How Japan’s Shoguns Created the World’s First Travel Industry

TOKYO – It may be something of a surprise to most people that Japan was the first country in the world to have a nationwide network of roadside inns, and the first country in the world in which great numbers of ordinary people routinely traveled long distances on pleasure trips.

These two remarkable developments occurred because of a policy inaugurated in 1603 by Ieyasu Tokugawa who had emerged as the most powerful fief leader in the country after a series of battles against competing clan lords, and founded the Tokugawa Shogunate government in Edo (now Tokyo).

This new policy, known as Sankin Kotai (Sahn-keen Koh-tie), or “Alternate Attendance,” required that the leaders of all of the fiefs that had opposed Tokugawa keep their families in Edo at all times as hostages, and that the fief lords themselves spend every other year in Edo in attendance at the Shogun’s Court -- a ploy designed to help prevent them from becoming a threat to the new government.

This decree specified how many retainers—samurai warriors, aides and servants -- the Daimyo (Dime-yoh) or fief lords were required to bring with them to Edo on their semi-annual trips, based on the income of their fiefs --a strategy designed to cost them as much as 70 percent of their income and keep in them economically and militarily weak.

The trips of the lords and their entourages to and from Edo came to be known as Daimyo Gyoretsu (Dime-yoh G’yoh-rate-sue) or “Processions of the Lords.” The typical entourage ranged from 150 to 350 people. The richest of the lords, Maeda, was required to bring up to a thousand retainers with him.

The Sankin Kotai decree also designated which roads the fief lords would travel from and to their domains, and required that towns and villages along the various routes construct and staff suitable accommodations for the Daimyo and their retainers at intervals of one day’s march. Local residents were also required to maintain the roads in their vicinity and plant trees along them.

In 1637, Ieyasu’s grandson, Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa Shogun, dramatically expanded the scope of the Sankin Kotai system to cover over 260 of the some 300 fief lords in the country, making it one of the defining characteristics of the nation’s economy and social life.

The expansion of this extraordinary system of political and economic control required a major construction program that resulted in the already existing network of inns being extended throughout the main islands. The Shogunate decree mandated three classes of inns:

Honjin (Hone-jeen), which can be translated as “Head Inns.” These inns, richly appointed in the style of the imperial mansions of Kyoto, were reserved for the lords and their personal aides.

Waki Honjin (Wah-kee Hone-jeen) or “Annex Head Inns.” These inns were only slightly less luxurious then the Honjin and were reserved for other ranking guests when the Honjin were full.

Hatago (Hah-tah-go), which were the equivalent of today’s Holiday Inns, and were reserved for the lord’s warriors and lower ranking staff and servants.

On just one road -- the Tokaido (Toh-kigh-doh) or East Sea Road -- which connected Kyoto to Edo, there were 93 Honjin, 102 Waki Honjin, and 1,812 Hatago inns. There were four other great roads leading to Edo that were also lined with inns.

Not only did the Sankin Kotai system result in the development of a highly sophisticated network of inns nationwide, it was also responsible for the development of the traditions of extraordinary service that are still characteristic of Japanese hotels and inns, and for the spread of a refined level of culture throughout the rural areas of Japan.

These truly remarkable “Processions of the Lords” continued to be a defining characteristic of Japanese life for more than 250 years -- not ending until 1862.

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

Japan’s Amazing Traditions Of Recreational Travel

TOKYO – Japan was one of the first -- if not the first -- country in the world in which recreational travel by large numbers of people became a full-fledged industry.

The Japanese urge to travel for enjoyment has been a significant part of the culture since ancient times, and may have had its genesis in the incredible beauty of the islands and in the development of an extraordinary aesthetic sense in the Japanese psyche.

The mythological gods credited with creating the Japanese islands were so impressed with their handiwork that they descended from the heavens to take up permanent residence on the islands.

Poetry written well over a thousand years ago extols the beauty of the islands, and make it evident that the writers had traveled. Buddhism and Shintoism also played a key role in travel in ancient Japan, as monks and priests sought out locations of exceptional beauty in distant mountains to build temples and shrines that attracted visitors from afar.

During the golden Heian era (A.D. 794-1185) traveling for recreational purposes was common among the elite, and over the centuries, hundreds of places around the islands became famous for their exceptional beauty.

