Japan 10: Home

In a world of technologically driven exponential change, the Japanese have an acquired edge: They know how to live with it. Nobody legislates that kind of change into being, it just comes, and keeps coming, and the Japanese have been experiencing it for more than a hundred years.

William Gibson, Distrust That Particular Flavor

Overall, I had an incredible time in Japan.  As I've said before, I travel because it gives me a sense of adventure, and Japan gave me that in full measure.

If you're even slightly a geek, and a lot of your immediate associations for Japan come from video games, manga, anime or science fiction novels, it's a fascinating experience to visit the country in person. There were times in Tokyo when I felt like I was visiting the backlot of some kind of cyberpunk video game – I kept expecting a first person shooter HUD to appear as we dodged through Tokyo Station in search of the Kyoto shinkansen platform.*

In my case, William Gibson** is probably the biggest reason for that view of Japan.  Books like Neuromancer and Idoru had created a sort of mythical Japan in my mind, an exotic neon-lit setting for all sorts of futuristic high-tech mayhem.

Of course, really, it's not like that. Except that it was, a little bit, with things like Fuji TV's rectilinear head office and its globular centrepiece, or the Minority Report-style interactive maps on the observation deck at Sky Tree, Tokyo's soaring 634 meter broadcasting and observation tower.  In everything from toilet seats to bullet trains, Japan seems to be just ahead of the power curve in terms of technology - just a little bit into the future.

It was also wonderful to share this adventure with my lovely lady Karli. Japan was our first extended trip together, and after ten days of being almost literally joined at the hip*** I was sorry that I had to go back to work and not be with her.

Not only was she was the perfect sightseeing companion, but it turns out that we have strongly complementary skills in terms of locating hotels and train platforms. Thank you so much for making the Japanese trip a perfect one, my love.

Last, but not least, I would like to express our extreme gratitude to the Bertram family.  Terry and Misaki were our hosts for several days out of our ten day adventure. They helped us plan our schedule, made reservations on our behalf, acted as guides and translators, opened their home and even gave up their bed for us.  Thanks again to both of you for contributing so much to our vacation - it would not have been the same trip without your help and hospitality.  有り難うございます。

- Sid

* Karli, I hope this explains why I kept crouching behind pillars and muttering about save points while we were trying to catch a train.

** To get Gibson's full take on Japanese culture and his love for it, I strongly recommend that you pick up a copy of Distrust That Particular Flavor and read the essays on Japan.

*** The seats were a little close together.