I've started this year's international adventure with a return trip to Japan to enjoy some more skiing (after spending two weeks skiing over the holidays in the interior British Columbia). My friend Jeff and I were very fortunate to enjoy snowboarding in some of the legendary powder that Japan is famous for. A couple days prior to our arrival at the ski resort, it snowed as much as 80 cm in one 24 hour period! Here's a video of me ungracefully disappearing into that powder.
I also found myself spending a week in Tokyo again, for the third time in less than two years. While my tendency is usually to bounce around to new places, I'm drawn back to Tokyo in particular and Japan more generally. The Japanese gardens are always a highlight for me - even in winter - but I'm constantly finding other wonderfully designed public spaces.
And when it comes to commitment to detail and craftmanship, there is probably not another place in the world like Japan. Everything is done so well here - woodwork, stonework, horticulture, construction - which greatly appeals to the perfectionist in me ... although, truth be told, I don't think I could hold a candle to most Japanese craftsmen. For the construction geeks out there, then, here's a photo of a newly constructed tea-house. While it may not be directly evident from the photo, the perfection of the cuts and joinery was amazing. That would be a fun project to build...anyone want a teahouse in their back yard??
In addition, the people are unfailingly and refreshingly polite and service-oriented. Upon entering a restaurant, there is a chorus of greetings as ALL the staff welcome you - e.g., "ohayo gozaimasu" (good morning) or whatever greeting is appropriate for the time of day - and then thank you profusely when you leave ("arigato gozaimas"). And everything is very, very clean. I blame this hospitable atmosphere (and the great food) for the fact that I gained a few pounds.
Speaking of a few extra pounds ... I also attended a Tokyo Sumo tournament, which was a fascinating experience. As you can see from the video and pictures below, Sumo is a very ritualistic sport, punctuated by brief spurts of surprisingly violent fighting. While each match usually lasts only a few seconds, the preamble can take 5-10 minutes with much posturing and intimidation (including the characteristic foot stomping). Those people seated in the immediate vicinity of the ring clearly had to be alert, as very large sumo wrestlers often tumbled off the edge into the crowd.
While I only got a very small taste of the deep historical and cultural aura around this port, I was very impressed by the refined nature of the experience. Very different from the rough-and-tumble violence of North American sports. When I left Canada, the big NHL debate was how to deal with the rash of cheap headshots taking place. I'd imagine that the idea of taking a cheap shot in the very honorific sport of Sumo is unthinkable.
Ultimately, Japan continues to be a fascinating place to return. While I won't go into boring detail with cultural observations, I spent a fair amount of time observing and reflecting on the nature of civic society in Japan. In contrast to Western-style democratic society, with a priority on the individual, the default here seems to be civility and honouring responsibilities to family, work and social order. Given the very well-functioning society in Japan, there is something quite attractive about this comparatively selfless civic attitude. Of course, Japan has it's problems too: there seems to be a strong conformist impulse which may not leave a lot of space for difference, and there is definitely a nationalist bias here. But, at the very least, Japan offers a much different perspective on the age-old debate about the appropriate balance of value between the individual and the whole in a democratic society.
Anyway, hopefully I've not been too stereotypical; like most places, Japan is far more complex than my simple generalizations convey. And, while I was very tempted to stay in Japan longer to further understand this complexity, it was time to bounce ... onward to Bangkok, Thailand, where I am now. But I'm sure I'll be back in Japan in the future, perhaps for a longer stay.