But it was not until founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603 and the beginning of over two centuries of peace and prosperity that the average Japanese were able to travel for recreational and for religious purposes.

The Shogunate mandated a political control system that required over 260 of the country’s some 300 fief lords to keep their families in Edo at all times, and themselves, along with a large entourage of retainers, spend every other year in Edo.

This resulted in the construction of a network of inns, a day’s march apart, on the five great roads leading to Edo from the rest of the country. While built to accommodate the domain lords and their entourages, the inns catered to other travelers as well.

As the decades passed, the roads and inns became crowded with religious pilgrims, gamblers, salesmen, sumo wrestlers, roving monks and priests, government officials, messengers, painters, poets, and secret agents.

Two types of travel became institutionalized in Japanese life -- monomode (moh-no-moh-day), which consisted of walking tours of famous shrines and temples around the country (that often lasted for months); and yusan (yuu-sahn), which were sightseeing trips to famous scenic places (numbering in the hundreds).

With a nod to the scriptwriters of the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby “road movies,” the first such “road” stories were written by Ikku Jippensha between 1802 and 1822. These stories were entitled Tokaido Chu Hizakurige, which translates as “Traveling the East Sea Road by Shank’s Mare” (on foot).

The series of books chronicled the adventures of two men from Edo, Yajirobe and Kitahachi, who preferred the pleasures and perils of the road to the carping of their wives.

The two dyed-in-the-wool Edo-type men (boisterous, argumentative, and proud) got into every type of comic situation imaginable, and in the process of telling their stories, the author provides a vivid account of the manners and morals of Japanese life during that era in Japan’s history.

The emergence of modern Japan gave rise to three other great categories of domestic travelers—hordes of school children on excursions that were mandated by the Ministry of Education in the late 1800s, millions of big city residents returning to their ancestral villages and towns on holidays and other occasions, and huge numbers of businesspeople going to and fro, from the northernmost island of Hokkaido to the southern island of Okinawa.

In the 1950s, villages and rural organizations nationwide began sponsoring group trips to major cities and scenic attractions. By the mid-1950s virtually all companies in Japan were sponsoring annual outings for their employees to beaches, hot spring spas or mountain retreats.

Today, virtually all Japanese make at least one overnight trip away from their homes and offices each year, and millions travel within the country from a few to dozens of times every year.

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

Japan Remains Safe Haven For Foreign Travelers!

TOKYO – Japanese who travel abroad are repeatedly warned in travel literature, by their travel agents, by friends, and by the news media that once they leave Japan they will be in danger of being robbed, injured or even killed if they do not remain alert and take special measures to protect themselves.

The Japanese are cautioned never to set their bags down in a hotel lobby or in any kind of transportation terminal; to never walk in certain areas of cities at night; to be wary of conmen, touts, and so on.

Unfortunately, these warnings are not exaggerated or based on unwarranted fears. Given the number of Japanese who are robbed and often beaten while they are abroad it is remarkable that so many -- some 14 to 15 million -- continue to travel overseas each year.

In contrast to this, it is so rare for a foreign traveler in Japan to be robbed, beaten, killed or even harassed in any way that when it does happen it makes national headlines.

The incidence of violent crimes has gone up dramatically in Japan since the introduction of democracy and Western culture following the end of World War II in 1945, but the crime rate is still far below that of Western countries, and generally does not involve foreign victims.

One often hears that in Japan women can walk alone, at all hours of the night, in city districts that are notorious for their low life and the presence of street thugs and professional gangsters without fear of being accosted, robbed or raped. And that is true.

One also hears that foreign women are even safer when they are out and about in Japan -- wherever they may be and whatever the hour -- because Japanese males, including the criminal element, are less likely to harm foreigners. And that is true.

The continuing low level of crime in Japan, in particular the low incidence of people being attacked in the streets -- day or night -- can be attributed to Shinto and Buddhist standards established in the culture very early in Japan’s history, and reinforced politically and socially during the long Shogunate period (1185-1868), when armed samurai warriors administered the country and were empowered to quickly and severely punish law and custom breakers.

During the early decades of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1867), samurai warriors were legally permitted to kill people on the spot for violations of etiquette or the law that today would be consider minor infractions.

