Japan: an enigma

Japan is such an enigma and it is one of the most fascinating places I have ever been to. Japanese people are so conservative and traditional in some respects such as in relation to the family hierarchy and the roles of men and women. Yet, at the same time, people are expected to bathe in public, and they have specific 'love hotels' and groping is recognised through women-only carriages in some Japanese trains. That really is contrast.

Tokyo certainly made a strong impression on me. For a city with a population of 12 million people, I never felt more alone than in Tokyo. Despite being surrounded by so many people all the time, people in Tokyo don't seem to speak to each other or socialize very much. Everyone either works very late every night, or they stare at their high tech gadget phones, or otherwise they sleep. A lot. Combining this lack of social interaction with the glitzy, outspoken commercial lights of the city, it reminded me of Brave New World.

Contrast this to the Shirakawa-go region up in the mountains where I stayed in a Gassho-style house in Ainokura, or the little merchant town, Takayama. These quaint historical towns were completely different to the big cities of Japan, yet were also so intriguing and so beautiful in their own ways.

So here are some photos that highlight the different sides of Japanese culture, and plays on colour, lighting and perspective.