I always wanted to visit Japan. And no, that is not a cliché – I really wanted to.  Growing up, there were many reasons that shaped my impression of Japan. Watching the TV series Oshin as a kid, for example, and observing the people, their houses, and how they did everything created my first image of the country and its culture. I also remember the portrait of a Japanese woman, an advertisement of Fuji Film, which used to hang in our home. I remember reading bits and pieces of Dr. Kebede Michael’s ‘ጃፓን እንደምን ሰለጠነች?’. A number of movies also contributed to what I thought of Japan. With these in mind, when the opportunity to travel there came up, I made sure that I did what was necessary to make it happen. It finally happened and I was lucky to visit two of Japan’s beautiful cities – Kyoto and Tokyo. Here are my impressions of this amazing country.

Incredibly Polite People

I have heard before that Japanese people can be very polite. I got to see that for myself this time. They are indeed incredibly polite. You will see that everywhere. I observed that from the first moment when I traveled by train from Osaka Airport to Kyoto. The people who clean the train before boarding stand in a militarily proper way and wave goodbye when the train departs. When the journey starts, the ticket control guy comes into the car, stands at the car door, bends twice and says welcome to everyone. He then proceeds to checking tickets. He does the same at the car door after finishing. Waiters at restaurants welcome you at the door in a similar way and serve you like you have never experienced before. It’s not only people in business; you will see that any random stranger is polite, if you ask for directions for example – if they speak English, that is. One guy even walked me to where I asked.

Kyoto – City of Temples and Shrines

There are thousands (yes thousands) of temples and shrines in Kyoto. Don’t get the wrong impression though; it still is a modern city. I visited a few of the temples and the two that impressed me the most are the Kinkakuji Temple and the Fushimi Inari Shrine. These places give you a picture of what the country was like many years ago. Most of the temples are built hundreds of years ago and yet the detail you see in the structures is nothing short of perfection. 

Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan for over a millennium, until 1868. The Japanese give a special place to their most beautiful city and it is easy to see why when you visit Kyoto.

Japanese Toilets

They have amazing toilets in Japan.  A basic Japanese toilet has a water spray/shower for washing your ass after you finish your business. The toilet seat is always warm. The whole set is connected to a power outlet for these features to work. The toilets at my hotel rooms both in Kyoto and Tokyo were of this type. They also have this type of toilets in almost all public places like malls and train stations.  I was amazed by the experience! 🙂

I heard that they also have versions of the toilet which can massage your butt. Now that is one fantastic toilet. Look at this video to see what I am talking about.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xnm1syPnwE&w=560&h=315]

The Shinkansen – Bullet Train

This year, Japan is celebrating the 50th anniversary its high speed train – the Shinkansen. I can imagine that it has gone through a lot of development to get to what it is today. Currently, the Shinkansen can reach speeds of upto 320 km/h. I traveled on this magnificent train from Kyoto to Tokyo, a distance of about 500km, in just over 2 hours. I couldn’t help thinking about the times I used to travel from Addis Ababa to Arba Minch, about the same distance, by bus – it took a minimum of 9 hours with a good bus.

Overall, the railway network in Japan is very extensive. The timing of the trains is impeccable. I even heard that if any person working with the trains in any capacity, as a driver or another post, is late by minutes three times, he/she will have to retire from the job. If a train is late by more than 5 minutes, they give letters to the passengers that they can show to their employers. It is not difficult to imagine that any kind of halt in the railway network would affect the economy in a significant way.

Miraikan Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, Tokyo

You get a glimpse of the future in this huge museum in Tokyo. I was particularly impressed by the robots section. There are prototypes of human like robots named Androids, Telenoids, Otonaroids etc. You can interact with these human like robots by touching and talking to them.

I was also impressed by the model of what a typical Japanese city may look like in 2050. These people are thinking far ahead already!

In Miraikan, you can see what the future holds in almost all the major disciplines of science and technology such as medical science, space technology, physics, chemistry, earth science etc. This museum is a must-see place for anyone that is fascinated by science and technology.

Delicious Food

Normally, I am not a food enthusiast; I just make sure that my stomach is full. But the dining experience I had in Japan was excellent. Whether it was a traditional Japanese restaurant or a modern western style one, I enjoyed the food everywhere. Most of the restaurants in Japan display the foods on their menu through the window. I don’t know how they make it but the display is not actual food but looks so real. Here is a picture of an Italian restaurant at Kyoto Station with a display of the the various spaghetti dishes.

And a picture of a pastry cafeteria: (again the cakes on display are not real)

I had Sushi a couple of times but I am not going to talk about that here since it is almost an international food these days. The Japanese dish I found interesting is called Shabu-shabu. What makes this dish very interesting is the way it is served. You practically cook it for yourself with everything provided. The tables in restaurants that serve Shabu-shabu are equipped with a stove (it’s Japan 🙂 ). The dish features sliced beef with several types of vegetables, raw egg and spices. When you order Shabu-shabu, you will get a pot of water and the ingerdients. You put the pot on the stove, boil it with seaweed and other spices and then cook your dinner!

It is appropriate to point out here that UNESCO has added Japanese cuisine to its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

Cameras Everywhere

You will see security cameras almost everywhere in Japan: taxis, buses, trains, elevators, train stations – you name it. It kind of makes you feel like you are part of some reality show. It is normal these days to see cameras in public places everywhere else but it felt like another level in Tokyo.

Technology and Culture in Harmony

The Japanese can be a very good example of development. They are technologically very advanced and yet they have kept their culture and it is reflected in most of the things they do.

I will finish this post by sharing my must-see places in Kyoto and Tokyo.

Kyoto: Kinkakuji Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Nijo Castle, Kyoto Imperial Palace

Tokyo: Hachiko Dog Statue at Shibuya, Miraikan Museum, Tokyo Sky Tree,  Asakusa, Akihabara Electric Town, Ginza District