We have often wanted to go to Japan (1, 2,3, 4, and 5 for young people) to experience first hand the people, their culture and customs as well as their many interesting sights. We finally got all our ducks in line in mid 1999 and took a wonderful educational trip with the Elderhostel organization. We took a lot of photos and collected many interesting publications to read, also. I had a lot of fun putting this page together and hope that others will enjoy this unusual country. Perhaps it will even stimulate some ideas for school papers.  Read on!

INTRODUCTION.    The program started in Osaka, went on to Ise Shima, Nara, Kyoto and ended in Tokyo. These cities were the capitals of Japan over the years. We stayed in Tokyo a few days more after the program to explore the city more fully by subway and train. There are a lot of web sites and pages out there about Japan and here's one with piles of Japan photos if you're interested.

        Our impressions of Japan were very positive when we first arrived at Kansai Airport in Osaka. The airport was new and built about three miles out into Osaka Bay to avoid environmental noise problems - this must have cost a bundle! We flew back home out of the Tokyo Narita Airport which experienced a lot of protest as it was being put into service some years ago.

        The streets were very clean everywhere we went in Osaka - even the side streets and alleys. This turned out to be the case almost everywhere we went thereafter in Japan with the possible exception of a night-life area (Kabuki-Cho) in Shinju-ku where we stayed in Tokyo after the program. There were always lots of people around day or night, no matter where we went - about 125 MM people in an area about the size of California but with only 10% inhabitable space because of the numerous mountains. About 97% of the people live in urban areas. Rice paddies fill in the unoccupied land. In spite of being so close together, the Japanese were always group minded (no pushing or loud talk), polite (frequently bowed), friendly (almost to a fault), and they had a hard time saying "no" to any request. Their Confucian honesty is legendary as exhibited by their money handling. Clerks are not forced to make change at the cash register - prices are not, for example, 99 Yen but an even 100 Yen. No messing with change on small items.

        They seemed to accept lower paying jobs as their own and were proud of them (e.g., taxi drivers, female bus attendants, and cleaning men in the train stations). Everything was surprisingly expensive everywhere we went and I never did figure this out. Apparently, there are enough people around with money to keep the prices high especially meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, designer clothes, etc. McDonald's, KFC, and Mr. Donut franchises were everywhere and doing very well even while somehow keeping prices only a little higher than here in the US.

HISTORY OF JAPAN.    Japan remained an isolated, closed country until the mid 1800's when the US sailed into Tokyo harbor and demanded they open their country to trade with Britain and the US ("gunboat diplomacy"). Their constitution was only established after WW2 so Japan is a relatively young democracy.

        Before the mid 1800's, they had an imperial emperor, shoguns, damiyos (warrior lords), and samurais (warriors) in place to keep the merchants and peasants under control in a feudal system. Their early capital city was in Osaka (until about 700 AD), then it was moved to Nara (only for about 70 years), then moved to Kyoto (for about 1000 years), and finally moved to Tokyo (in the 1600's to get a powerful shogun far away from the imperial emperor in Kyoto). Thus, Kyoto had a long time to develop a lot of the Japanese culture described below.

        During the Kyoto period, many of the shoguns became very rich and powerful because of their ability to amass great wealth and keep the damiyo and samurai classes poor. As a result, they were able to construct magnificent castles (like the Nagoya Castle), palaces, and guest houses (like the Golden Pavilion) many of which only exist in reconstructed form today (fires were a big problem).

        After opening their country to the outside world, they also developed a fierce pride and dominating attitude which led to skirmishes and wars with China, Russia, Korea, and the US including occupation of some of the spoils of these conflicts. Since WW2, they have relied on the US for their defensive needs in spite of protests to the contrary (antagonists say that their constitution prohibits some of these agreements).

RELIGIONS OF JAPAN.    A study of this subject is especially intriguing because their religion is so different from our western Christianity. After I learned and observed Japanese religious beliefs and practices, this subject made me really ask myself some basic questions. Maybe you'll think a little bit about what you believe in (and why) after reading this section.

        The Japanese originally came from China sometime before 700 BC via the Sea of Japan off the tip of Korea. As they migrated, they developed their own religion(s).

        1. Confucianism which emphasizes family and social structure was carried with them from China.

        2. Shintoism which emphasizes living in harmony with nature, good and bad luck (e.g., put rice cloth over doorway of house to scare off bad luck), demons and mythology (e.g., you will shorten your life if you cut your noodles), ceremonial purification from superstitions (e.g., put white salt on door steps to keep bad luck or spirits away), and prayers to spirits contained in nature or ancestors and important deceased individuals. Up until WW2, Shinto was the state religion and the Imperial Emperor was claimed to be a direct descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Surprisingly, the Shinto religion is unique and not found in other parts of the world. Shintoism is like the Chinese Tao religion.

(The water bottles around telephone poles have no religious significance in Japan - they are used only to keep pets from urinating and stinking up the place!).

