robot operated restaurants, Sumo wrestling, Love Hotels and amazing museums of art and tech alike, there is something for everyone.
To top it all, Japan has been experiencing deflation for 2 decades and the £ is stronger by 70%, it's actually now relatively cheap. some way between UK costs and Thailand, which is still about the cheapest mainstream destination you can go to. A good Japanese meal with some drinks is currently coming in at £12-15 a head. 20 years ago it was more like £35 a head.
I cannot recommend visiting this unique haven enough. It's educational, for all ages, has loads to do and see and is a great jump off point for the rest of Asia or a good stop over en-route to Australia.
For more information and advice, please don't hesitate to contact us.
G. Hoff - Editor