miércoles, noviembre 30, 2005

Stressing my way into the rising sun

Stressing my way into the rising sun

Thorough investigation of Japan led me to the conclusion that it is a country very rich with culture, economy and modernization. Being one of the most ancient civilizations in the world and being in the midst of so many historical elements has given it its characteristic conservative style, while at the same time, it’s outlooking towards the future, ever since the Meiji restoration and the modernization of the country.
Japan is also a place with beautiful landscapes and places to visit and amusements to have. It would seem that one could never get bored in a place like that. Non-scientific or formally documented investigation (such as with Japanese interviews and personal opinions of foreign people in Japan), on the contrary, showed me the way directly and non-stop to a country full of stress.
Japan is probably the place with most stress per capita (lol, if it were possible to measure it). Since they give so much importance to values such as punctuality and cordiality, and social hierarchy values, conservative life (which is most of the life nowadays) is a niche where tension grows amongst people. Japanese have different ways of dissolving this tension, whereas it’d be by their strange habits of relaxation (I’d have to comment later on that), by going abroad, by going nuts, or by committing suicide, which is also a number one for Japan and it’s part of the daily news.
Some of the cultural differences that make me the most existential dilemmas are social hierarchies. I understand respect for the elder is one of their main guidelines, amongst others. I believe in respect, I believe in wisdom, and also I believe in knowledge, but I also think everyone has something of value to offer that no one else can equal, and from my point of view that puts us all in the same floor level.
There sure is more to Japan than meets the eye: a beautiful calm meadow in the outskirts of main metropolis. I think Japan has so much to offer and it’s up to us to discover it. My plans of going there haven’t diminished by the factors I discovered this semester, but rather they have increased.
I can’t wait to pay Japan a visit.

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