        3. Buddhism which emphasizes meditation, enlightenment, freedom from craving and suffering, ways to lead a "good" life, and the possibility of another cycle of life here on earth. It was introduced to the mix along about 500 AD.

        These Far Eastern religions might be called "soft religions" as opposed to western Christianity ("firm"), or middle eastern Islam ("hard") based on the number of rules, dogmas/doctrines, and strictness of interpretations, etc. Not surprisingly, both Shinto and Buddhism have their "hidden, dark sides" and some of these subjects were only discussed if we brought them up in the lectures.

        Neither Shinto nor Buddhism have "God", bibles, liturgy, rules, houses of common worship, etc. as does Christianity or Islam. Nor are kids taught these religions at home or in schools. These religions don't even have a god as we know our God and many Japanese believe in all these religions at the same time. And, to top it all off, many of them also believe in Christianity now that it has gotten a foothold after WW2. Maybe many of these religions really shouldn't be called religions in the first place. We were told that about 80% of the Japanese practice Shintoism, 80% practice Buddhism, and a small minority practice Christianity. Islam is not part of their religious mix because it's too "hard" for them. Apparently,  Shintos give the best blessings (e.g., after you buy a new car), Christians have the best weddings, and Buddhists have the best funerals.

        Regardless of the above, when the behavior of the young and old Japanese people are observed, I can only conclude that these religions are alive and doing very well. A Zen Buddhist priest who gave us a lecture told us that shrines and temples have developed a lot of political power and financial might over the years since they are non-taxable entities in Japan and they raise a lot of money from the faithful all over the country and the world (see Ikebono flower arranging below). He was looking forward to "growing his flock" in a temple that has been empty for 26 years now that he had meditated and become wise enough to know the sound of a one handed clap, had already died, etc. He will grow his flock by being available to talk, administer certain ceremonies like funerals, etc., and to participate in festive events carried out by people living around his temple.

        As with Christianity, the young Japanese do not go for religion as much as older people but they still associate with their religions in many ways that are appealing to them (see e.g., special event outside Meiji Shrine). We were told that Shintoism, Buddhism, Christianity, etc. are not growing very fast around the world as opposed to Islam (currently over 1MMM members).

RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS OF JAPAN.    The sight of a Shinto shrine (or, jinga) and its surroundings are as much a natural experience as they are spiritual. This is in keeping with Japan's oldest religion which is intimately connected to the spirits found in nature (e.g., mountains, trees, streams, rocks, flowers, etc.). The grounds are usually located in the northeast part of a large, beautiful, quiet, wooded hillside (to keep out evil spirits) where people can have full communion with nature. (In Nara, a large park in the city is even reserved for a herd of sacred deer.) At the Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara (1, 2), a series of Torii gates (Gate #1, Gate #2, Gate #3, Gate #4) are encountered as you walk and walk and walk. A water purification pavilion and rows and rows of lantern boxes are passed along the way to the shrine (on the highest part of the property). When you reach the shrine proper, you put your money in the box, clap your hands twice to awaken the gods (or, pull on a rope to ring a bong) and say a prayer. Then, you clap an odd number of times, turn around and walk away, maybe to get your fortune told in a nearby building (and leave a bad fortune in a nearby fortune rack or lantern box to be purified), and make the long trek back.

        Originally, Shintos worshipped out in the open with nature and didn't have shrine buildings. Shintos only started using them after Buddhism came into Japan and they're rebuilt every 20 years. Also, there is not very much art work (e.g., paintings, sculptures) to be seen around a shrine. Actually, we saw shrines for just about everything and every occasion (in the home, at work, in the streets), portable shrines, and even mixed temples and shrines (note the reverse Buddhist swastika and the Shinto salt, water, and white color). The most sacred Shinto shrine of all (Naiku) is in Ise Shima but only a few special people are allowed to see it.

        Temples are usually located in an open, highly visible, busy area (even the big ones) where it's easy for someone to drop in to pay their respects to their favorite Buddha and part with a few coins. The Todaiji Temple in Nara (overall view, head-on view) is a good example because it houses the Grand Buddha which is an absolutely enormous bronze casting. This piece of art work must be seen to be believed! (Another Great Buddha is located out in the open air in the city of Kamakura some distance away.) Two imposing, wooden dogs guard the Todaiji Temple from evil spirits. One says "Ah" and the other says "Un" (much like Amen to us).

        Before you worship, you expose your body to incense smoke, say your prayers, and then turn around and leave the altar area. After this, there are numerous sights and things to do on the temple grounds to take up some additional time (and money) like buying souvenirs, getting your fortune told (a Shinto tradition), or crawling through a pillar inside the temple to insure a good life (a Shinto tradition). Even though the grounds around a Buddhist temple are often the reverse of a Shinto shrine, the behavior of the people attending is similar to that observed when they attend a Shinto shrine - there's a lot of cross-over in their practice of religion(s). Maybe this is because up until about 150 years ago when all the priests started to quarrel, they were both treated as one religion by the Japanese.