Given the combined influence of the Shintoism and Buddhism, both of which advocated non-violence, and the social morality mandated and enforced by the samurai rulers of Japan, ordinary Japanese became paragons of honesty and good manners.

Still today, people routinely leave unlocked bicycles on the sidewalks and in front of stores and stations. As a rule, you can leave a bag or some other possession virtually anywhere in public and it will be there when you get back. Shops routinely put product displays outside, and leave them unguarded.

It is said that the extraordinary success of vending machine marketing in Japan occurred because it was possible to set them up out in the open, unprotected places, with virtually no chance that they would be vandalized and robbed.

Stories abound of the time and effort people expend to return lost or forgotten property, especially where foreign travelers are concerned. This is not only a manifestation of the honesty that is built into the character of the Japanese. It is also because the Japanese feel that they and the whole country are responsible for the welfare of visitors.

This security factor is one of Japan’s greatest assets, and is an integral part of the attraction that the country has a travel destination. It is also one of the reasons why foreign residents are so attracted to life in Japan.

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

The Lowdown on the Cost Of “Doing Japan”

TOKYO – In the early 1960s Village Voice cofounder and avant-garde writer John Wilcock showed up in Tokyo with a commission from New York’s travel publisher Frommer to do one of its famous $5-a-day books on Japan.

Wilcock did a yoeman’s job on the book, and it put Japan on the map as a new destination for the growing horde of backpackers and other budget travelers who had been swarming throughout Europe since the end of World War II, and were beginning to show up in India, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries.

The good old days when one could actually do Japan on $5 a day have, of course, long since gone (John’s book became Japan on $10 a Day about a decade later). But, the heart-stopping stories about Tokyo hotels charging $8-$10 for a cup of coffee that began cropping up in the late 1970s, and gave rise to a kind of paranoia about the cost of traveling in Japan, were unfair and have plagued the country’s travel industry ever since.

This is not to say that there were no $8 coffees in Japan at that time. There were -- and still are! And one could pay as much as $100 for a run-of-the-mill steak dinner -- even more for a Buddhist style vegetarian meal in an elite ryotei (rio-tay-ee) Japanese style restaurant.

But even in those days, the great majority of Japanese who ate out, as well as the typical traveler, whether Japanese or foreign, did not spend that kind of money for their meals. There were dozens of categories of restaurants, from Chinese, Japanese and Korean to European, where full courses of chicken, fish, meat, vegetables, soup and bread or rice could be had for $6 or $7.

There were other restaurants specializing in soba and udon noodles and a variety of rice dishes topped with chicken or beef curry where millions of people ate daily for 75 cents to $1.50.

As for the cost of hotel accommodations, in addition to name brand, luxury class hotels such as the Imperial, the Okura, the New Otani, the Hilton, and so on, Japan has long had a much larger number of first-class hotels whose room rates are twenty to thirty percent lower than the elites.

And below this selection of first-class hotels, there was -- and still is -- an even larger number of so-called business-class hotels, which in fact, are often first-class in their facilities and services, that cost from one-third to one-fourth of what brand name hotels charge. Finally, there is a whole national network of strictly budget-class hotels in Japan, with room rates that are lower still.

Then there are Japan’s famous ryokan (rio-kahn), or inns, of which there are some 70,000 in the country. Many of these inns cater to foreign visitors with packaged rates that make them a viable choice for budget travelers.

Both the image and the reality of Japan being a high-cost travel destination came about because in those days virtually all tourists handled by travel agents were automatically funneled into the most expensive hotels, the most expensive restaurants, and the most expensive modes of travel.

Over the course of the last 10 years, hotel room rates have slowly inched up in most of the world's major markets, in some cases far surpassing the rates formerly charged in Japan.

In today’s Japan, not only is the cost of hotel accommodations lower than what it was a decade ago, the number and variety of restaurants is astounding, including virtually every American and European fast food chain you can name, plus dozens of equivalent Japanese chains, and the cost of full Western style meals has plummeted.

Transportation, the third most important cost factor in doing Japan, remains high by American and European standards, but here too, there are options that make it possible to reduce this cost by 30 to 50 percent, by taking advantage of discounted passes available for tourists, by choosing ordinary or express trains rather than super-express trains, by using the marvelous subway system instead of taxis, and for the more adventurous, renting cars.

