by Randal Gernaat
Japan is hot. After riding in the caboose when it comes to reopening to international travel after the Covid pandemic, Japan is now fully open to international travelers. And the world has noticed. Like any good hot Manhattan restaurant or club, people are showing up in record numbers to check out the glories of Japanese culture. And the place is filling up fast. While many other countries have struggled to regain 2019 levels of tourism, Japan has blown past its pre-Covid numbers and continues to experience major annual growth in tourism.
My partner Stephen and I had long thought about taking a trip to Japan. Everyone seemed to be talking about it. No one had anything negative to say about their experience. So earlier this year we finally made plans for a 2-week trip in mid-May, strategically planning to miss the large crowds from Golden Week (the first week of May with multiple Japanese holidays and lots of people on the road) and the summer hordes that are about to descend on the Japanese archipelago.
Tokyo is a city that, as a New Yorker, felt very familiar with its many modern high-rise buildings, extensive public transport system and many restaurants. With one important difference: there’s no garbage! Yup, read it and weep all you tidy, fastidious New Yorkers: no garbage. One is hard pressed to find either a single stray piece of garbage on the sidewalks and streets or, perhaps paradoxically, a garbage can. Apparently everyone is expected to bring their trash home with them. (Probably not something we are likely to encounter in the platforms of any of the NYC mayoral candidates this year.)
Another major difference that was immediately noticeable was the ubiquity of public bathrooms. In the parks, in the subway stations, in public buildings, when nature calls, you’re never far from a public restroom that is certain to be much cleaner than the limited examples you’d find in New York.
And finally, once you start using Japanese trains, from the OG high-speed train (the shinkansen or bullet train) to the city subways, you’ll get a front-row seat to the marvels of Japanese engineering and efficiency. The trains were always on time, reasonably priced and efficiently got you to your destination quickly and in comfort. (It would definitely be worth sending an MTA and Amtrak delegation to Japan to learn some tips and tricks.)
Our next stop, along with several thousand of our fellow tourists, was Kyoto. Serving as the capital of Japan for over 1,000 years until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Kyoto is a special city that showcases the glories of Japan. A more mellow city than Tokyo, Kyoto is the place where you can see some of the most beautiful and historic temples and shrines in Japan. And the most charming part of visiting the temples is the meticulously manicured Japanese gardens. Each garden is unique, but they all radiate peace and tranquility – which certainly helps when you are dealing with the tourist crowds of Kyoto. From the architecture to the old city alleys and tea ceremonies, from the Geisha quarter to the Shogun palaces, the city will charm even the most jaded of travelers.
Another special place we visited was the holy town of Koyasan in Wakayama prefecture. Koyasan is one of the holiest Buddhist towns in Japan and is located in the mountains south of Osaka. After taking a slow train (by Japanese standards, but still speedy when compared to Amtrak) from Osaka, one needs to take a cable car straight up a mountain and then a bus into the center of Koyasan. The only place to stay in Koyasan is in monasteries with a range of very basic tatami rooms and shared bathrooms to a few “luxury” rooms with beds and private showers.
Our favorite Koyasan experience was walking through the Okunoin Buddhist cemetery at night. The cemetery, started in the 9th century, is over 2 km long, contains several hundred thousand graves and winds through an amazing giant cedar forest which is magically lit up with lanterns at night. At the end of the path, is the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon school of esoteric Buddhism.
Another wonderful Japanese experience is visiting the ancient capital of Nara. Famous for the roaming deer in the city parks, Nara attracts a lot of people looking to get up close with these enchanting creatures. As many of you probably know, the Japanese are famous for bowing as a sign of respect. Well, it turns out not only the people are famous for their bows. The Nara deer have also picked up on this habit and after you feed them one of their preferred deer cookies, they will bow in appreciation. Where else can you see something like that?
And finally, a word on the Japanese people. A big part of the charm of the country is its friendly and service-oriented people. In spite of the fact that the Japanese are not exactly known for their mastery of English or other foreign languages (as Americans we can hardly complain on that front), we had no problems with our limited quiver of Japanese phrases. Most people really are very friendly and want to help you – even in the most tourist-soaked places. (A refreshing change from any of us who have experienced the “friendly” European service in highly touristed European cities.)
As a friend of ours said many years ago about Japan: it’s a winning culture. Indeed.
About Randal:
Rangal Gernaat has 20+ years of experience in international business, economics, finance and translation. He is an accomplished Wall Street executive and expert business manager with top firms, such as Bloomberg. He is a financial-industry executive focused on German-to-English translation projects.
Follow Randal on: www.randalgernaat.com
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