        The Asakusa Kannon Temple in Tokyo was a most enjoyable temple with its festive vendors at the front gate, its beautiful altar, and pretty pictures on the ceiling. The Horyuji Temple outside Nara is another interesting place since it's the oldest temple in Japan.

        A Buddhist temple almost always has a pagoda nearby which is a magnificent structure with much religious significance. A single, central wooden pole holds up the pagoda with the ashes of the Buddha buried beneath it. The ball at the very top of the pole contains jewels, the next ball contains sutras (sacred papers), and the nine rings recognize the nine important Buddhist sects. The five stories of the pagoda signify earth, water, fire, wind, and sky.

        Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine structures are often similar overall because shrine designs and construction techniques came from the Buddhists.

CULTURE OF JAPAN.    We participated in many wonderful Japanese activities with our Elderhostel companions which made a very indelible impression on us now that we look back on them. One of our lecturers offered that these traditions are slowly changing and disappearing but offer a permanent link to the past.  Here are some cultural items that impressed us.

1. Japanese and American Rapport. The volunteer guides were a great help to us because they were so friendly and eager to improve their English speaking skills. We often chuckled at their valiant attempts to master our language. But the big hit of our program was a home visit with a Japanese family. The husband was a middle manager with Toyota Motor Co. and his wife was a homemaker and organ teacher. An afternoon with them and their two children was a lot of fun.

2. Japanese Food. The Japanese eat a very healthy diet composed of rice, noodles, and fish (sushi is a favorite of everyone although it doesn't taste like much until some condiments are applied). We had a wide range of traditional Japanese food consisting of rice, sushi, mussels, tofu, soba (white) and udon (buckwheat) noodles, clear soups, Teppanyaki steak barbecue, Teriyaki steak, Tonkatsu (deep fat fried pork), Tempura (deep fat fried fish), Yakitori (grilled, skewered chicken chunks) and other foods (e.g., eel, bugs?)  which we were glad they didn't tell us about. Very often we ate these meals with chop sticks and were very proud of our skill.

        Green tea was consumed everywhere and all the time - hot or cold - and even in ice cream! On the train, we observed many orderly looking green tea fields which were nearly ripe for picking and we came to find out there three kinds of green tea each requiring special processing. A lot of this green tea also finds its way into the traditional tea ceremony which we found ourselves participating in right after dinner one night.

3. Transportation System. The buses, subways, railroads, and bullet trains operate as advertised - on time and over budget (loaded with people with the help of subway pushers). We were fortunate to ride the bullet train (shinkesen) two times during our program and, indeed, it did move along at 120 mph!

4. Kimono Dresses. Kimonos are used for special occasions (e.g., tea ceremonies, weddings) and can cost as much as $25,000 to purchase because of the specially woven fabrics. Renting one for a wedding is a $2,500 proposition. Even the young maiko dancer (i.e., Geisha girl in training) must wear one to carry out her performance.

5. Kabuki Theater. We attended a very lively, somewhat strange (for us) performance in the Tokyo National Kabuki-za Theater and came out exhausted but happy five hours later. Only men play the parts and they wear striking costumes and make unusual, whistling, grunting sounds. Equally unusual drum beats and guitar twangs are heard in the background. Bunraku is similar to Kabuki but carried out with puppets.

6. Gardening and Flowers. The Japanese are well known for their bonsai skills but how about this 600 year old pine tree which has been trained to look like a sailing vessel! They are also famous for their quiet gardens. We observed the famous rock garden at the Roonji Temple as well as numerous others which are completely surrounded by buildings in the busiest parts of Tokyo. All these beautiful gardens came from the numerous shoguns who lived in these cities in olden times..

        Ikebana flower arranging is another well known Japanese art which is known the world over. We visited the Ikebono Headquarters in Kyoto (on the grounds of the Rokkadudo Temple) and observed several delightful demonstrations in their flower arranging school. This temple is impressive with its two, eleven story office buildings on the grounds and new construction projects underway.

7. Cultured Pearls. We visited the Pearl Island headquarters of Mikimoto cultured pearls in Ise Shima and were given an interesting, extensive tour of the history of natural pearl diving, pearl culturing techniques and methods of using pearls in jewelry. The cultured pearl process is quite lengthy and laborious requiring at least three years to bear marketable pearls from natural oyster hosts. Large numbers of warm water estuaries are home to cultured pearl manufacture in southern Japan. Currently, the oysters are dying off because of an as yet unknown problem.

8. Sumo Wrestling. We watched sumo wrestling off and on the entire time we were in Japan because an important two week tournament was taking place. A large, ferocious guy from Hawaii (Musashimaru) eventually prevailed after about 16 matches and was promoted to sumo's highest rank, the yokozuna. Sumo wrestlers seem to enjoy their work despite their serious expressions on TV but we caught this young, happy guy in a Tokyo street in a long line to buy lottery tickets.