One can visit and enjoy Japan today without spending a small fortune by the simple process of knowing what accommodation, dining, and transportation choices are available, and choosing a level that fits one’s budget.

In addition to the cost benefits of eating, traveling, and sleeping like a Japanese citizen, an argument could be made that this would ensure one's experience of "the real Japan" would be far better because of more opportunities to interact with the people, who are, after all, the country’s greatest attraction.

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

Japan’s Amazing Traditions Of Goodwill & Service!

TOKYO – Lafcadio Hearn, a Greek-island born writer (the son of an Anglo father and a Greek mother) who arrived in Japan in the 1890s on assignment for an American magazine, became entranced with the attitudes and behavior of the common people, and wrote that life in Japan was like living in paradise.

There were many who disputed this idealistic view of Japan, but Hearn was, in fact, on to something.

For more than a thousand years before Hearn’s arrival in Tokyo, the foundation for Japan’s culture had been wa (wah) or harmony, based on a concept known as amae (ah-my), which may be translated as “indulgent love.”

In essence, amae referred to treating people with the utmost respect and propriety, never doing anything to upset others, and going out of your way to be kind, thoughtful and generous.

Obviously this philosophy did not prevent all aggression and violence in Japanese society, particularly among the ruling class, but it did permeate the attitudes and behavior of the common people to a degree that is rare in human history.

The ordinary people of Japan were law-abiding, honest and thoughtful to a degree that was astounding to visitors from the West -- and despite all of the changes in Japan since the end of the 19th century, enough of this traditional cultural remains in Japanese society to set them apart from most other people.

Bicycles, store merchandise -- you name it -- are left on sidewalks and streets without fear that they will be stolen. Taxi drivers turn in anything left in their cabs! Individuals go to extreme lengths to return wallets found on streets or in other areas -- with the contents intact!

Japan’s traditional culture also made hospitality a moral and philosophical facet of their character, particularly in their behavior toward guests and seniors -- a phenomenon that grew out of their native religion, Shinto, and the influence of Buddhism and other concepts and customs imported from China.

And what was equally impressive to Hearn -- and millions of people who have since visited Japan -- was, and is, the level of service that is an integral part of the lives of the people -- in every facet of their lives, from the manufacturing and wholesaling industries to the retail trades.

And nowhere are these traditions of service more obvious, and more impressive, than in the inn, hotel, restaurant and nighttime entertainment industries.

As in the case of so many aspects of Japanese culture, this extraordinary standard of service rose to the level of an art during the Tokugawa Shogunate era (1603-1867) -- a phenomenon that grew out of the fact that the standards of etiquette and service in the Shogun’s Court and in the courts of the 300 provincial lords was spread throughout the country.

There are a great many things in Japan today that are impressive to visitors, but when it comes down to what really makes the most lasting and the most positive impression on visitors from abroad is the character of the people -- their attitudes and behavior toward others in general, and especially toward customers and guests.

The traditional etiquette of the Japanese -- how they behaved toward each other in both social and business settings -- was based on the highly refined and stylized manners that developed in the Imperial Court in Kyoto and, like their concept of service, spread from there to the courts of the shoguns and provincial lords, then to samurai families, and finally to the whole of society.

An old story dramatically illustrates the level of Japan’s traditional etiquette. In the 1890s a London banker became a devotee of the Japanese tea ceremony and told his counterpart in Tokyo that he would like to have a teahouse built on his property.

The Tokyo banker dispatched a carpenter to London to build the house. The London banker was so impressed with the manners of the carpenter that he mistook him for a member of Japan’s upper class, and greeted him accordingly. He was astounded to discover that the man was a common worker.

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

Japan’s Appeal to Visitors Exotic and Sensual

TOKYO – There are two Japans -- the modern or Western, and the traditional. It is often said that it is the Western amenities of Japan that make it a comfortable place to visit. But it is the traditional elements that make it fascinating to the foreign visitor, and one of the world’s best travel destinations.

The fascination that Japan holds for foreigners derives not only from the charm of the unfamiliar, but also from the fact that so many facets of traditional Japan are strikingly unusual and beautiful, and the very essence of exotic to foreign eyes.

What makes Japan even more interesting to the foreign visitor is that one can move freely and effortlessly back and forth between the modern and traditional, as easily and as quickly as passing through a door. In fact, a door is often the only dividing line between the two worlds.

