"Fresh back from Japan & enchanted." a Japan Travel Page by Wowmoment

It has long been a dream of mine to visit Japan. A country cut off from the rest of the world during an exciting period of history it has developed rather like a parallel universe. So like us but so different.

Yes, I have read James Clavell's Shogun and seen endless WW2 movies. I have known of Hiroshima & Nagasaki for the worst of reasons. I know of Madame Butterfly and have eaten sushi but what did I really know of this mysterious land?

The Japan I found was up to the minute with it's love of technology, yet respectful of and proud of it's illustrious past.

The ashes of Hiroshima have settled and somehow, whilst never forgotten, Japan has come to terms with the bitter past of 1945 and moved on.

The people are a total delight, coming from the West they seem exceedingly polite to me. Behind the formal manners they have a genuine charm and almost naive quality contrasting so much with our own rather jaded character.

Imagine a country where the trains run on time, where taxi drivers expect no tip, where bus drivers are immaculate in white shirt, hat and gloves! Where everyone from shop assistants to high ranking officials bow and smile.


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An anecdote illustrates what I mean. On the Shinkansen (bullet train) I used the toilet only to find a ladies bag had been left by a previous occupant. At a loss I summoned the nearest female attendant and with a bit of mime conveyed the problem. End of story.

However some time later an immaculate male ticket inspector sought me out and asked if I spoke Japanese, with him was the bag's owner and both had come especially to thank me, copiously and of course with much bowing and smiling.

Lovely country, lovely people.