JAPAN (Asia)

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Cherry blossoms and rock gardens, chrysanthemums and bonsai, microchips and mega industries, kimonos and kabuki, geishas and samurais, haiku and hara-kiri, Japan presents the visitor with a study in contrasts. It can be very modern with concrete jungles like Tokyo- or it can present an enchanting, typically Japanese picture of settlements like Kyoto, with its myriad gardens and temples. It can wear the serenity of Mt. Fuji or scramble with the rush hour traffic of downtown Tokyo.

The nation of Japan consists of an island archipelago stretching from northeast to southwest off the coast of mainland China and Korea, separated from its Asian neighbours by the Sea of Japan. Between 1639 and 1859 Japan elected to cut itself off from trade or traffic with the rest of the world, except for some marginal contact through the southern Kyushu island ports. Since opening up its doors once more, just 150 years ago, the densely populated islands have developed in leaps and bounds and much of the country is now covered by sprawling neon-lit cities and the world's most sophisticated public transport networks.

Modern it may be, but Japan still retains plenty of its mystical oriental charm. From the etiquette demanded in social situations, to the minimalist décor behind rice paper screens, Japanese culture is alive and well and cannot be ignored, which makes a visit to Japan a fascinating experience.

The modern metropolises are dotted with a myriad of ancient shrines and temples; the countryside is riddled with hundreds of volcanoes and hot springs overlooking pastoral paddy fields; parks are festooned with rigidly raked white gravel Zen gardens or coated with layers of lilac and cherry blossom.

Japan's islands are mountainous in the interior - 75 percent of the country's landmass is made up of mountains - and most of the people are tightly packed within the limitations of the coastal plains, particularly on the main island of Honshu. Tokyo, the capital and largest city, situated on Honshu's east coast, has a population of 12 million. Despite this seething mass of humanity Japan is well ordered. Everything runs on time, and crime levels are almost non-existent. It is still possible to find beautiful vistas and wide empty spaces in the countryside, and when you are forced to mingle with the urban throngs you will find the Japanese to be charming, courteous and friendly to foreign faces.

In between lies a whole host of cities and towns, some with historical associations, like the legendary port of Yokohama, much celebrated in fiction; and some associated with everlasting human tragedies. But there is one thing all of Japan has in common, and that is an unfailing sense of tradition and culture. No matter how modern, how technologically advanced the Japanese might become, there is always an affinity for tradition: and this is reflected in every aspect of their lives. Under the steel and the concrete lies Nippon- with its temples, its gardens, its streets and its teahouses: very traditional, very Japanese.

Japan is a bit awesome for many foreigners- there's something very strait-laced and very regimental about the Japanese, or so it would appear, to a casual observer and the country as such is so perfect- efficient, clean, beautiful- that it can be a little intimidating- if you don't dig any further. The image Japan has acquired over the years is of a country where dignity, honour and hard work are ethics so part of life that they have become bywords for the country and its people.

But scratch the surface. And you'll find a land that is extremely beautiful, where values, morals and good manners are prized but faux pas are tolerated, a people who can be very hospitable and very warm, once you come to know them. And, as a tourist, you should, if you really want to get to the core of Japan, try to get to know its people- their culture, their customs, their ability to be very traditional and yet very, very contemporary.