Introduction
The "Land of the Rising Sun" can be extremely mysterious to western visitors. However, to the folks who call Japan home, it is a land of clearly defined ancient customs coexisting with modern technical advancements under fairly rigid societal standards.
With a fascinating history that goes back thousands of years, it is amazing that Japan has managed to retain its true identity in these days of modern travel and instantaneous global communications. While concessions have been made to the march of time and the influence of western culture (especially in clothing, music and electronics), the Japanese are very protective of traditional ways. No amount of outside influence has been able to change their unique view of life and the world.
This e-book will attempt to explain many of the things that make Japan what it is and hopefully, make your visit to this wonderful land a more rewarding experience. Your visit to Japan will be as wonderful as you decide to make it. As with any new location, those who venture out in search of new and exciting experiences will enjoy their stay.
This e-book is not designed for the serious student of Japan. My intention is to provide a somewhat comprehensive glimpse into Japan so that visitors will have a basic understanding of their surroundings during their stay. This applies especially to the history section. There are numerous publications available that delve deeply into all aspects of things Japanese. For those who want more information, the bibliography provides some such titles.
Names in this e-book comply with the standard Japanese practice of stating family names first. Japanese words and terms are printed in italics the first time I used them. Afterwards, they are in standard print. Japanese names (people, historical periods, type of art) are also in standard print.
I hope you enjoy this e-book and that you thoroughly enjoy your stay in Japan. Please get out into the community and experience the local culture and hospitality as often as possible. The Japanese people are usually quite friendly and helpful. Take the time to learn a little of the language and practice your hand gestures. Most Japanese speak at least a little English as it is mandatory in secondary education. Also, many road signs are in English as well as Japanese.
So sit back and prepare to learn about this fascinating land. I hope the material in this e-book encourages you to participate in a wide variety of activities that will make your stay rewarding, educational and just plain fun.
For those of you fortunate enough to be in Misawa, I hope you will take advantage of all of the information posted on www.misawajapan.com.
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