And not surprising to those who are familiar with Oriental cultures, there is a strong sensual element in the exotic side of Japan -- from its traditional architecture, arts, crafts and wearing apparel to the extraordinary number and variety of festivals and other customs that make up the essence and flavor of Japanese culture.

What makes the impact of the traditional side of Japan so powerful is that the exotic and the sensual are combined. Both are integral elements of virtually everything that is culturally Japanese.

One might say that the Kanamara Festival of the Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine in Kawasaki City, between Tokyo and Yokohama, and the Honen Festival of the Tagata Shrine in Komaki City, are two of the extremes of the sensual side of Japanese culture.

These annual events, sometimes referred to as “fertility festivals,” are built around activities involving replicas of the male phallus that range from small to eight feet or more in length. Young women ride phallus-shaped seesaws and eat phallus-shaped candies. Men, women and children get their pictures taken embracing huge phallic reproductions.

The sensual element in the kimono, the yukata, the paper doors and partitions in traditional homes and inns, the kitchen utensils, the wall decorations, the gardens -- again in virtually everything that is Japanese -- is far more subtle than the phallic festivals, but equally powerful over a period of time.

To Western eyes, few things are more exotic than Japan’s kabuki and noh theatrical forms. And while not as overtly conspicuous, virtually everything else that is traditional in Japanese life also qualifies as exotic, from the ideograms used to write the language to the vast array of items one sees in department store food malls.

Another facet in the combination of the exotic and sensual in Japanese culture that attracts foreign visitors, especially Westerners, is the element of mystery. No matter how long foreigners stay in Japan, or how familiar they become with the people and the culture, the mystery remains.

This mystery persists because there are so many facets of Japanese culture that do not lend themselves to ready explanation, that remain beguiling and intriguing. Part of this perception may be attributed to the overblown “mystery of the Orient” image that has prevailed in the West for centuries, but most of it derives from elements of Japan’s traditional culture that are demonstrated in the arts and crafts as well as in household furnishings and utensils…in the essence of things that make them Japanese.

In other words, a certain “Japanese sense” that is both conscious and unconscious is responsible for the exotic and erotic aspects of Japanese culture that foreigners find so appealing and so satisfying. This “sense” is automatically applied to virtually everything the Japanese do, from such mundane actions as preparing and arranging food on a plate to landscaping a Zen garden or conducting a tea ceremony.

The visitor who wants to get the most out of Japan should be prepared to look, and go, beyond the Western facade that obscures the essence and heart of the traditional culture, for that is where the pleasure -- and benefit -- lies. [See my travel oriented language and cultural insight books on Japan.]

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

“Vistas Fit For The Eyes of Kings”

TOKYO – Not many people who go to Japan go to enjoy the scenic beauty of the islands. They are much more likely to think in terms of such images as the country’s famous cherry blossoms, geisha, kabuki, the snow-capped peak of Mt. Fuji, huge loin-clothed sumo wrestlers, or even the opportunity to do some shopping for high-tech products in Akihabara, Tokyo’s famed “Electric Town.”

But they will miss out on an opportunity of a lifetime if they do not make a point of experiencing some of the natural beauty that Japan offers.

Of course, most countries are blessed with areas of extraordinary scenic beauty -- some so sublime that they inspire the poetic muse and induce spiritual ecstasy. But few countries in the world surpass Japan in the sheer volume and variety of its natural beauty.

The islands of Japan owe their extraordinary scenic beauty to their volcanic peaks and central mountains chains that have smaller chains radiating out toward the coasts, resulting in numerous narrow valleys and small coastal plains separated from each other by ridges and headlands.

The greatest of these natural mountain ranges are on the main island of Honshu, and are characterized by peaks up to 3,000 meters (9,000 feet) and more in height. While these and other mountains are grand in size and form, it is the volcanic mountains that provide the special flavor of the country’s topography.

Altogether, there are seven great volcanic systems, with some 200 volcanoes, running through the islands -- and Japan has one-tenth of the world’s active volcanoes. Of course, Fuji san (Mt. Fuji) is the mother of all volcanoes in Japan, and although it last erupted in 1707, it is still alive, and recently has been grumbling and quivering.

