Smiles Of Japan

日本の今を伝え続けたトラベルボランティア


>> P.88

88|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECT50THINGS50THINGSWE’VELEARNEDIN50DAYS1.JAPANISNOTASMALLCOUNTRY:IFITWEREINEUROPEIT’DBEONEOFTHEBIGGESTCOUNTRIESONTHECONTINENT,BIGGERTHANGERMANY,EVEN.2.YOUCANMAKEANDEATVIRTUALLYANYTHINGOUTOFKONNYAKU.3.JAPANESEPEOPLEWILLWAVEYOUOFFUNTILYOUHAVELITERALLYDISAPPEAREDOUTOFSIGHT.ONEOFOURGUIDESSTOODWITHHISARMINTHEAIRFORSEVENFULLMINUTESASOURBOATSLOWLYPULLEDAWAYFROMTHEHARBOUR.ITWASAREMARKABLEFEATOFENDURANCEASMUCHASANYTHING.4.AKITADOGSAREDISAPPOINTINGLYTHINONTHEGROUNDINAKITA.5.THANKFULLYTHESAMECANNOTBESAIDFORSAPPOROBEERINSAPPORO.6.NATTOEXISTS,ANDITISEVIL.7.JAPANESECHESTNUTSAREOBSCENELYLARGE.8.THEREAREACOMICALNUMBEROFPREFECTURESTHATCLAIMTOPRODUCETHEBESTRICE,SAKE,BEEFAND/ORMISO.9.THERADIATIONLEVELSINRURALFUKUSHIMAARELESSTHANTHOSEINRURALENGLAND.10.IFALLTHEWORLD’SRELIGIONSCOHABITEDASWELLASSHINTOISMANDBUDDHISM,SEVERALMILLIONLIVESWOULDHAVEBEENSAVEDFROMTHEINSANITYOFRELIGIOUSWAR.AGOODDEALFEWERPEOPLEWOULDHAVEBEENTORTURED,TOO.11.THERE’SARAILPASSTHATSAVESTRAVELLERSCONSIDERABLEAMOUNTSOFTIMEANDMONEY,BUTYOUHAVETOAPPLYFORITBEFORECOMINGTOJAPAN.12.RICEANDTOFUMAYBEFAIRLYBLANDONTHEIROWN,BUTCOMBINEDTOMAKEINARIZUSHI,THEYBECOMEAVERYSPECIALSNACKINDEED.13.NAMAHAGEISPERHAPSTHEWORLD’SMOSTCHRONICALLYUNDERUSEDPARENTINGTOOL.14.GOLFISTHEPRESERVEOFTHERICH,WITHGREENFEESHIGHENOUGHTOMAKEYOUSOB.THATHASN’TSTOPPEDITBECOMINGWILDLYPOPULAR.15.JAPANQUITEPOSSIBLYHASTHEMOSTSTAGGERINGRANGEOFAUTUMNALCOLOURANYWHEREINTHEWORLD.16.THEREAREDOZENSOFENGLISHWORDSINDAY-TO-DAYJAPANESE,BUTTHEREVERYFEWJAPANESEWORDSCOMMONLYUSEDINENGLISH.THETWOMOSTFREQUENTAREPROBABLYKARAOKEANDTSUNAMI.17.INONEFAR-FLUNGCORNEROFFUKUSHIMA,YOU’LLFINDAPERFECTREPLICAOFBRITAIN.18.SOBANOODLESAREBESTSERVEDCOLD(SAYSJAMIE).19.SOBANOODLESAREBESTSERVEDHOT(SAYSKATY).20.ACTUALLY,ITSEEMSVIRTUALLYEVERYTHINGINJAPANCANBESERVEDCOLD:TEMPURA,YAKITORI...ANYTHING,REALLY.21.WEUSEDTOTHINKTHATSWISSTRAINSWEREEFFICIENT.THENWECAMETOJAPANANDSAWAWHOLENEWWORLDOFTIME-KEEPING.22.INKISHI,WAKAYAMA,THERE’SATRAINSTATIONWHERETHEBOSSISACAT.LITERALLYAPURRING,PAMPEREDFELINECALLEDTAMA.23.AROUND60%OFBABIESINJAPANHAVETUFTSOFHAIRTHATSTICKDIRECTLYUPFROMTHEIRTINYCRANIUMS.WEHAVEDUBBEDTHEM“COCONUTBABIES”.THEYAREOURFAVOURITES.24.CRABINNARDS,KNOWNJOKINGLYASCRABMISO,AREENTIRELYEDIBLEAND(WHISPERIT)QUITETASTY.25.PUPPY,RABBITANDCATCAFESEXIST.THEIDEABEINGTHATYOUTAKEYOURPETALONGANDTREATTHEMTOSOMEUPPERCLASSPETFOOD,PERHAPSFORTHEIRBIRTHDAYORYOURFIRSTDATETOGETHER.26.ALONGASIMILARTHEME,INTOKYO,RATHERTHANHAVETHETIME-CONSUMINGHASSLEOFOWNINGADOG,YOUCANRENTONEBYTHEHOURTOWALKDURINGYOURLUNCHBREAK.27.THEFIRSTEVERGENERALANAESTHETICWASDEVELOPEDANDADMINISTEREDBYHANAOKASEISHU,ASURGEONINWAKAYAMA.UNFORTUNATELYTHERESTOFTHEWORLDDIDN’TFINDOUTABOUTITFORDECADESASJAPAN’SLUDICROUSPOLICYOFSAKOKU(SELF-IMPOSEDISOLATION)WASINPLACE.BYTHETIMENEWSOFHISPIONEERINGTECHNIQUEWASBROADCAST,THERESTOFTHEWORLDHADCREATEDTHEIROWN.523


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