The Japan you should know

Granddaughter of Japanese immigrants, singer Fernanda Takai, leader of the band Pato Fu, visited her ancestors' country for the first time in 2005. She later returned and even recorded some songs inspired by its culture. More recently, I came across a travel recommendation she made while reading some travel magazine. Fernanda said that Japan is a destination that offers travelers a new perspective, another way of looking at the world. And that's exactly what I felt during my two visits to the land of the rising sun: the first in 2008 and the most recent in August of last year. Visiting Japan is much more than simply going in search of images to capture and keep in souvenir albums – which Japan, the land of cheap and powerful cameras, also offers in great abundance. The strongest memory anyone can bring back from Japan is the opening of a new field of vision. Not for the outside world, but for the inner world.

In recent days, since the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated the northeastern region of the country, thousands of images have circulated around the world. Scenes of merciless destruction, but which brought one certainty: that Japan will know how to rebuild. Kobe is now a more beautiful and safer city than before the 1995 earthquake. And one of the most discussed topics in the world after last week's catastrophe was the impressive display of civility by the Japanese people. In the affected cities, there were no price increases or acute supply crises. This is because each citizen adhered to the consumption quotas determined by public authorities. Japan is a country where no one tries to take advantage of their neighbor. The so-called "Gerson's Law" would never be understood there.

Order, discipline, and a sense of community are concepts that immediately strike you upon arrival. After all, how could 130 million people occupy such a small territorial space? On a Shinkansen trip, the Japanese bullet train, from Tokyo to Osaka, what most impresses the traveler looking at the landscape through the window is the absence of unused agricultural land. Every piece of land is also a small rice paddy – and Japan is a country anchored in smallholdings, which means that the idea of ​​equality permeates the entire society. The wage differences in companies, between the worker and the company owner, are the smallest in the world. And company presidents also sweep the sidewalks in front of their houses.

For those arriving in Japan contaminated by all the vices of Western culture, such as blind individualism, selfishness, and excessive competition, the feeling is like landing on another planet. An environment where harmony reigns. And where kindness is absolutely spontaneous and genuine. On the bullet train, whoever enters to collect tickets or even trash from the carriages first asks permission with a smile and bows to the passengers. Bowing, in fact, is an almost obligatory gesture. In restaurants, food is served like small works of art – in some cases, sushi is offered in small drawers, miniature porcelain cabinets. In taxis, drivers wear gloves and there is always a white cloth, always pristine, for customers to sit on. In any shop, the greeting "Irashaimassê" (welcome) is mandatory. From popular shops to the world's most expensive boutiques, featuring brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Hermès, on Ginza Avenue in Tokyo.

In Japan, everything is art. Every gesture, every attitude, every task. And it is also the expression of an individual's soul. Something striking in Japan is the care for nature and green spaces, which are far more abundant than one might suppose. Pruning a tree is an artistic expression. And if Brazil is the lung of the world, Japan is its garden. Cooking a dish is also a refined art. And it is no coincidence that the Japanese today have the largest number of three-star restaurants (the highest rating) in the Michelin Guide. All of this translates into the word "makoto," a state of material-spiritual connection, in which the human being, devoid of ego, dedicates body and soul to what they produce.

A trip to Japan transports us to another stage of civilization. But also to a world of rich natural landscapes and rare beauty. Kyoto has some of the most beautiful Buddhist temples in the world and is a World Heritage Site. Kinkakuji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, is one of the most harmonious constructions ever made by man. And Hiroshima, at a time when the nuclear specter is once again haunting the planet, is also a must-see. Ringing the peace bell right next to where the atomic bomb fell, where children now play, produces a feeling that cannot be put into words. Children, it should be said, passionate about Brazilian football.

Aside from that, Japan is also a completely picturesque country, full of vibrant colors, where young people seem like characters straight out of manga. Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese Walt Disney, creator of classics like "Spirited Away," found abundant raw material in the streets of Tokyo and Osaka. And this world also captivated the singer Fernanda Takai. One of her favorite bands is Pizzicato Five (check it out). this video (On YouTube, it's worth it). Travel to the other side of the world. Japan surprises, moves, and transforms anyone willing to open themselves to a new perspective.