One hundred kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Tokyo, Mt. Fuji is so high (3,776 meters / 12,385 ft.) that it is visible within a radius of some 200 miles. The base of Mt. Fuji is so massive that extends into several prefectures. Part way up the great cone there are a chain of five lakes that encircle the mountain, adding to its scenic ambiance and its attraction as a recreational destination.

Because Mt. Fuji towers over central Honshu like a great sentinel, it gets most of the praise, but it is in the coastlines of Japan that nature outdid itself. The islands have a total of 16,120 miles of seacoast that alternates between white sand beaches generally bordered by groves of gnarled pine trees, precipitous cliffs also clad in pines, lagoon-like bays dotted with emerald islets, secluded coves and inlets bounded by jagged walls of stone, caves, natural “bridges” of stone, and sculptured rock formations that are literally beyond the hand of man.

The central chains of mountains that make up the bulk of Japan give rise to thousands of streams and dozens of large rivers that course down gorges and ravines that are so beautiful the more finely attuned viewer may become intoxicated. The islands are also rich in lakes.

Outside of its cities, Japan is heavily forested. In the spring and summer the country is covered in a great blanket of green. In the fall, the leaves of great swatches of deciduous trees turn brown, gold and red. In winter, the high country and northern regions are sheathed in deep layers of snow that turn them into white wonderlands.

The natural beauty of Japan has long been celebrated in poetry, song and the arts, and has played an integral role in the life of the people, not only in their aesthetic practices but also in the their religious and philosophical life. The founders of the thousands of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in the country deliberately sought out places of exceptional beauty for their location.

Long ago someone described the Seto Naikai (Inland Sea), the shallow body of ocean that separates the islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, as “A sight fit for the eyes of kings!” And it is just one of many such sights throughout Japan.

Visitors and residents alike who do not avail themselves of the opportunity to gaze upon some of the earth’s grandest scenery are missing one of the great pleasures of life. [I highly recommend the book JAPAN MADE EASY -- Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Japan! ...by you know who!

­ Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

Honored Guest Syndrome Makes Japanese Great Hosts

TOKYO – There is a tradition of hospitality in the Orient that flies in the face of the historical circumstances of the vast majority of the people of Asia. From the dawn of their history until recent times, some 90 percent of all Asians lived at, or only slightly above, bare survival levels.

And it seems that in those countries in which the economies provided the least in the way of food and other amenities, the traditions of hospitality to guests and strangers were the strongest.

Mongolians, whose lifestyle on the barren, wind-swept plains of central Asia was always rigorous and frequently life-threatening, have traditionally been among the most hospitable of all people, and today they remain famous for readily and happily sharing what they have with visitors.

In countries that are in the Buddhist sphere of Asia, the poor and the affluent alike were taught that generosity and giving was both a religious duty and a way of building up divine merit—and much of this legacy remains today.

From the dawn of their own history, the Japanese were first influenced to believe in and practice hospitality by Shintoism, their indigenous religion, and by their subsistence-level lifestyle, and then for the last a millennium and a half, by the doctrines of Buddhism.

There were other immediate factors that helped make hospitality to guests a key part of the Japanese lifestyle and mindset. These factors, based on customs first practiced in the Imperial Court in Kyoto, then in the Court of the Shoguns in Edo (Tokyo) and finally in the Courts of the fief lords, included highly stylized ways of welcoming, seating and treating guests with special care that, over the centuries, became deeply embedded in the culture.

But there appears to be another element in the Japanese view and practice of hospitality toward visitors, Westerners in particular. This element, which they share with both Koreans the Chinese, seems to derive from pride in their race and in their country -- a pride that typically compels them to go above and beyond a degree of hospitality that would be more than sufficient.

The desire and efforts of the typical Japanese to make a good impression on visitors is sincere, and their enthusiasm to do so often seems to be unbounded. Japanese contacts and friends --sometimes even strangers -- will often pay restaurant and transportation bills when by all rights it should be the foreign side that pays.

When these situations occur and the foreigner protests, the Japanese will say such things as “When you are in Japan you are our guest.”

The legacy of all these influences to extend hospitality to guests remains strong in Japan, and when it is combined with the traditional Japanese commitment to service, which borders on a social if not a cultural imperative, it becomes a valuable asset, not only for the travel industry but for the country as a whole.

Japan’s combination of hospitality and service was honed to virtual perfection during the last Shogunate era (Tokugawa, 1603-1867), and is especially conspicuous today in the hotel, inn and restaurant industries -- areas that are on the frontline of tourism.

