Japan: an unexpected favorite

Our trip to Japan arrived like a surprise pulled from an old box forgotten on a dusty shelf: one of those dreams deemed inaccessible. One thinks >, one imagines >. In whispers, we say >.

Some countries seem to be pulled from a parallel universe: we see them on television and in books, just like the settings of our favorite science fiction movies. Do they really exist? Not so sure anymore...

But the twists of fate (and deals for plane tickets) are unpredictable. To the question >, our screen responded >. Are you game? Definitely!

I never would have imagined that my first major trip back from our sabbatical year would be to Japan. Never! Too inaccessible. Too expensive. Too complicated. Too... Words fail to clarify this sensation of an untouchable country. But the idea is there, clouding the mind and creating a hazy veil over these islands.

And yet...

Yet Japan does exist, and we can attest to that! And yet traveling in Japan is not complicated.

And for that, I will also testify, but in another article focused on advice and practical information. I will try to answer all your many questions about budget, transportation, language and contacts, the ease or difficulty of withdrawing cash... In short, I will attempt to address all of that.

But not now.

And Japan, it does raise concerns, but it also intrigues. Exotic and whimsical clichés abound about this people that seems to oscillate between order and disorder, rigor and whimsy. Japan seems full of paradoxes, contrasts... and madness! And I will talk about that too.

But not now.

Now, I want to prolong the charm. To plunge into my memories as one curls up under a blanket next to a fire. With half-closed eyes of pleasure, a blissful smile on my face and my body relaxed down to the smallest muscle. Breathe slowly, go get yourself a good cup of green tea and let me take you to my Japan, the one of my memories and impressions. The one of my favorites...

I don't want to be pragmatic. Nor organized. I want to send you plenty of images. Of alleys, mountains, children coming home from school, steaming broths, and greedy deer. All these images swirl in my mind, creating a warm and soft tapestry. But I will try to put some order to these impressions and share my favorites with you. Because I did not fall in love with Japan once, but infinitely! Here are six of them...

I could have said >. But that does not summarize how attentive, kind, and gentle this people is. Yes, they are nice. But they are so much more than that!

Every contact, every welcome at a restaurant, accommodation, or shop, every exchanged glance in the street or on the train... each moment was an opportunity for a transfer of positive energy! What satisfaction it is not to feel > from people, whether with one's questions, mistakes, or hesitations.

A scene comes to mind in the Paris subway, when a turnstile delayed accepting my ticket and a woman in the line next to me hurled insults at me. My mere presence seemed to bother her, even though I was not blocking her path at all. Oh, my shoulders tense at just the thought... I stop! I leave Paris, and I return to Japan...

I remember Tokyo, at that huge station where we struggled a bit to find the right train line, and where no one present would have thought to complain and even less to insult. Peaceful. All unperturbed.

No aggression. I was expecting to find stressed, hurried, and cramped Japanese people in crowded public transport. All I saw were composed, diligent, and relaxed men and women... even dozing off on the train seat, a popular specialty!

Well-dressed. Wearing a white mask over their face. Not to protect themselves from pollution, but to prevent spreading germs when they are sick. Standing in line without pushing in front of the train doors... All this out of politeness, courtesy, and respect for others. Simply.

And in fancier places, like ryokans, I anticipated a certain reserve. But we lived some beautiful moments of exchanges and some quirky instances, always with a smile on our faces. We are quite far from the distinguished (even disdainful) distance typical of luxury hotels back home... (By the way, if you don't yet know where to stay in Japan, I invite you to check out my article on that topic.)

And their kindness is an attitude of pure generosity. They expect nothing in return.

Like that woman from the Tourist Office in Oboke, who stepped out of her office to wave goodbye as the train departed. Or that man at the Hiroshima station, who enthusiastically guided us through the maze of platforms and ran back to us to hand us brochures in French. Or that elderly woman, standing next to us on the train back from Miyajima, who offered us origami made by her right before our astonished eyes...

There are countless examples. All small treasures that light up this trip and give it a brilliant, almost magical shine.

Does Japan really exist?

Yes, children are Japanese. Yes, they could have been included in my previous favorite... But no! The children in Japan are truly special. Just like these beautiful images that have marked my mind and that I keep etched in my heart.

Images of heads crowned with a little hat. Bowler hats for some. Tilted berets for others. Or even an entire uniform straight out of an old French novel. Oh! And that little boy dressed like a tiny train conductor: adorable!

All so elegant in their miniature adult clothes. Even though I don't usually like uniforms, I was in awe of these children frolicking, often with a backpack larger than themselves.

Apart from their lovely attire, it is also and especially the bond with their mothers that moved me. Near schools, we encounter many mothers, often on bikes or on foot, escorting their young children to class. And always with that same shared joy.

I recall this scene, returning from Fushimi Inari: a mother with her daughter of about 3 years on her back. The mother, light-footed with a smiling gaze, answered her daughter's calls. The child seemed to bounce with joy on her mother's back, matching the rhythm of her laughter. A pure moment of connection. The ordinariness of daily life raised to a moment of presence and caring attention. How lovely to see!

Japan is displayed on our screens through images of cities with numerous skyscrapers, each taller than the last. But Japan is so much more than that. It is also the countryside, valleys and fields. Mountains, snow-capped peaks and wooded hills. The sea, sandy and rocky beaches. The many forests with an endless variety of trees: cherry trees, bamboos, plum trees, pines, magnolias, maples, spruces... All the colors and all the perspectives. From the most limited in the cities to the most infinite in nature...

