To expand upon my earlier comment, that Japan is the closest thing to Nirvana, deserves an explanation. There are century old philosophies and traditions that are so needed now, especially now, that are important and are critical to having a better existence. These, again, are my own opinions and should be considered in general terms. In Japanese culture, respect is crucial. Respect for everyone and everything. There are always exceptions to every rule, but in general, that is the level of thought. When we attempted to communicate, my wife more so than me, in Japanese we would tend to get something wrong. In one instance, we were attempting to ask a question of a shopkeeper about what she was selling in her store. Something got lost in the translation to the point where the shopkeeper began to laugh. But, due to the reasons that one, the shopkeeper figured out what we wanted to ask and, two, because we respected the shopkeeper enough to speak to them in her own language, and they, in return, respect us for trying, she helped us phrase the question properly. Then, the shopkeeper allowed us to re-ask the question properly, on our own, and then we were met with accolades and applause for getting it right. The shopkeeper, by the by, didn’t speak a lick of English. I could give you several more instances of experiences, similar to this one, that we had along our travels.

There is a sense of perfection in this country as well. In everything! From the construct of centuries old buildings, to gardening to most everything, substandard results will not be tolerated. The ingenuity of how things come together is next to none. They pour their heart and soul into whatever they create. We stopped by a shop, more like a kiosk, in a small mall like building, that produced cooking knives. The man, and who I believe was his son, hand made a cooking knife for us. It took about 30 minutes, from picking the correct blade, from how we described what type of utility for which we needed a knife, he sharpened the edge of the blade with such precision, he picked out just the right handle for the blade and after it was all pieced together, he hammered his stamp, in Japanese kanji, onto the blade. All the while, explaining to his son what he was doing and why he was doing it. This is one of many career paths, in Japan, that is handed down generation to generation. Some can prove that the pass down has taken place over centuries.

The cities are clean. Again, there is a pride that is strong. They will not allow their aura to be marred by litter, homelessness, or anything else that could bring shame. There is homelessness in Japan, more so in larger cities, but you don’t see it. There is not one person with a cardboard sign that you will see on any street corner or entrance or exit from a highway. The homeless themselves, with pride intact, live in places you would be hard pressed to notice. They may even work for under the table wages to ensure that they eat, but remain homeless. Begging is a bringer of shame. So it’s not done. I haven’t been all over Japan, by any stretch, but I can tell you that I saw no homeless camps, no begging and no homeless. I’ve been told they’re there, but not easily seen.

There is a strong vibe that most people in Japan care about everything. They are respectful of everyone and everything. Mindfulness is in full swing 24/7. I can sight you a sect of people that the Japanese frown on when they hit town. But I will not share. If you want to know what sect of people that would be, then go to Tokyo and go to the outdoor shopping markets, that sect will make their presence not only known, but felt. Folks will go out of their way to be helpful, they go out of their way to be mindful of virtually everything. They go out of their way to not bring shame upon themselves or their houses. I have a story about the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, maintaining a level of respect and restructuring the thought process of a young man who was berating an elderly train passenger. There is a code that you just don’t break, you just don’t!

All of what you’ve just read, and thanks for sticking with it, the photos you’ve seen, and feelings that I can only have, for the reasons I have them, in making the statement that Japan, for all intent and purpose, is the closest thing I can find to Nirvana. We spent 3 weeks there and that is what I came away with from the experience. I didn’t want to leave. I yearn for the day when we go back and experience more of that feeling. Like any place, it has its flaws, it can be imperfect, but the respect they have there for other human beings is next to none. What a place to live…

Until next time…travel well!