Leaders in Japan’s tourism industry have recently experienced a kind of epiphany insofar as the value of the hospitality and service traditions are concerned. Recognizing that these cultural attitudes and practices need to be taught to each new generation, they are encouraging new and more comprehensive training of industry employees.

Hotels, inns and restaurants that have successfully instituted training programs based on traditional attitudes and behavior stand out the moment one enters. The more this “return to the past” is emphasized, the more successful Japan’s tourism industry is likely to be in the future. See my book: JAPAN MADE EASY -- Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Japan!

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

In Japan it’s Not All Raw Fish, Rice & Noodles!

TOKYO – If typical Westerners in advanced countries are asked to name their most important concerns regarding any foreign trip they might take, food is almost always high on their list.

Americans who have not traveled abroad before can be especially skittish about both food and water—in part because of stories about visitors coming down with the “tourist trot” in countries where sanitary standards are low or virtually non-existent.
Those who are not familiar with Japan might assume that sanitation standards there may also be low, and that special care must be taken to avoid being exposed to unfriendly bacteria. There is no need for such concern.

As it happens, the Japanese were among the first -- if not the first -- people to develop extraordinarily high standards of sanitation in all areas of their lives…something they owe to their native religion, Shintoism.

One of the primary tenets of Shintoism is that cleanliness is an aspect of godliness, resulting in the Japanese being acutely concerned about cleanliness from the dawn of their history, and developing a lifestyle in which cleanliness was a moral value that became deeply engrained in their lifestyle.

Long before Westerners ever equated bathing with good health and the advantages of keeping their homes and workplaces clean, the Japanese scrubbed themselves daily in hot water, then soaked in hot tubs as an added health measure. [When the first Westerners showed up in Japan, their body odor was such that the Japanese could not stand to be near them.]

The Japanese also cleaned their homes daily. Cooking and eating utensils were washed after each use. People not only cleaned themselves and their houses daily, they also kept the area around their homes scrupulously clean.

This virtual obsession with cleanliness has remained a key element in Japanese culture, and still today is one of the reasons why foreign visitors are so impressed with the people and the country. Visitors do not have to be concerned about the sanitation standards in Japanese restaurants, or anywhere else for that matter, including at street vendor stalls.

This is good news, of course, but it is only half of the news where food and dining out are concerned. When it comes to food and restaurants, Japan is one of the most cosmopolitan and international countries in the world.

All of the major cuisines of the world -- American, British, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Russian, etc. -- are available in Japan, in common, middle and upscale restaurants. Regional and local cuisines, from Indian, Indonesian, Korean, Malaysian and Thai to Tibetan are also available.

The number of “Japanese” restaurants that serve a variety of chicken, fish, meat and vegetable dishes that are “Western” in both appearance and taste is astounding. Western chain restaurants, particularly the fast food variety, are cheek-by-jowl in every city in the country.

Japanese restaurants serving traditional dishes, from sushi and noodles to combinations of rice, chicken, beef, eggs, pork and seafood -- all of which, with the possible exception of raw fish, most Westerners like the very first time they try them -- also abound throughout the country.

Office buildings typically have half a dozen or so restaurants in their basements. Newer, larger buildings have as many as fifty or sixty restaurants in their basements and on upper floors devoted entirely to upscale eateries, many of which offer panoramic views of the surrounding areas.

All of Japan’s major cities have what amounts to “restaurant districts” made up of dozens to hundreds of restaurants that attract diners as well as casual strollers who enjoy the sights, sounds and exotic ambiance.

Obviously, the Japanese are great diner outers…they have to be to support the incredible number and variety of restaurants -- there are well over 800,000 restaurants in the small county -- and they do so with a sense of adventure. They flock to new restaurants that offer anything new in the way of style or food.

First-time visitors to Japan should also make a point of having as many food experiences as possible. In addition to adding to their culinary knowledge and pleasuring the palate, it makes it possible for them to “rub elbows” with the Japanese and share in their daily life -- one of the main benefits of visiting the country.

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business, first published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.

A Little Nihongo (Japanese) Goes a Long Way!

TOKYO -- Word has gotten out that virtually all Japanese study English for several years when they are in elementary and middle school, and that is true. It is also true that hundreds of thousands of Japanese study English in private language academies after they finish their formal education.