I mainly admired these landscapes from the window, snuggled in my train seat...

I see that bridge, passing from one island to another: from Japan's main island to that of Shikoku. And those small islands scattered all around us. Of all sizes, they seemed scattered like the ships in a game of >. The boats wound through the water, leaving behind a winding white wake.

Or those train passages through tunnels in the lake area between Hakone and Gora: a journey worthy of an amusement park! On the mountain side, the tracks running along century-old stone walls covered in thick green moss created a magical landscape. Goblins, woodland fairies, and witches would surely meet there on full moon nights.

Or those mystical stairs leading to the heights of Miyajima. Uneven steps, often too narrow for my large feet, lined by thick trees letting only weakly filtered light through. Wooden houses here and there. A passerby on a bike. A hidden temple a little further away... An air of an island forgotten by time and the world. And yet all these cameras click just a few meters below, in front of the famous and splendid torii standing in the water.

Modernity and technology are words that seem to be tailored for the land of the rising sun. We visualize the future, sophisticated robots, high-tech devices...

Yes, Japan is not just landscapes, sumo, geisha, and traditions... It's all that as well. Streets lined with glass buildings soaring meters above our heads, making us dizzy. Streetlights equipped with speakers to broadcast music and advertisements. Giant billboards showcasing trendy girl bands. Chic boutiques to geek shops, karaoke spots to arcade rooms... my eyes bounced from one window to another without the time to comprehend everything that passed before my gaze.

And alongside this modernity comes also > or education. For in addition to being kind, the Japanese are civilized... and perhaps much more so than we are in many respects!

Everything is so clean. So well organized. There are free public restrooms everywhere, surpassing the cleanliness of the paid restrooms back home.

Japan is like a parallel world. Or a parallel evolution. For instance: why haven't we invited such sophisticated restrooms as theirs? Even if ours serve their purpose, the Japanese ones seem light-years ahead of us... And I think that, despite initial apprehensions, we are not the only ones who have become addicted to their heated seats! But I will stop there with the restroom theme, for fear that you might see it as a personal fixation...

Ultimately, behind most of these modern advances that we lack at home lies a common thread: the sense of service. There, they do not prioritize urgency or budget above all else. But rather comfort and well-being. It makes one think...

After discovering Tokyo the luminous, I craved to leave behind the modern Japan to discover the one of traditions. I traversed many alleys populated with small wooden houses with sliding panels, I spent most of my nights on futons placed on tatami floors, I bathed in their hot springs, I donned my yukata (summer kimono) whenever possible, I prayed for good luck at the temples... All these habits, rooted in the island's history, are still very much alive today.

Ultimately, traditional Japan is not so much to be sought in temples, sumo matches, or geisha performances as in the small gestures and habits of daily life.

Eating at a low table, > loudly slurping noodles from one's bowl of ramen, delicately dipping the salmon of one's nigiri into soy sauce, inhaling the steam of one's matcha tea, walking under an umbrella amidst the raindrops, adhering to polite formulas, removing one's shoes ten times a day...

It's a living story, a story to experience...

Because Japanese cuisine is much more than sushi! But in a few lines, I feel utterly incapable of summarizing it for you...

Taiyaki, udon, ramen, tempura, yakitori, yakisoba, teppanyaki, shabu shabu, sukiyaki...

And even more than the variety of their dishes, I was in admiration of the beauty of their presentations: the attention to detail and love of aesthetics is incredible. Here, there's no difference between the photos on menus and reality: everything is beautifully arranged, even decorated and staged.

A panda shaped rice ball? An ice cream head of a bear?

That's all perfectly normal in Japan! At least in kawaii cafes and restaurants [I'll talk about this in a future article]. A true art!

And a little anecdote, we were very surprised to discover that the Japanese are great fans of Belgian specialties: you can find waffle vendors under the Manneken-Pis sign everywhere and many Godiva shops. Not surprising that the two first words that the Japanese generally exclaim with enthusiasm when they understand where we are from are these:

Sometimes, during my daydreams of this island at the edge of Asia, I start to doubt: does this country really exist? Is it as beautiful as in my memories? What if I made it all up? What if I exaggerated?

When words and photos no longer suffice, the video provides testimony to all those beautiful and tender moments lived in Japan...

This unexpected yet anticipated journey to Japan has impacted us in so many ways, far beyond what we imagined.

I had forgotten the effect it has. To be so amazed.

We, who are deeply and inevitably attracted to Latin America, find that a small patch of land in the seas of Asia steals a piece of our hearts. Enough to scatter. Or to feel at home everywhere. A call that we cannot explain. But one we hear... and to which we will respond again, on our next journey...

Tips for traveling to Japan:

• Traveling to Japan: demystifications and practical information

• Traveling by train in Japan

• Inspirations: our 3 travel itineraries in Japan

Japan by destination:

• Tokyo: Tokyo in 3 days: survival guide and Tokyo in 10 typical unusual activities

• Kyoto: Kyoto in 5 favorites; Kyoto: practical information and good addresses and 7 places to discover around Kyoto

• Miyajima: Visiting Miyajima in 2 days and wanting to stay forever and Climbing Mount Misen: a great adventure!

Before traveling to Japan:

• 5 movies to watch before going to Japan

• 5 anime to watch before going to Japan