But that does not mean that the average Japanese speaks and understands English, even with a modest degree of fluency. Much like the United States, public school instruction in foreign languages in Japan has traditionally emphasized grammar and reading, rather than speaking.

Dramatic improvements have been made in teaching English and other foreign languages in Japan in recent years, but this still doesn’t mean that English speaking foreign residents and visitors no longer have to be concerned about being able to communicate with Japanese.

Of course, most Japanese who work in frontline positions in the travel industry, where their job requires them to interact with foreigners, generally speak enough English to communicate on a basic level. That is fine as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go nearly far enough. Once visitors get off the tourist track it can be very much like suddenly becoming tongue-tied – if not deaf and dumb.

Fortunately, it is not difficult to learn enough Japanese in a very short period of time to significantly improve the quality of a Japan experience – not to mention the personal pleasure it provides once you are beyond basic needs.

Unlike English words, which are spelled with individual letters that represent hundreds of sounds, Japanese words are made up of precise syllables that are based on only six sounds. These six sounds are represented in Roman letters as a, i, u, e, o and n, which are pronounced as ah, ee, uu, eh, oh and unn (more or less like the n in bond).

The Japanese language is made up of several sets of syllables. The first set is the above ah, ee, uu, eh, oh.. The second set is ka, ki, ku, ke, ko (pronounced kah, kee, kuu, kay, koh). The third set is sa, shi, su, se, so (pronounced sah, she, sue, say, soh).

Then there is ta, chi, tsu, te, to (pronounced tah, chee, t’sue, tay, toe); next comes na, ni, nu, ne, no (nah, nee, nuu, nay, no); ha, hi, fu, he, ho (hah, hee, fuu, hey, hoh); ma, mi, mu, me, mo (mah, mee, muu, may, moh); ya, i, yu, e, yo (yah, ee, yuu, eh, yoh); ra. ri, ru, re, ro (rah, ree, rue, ray, roh); wa, i, u, e, wo (wah, ee, uu, eh, woh); and finally n (unn) all by itself.

All the other syllables that make up the Japanese language are euphonic variations of some of the above (pah, pee, puu, pay poh), and combinations of two syllables (pya, pyu, pyo), etc.

These syllables never change, and with some exceptions, their pronunciation is constant. The exceptions are when vowels are pronounced “long,” and when there is a consonant at the end and beginning of two syllables that are joined (nikko / neek-koh). This means you don’t have weird spellings or unfathomable pronunciations to deal with.

As may have been noticed, the pronunciation of Japanese is virtually the same as that of Hawaiian, and practically the same as Spanish. If you can say ah, ee, uu, eh, oh and unn you can learn to pronounce Japanese in just a few minutes.

The famous Japanese farewell, sayonara, is therefore pronounced sah-yoh-nah-rah. And that weird word karaoke (which literally means empty orchestra) is pronounced kah-rah-oh-kay, not kerry-oh-kee!

Knowing just a few Japanese expressions can make a visit to Japan a lot more pleasant. Here are some examples (if you want to learn more, Japanese phrase books are available in leading bookstores and from online book dealers):

Good morning
Ohayo gozaimasu (Oh-hah-yoh go-zigh-mahss) / until about 10:30 or 11 a.m.

Good day or good afternoon
Konnichi wa (Kone-nee-chee wah) / from about 11 a.m. to around dusk

Good evening
Komban wa (Kome-bahn wah) / from nightfall on

Thank you very much
Domo arigato gozaimasu (Doh-moe ah-ree-gah-toe go-zigh-mahss)

Don’t mention it
Doitashimashite (Doe-ee-tah-she-mahssh-tay)

How are you?
O’genki desu ka? (Oh-gane-kee dess kah?)

I’m fine
Genki desu (Gane-kee dess)

How much is it?
Ikura desu ka? (Ee-kuu-rah dess kah?)

What time is it?
Nanji desu ka? (Nahn-jee dess kah?)

Let’s eat!
Tabemasho! (Tah-bay-mah-shoh!)

Let’s go!
Ikimasho! (Ee-kee-mah-shoh!)

For a complete home-course in Japanese, see my SPEAK JAPANESE TODAY, available from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
______________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business, first published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.