Japan

The Place

Although Japan derives most of its culture from its Asian neighbours and most of its modernity from the West, the Japanese continue to cultivate a self-image of an almost divine uniqueness. The Japanese repeatedly refer to Japanese things - including themselves - as "special" or "unique" and thus beyond an outsider's understanding.

Japan is special, of course. It has become the world's second-strongest economy while evenly - and in comparison with most of the world, uniquely - distributing a growing wealth and generating no significant poorer class. Having done so, it has made itself into a uniquely expensive place. Yet while Japan radiates an international image of sophistication and efficiency, the home country can be oddly behind the times in everyday matters taken for granted in the West.

The traveller will inevitably compare Japan with the West when confronted with the obvious examples of suits and ties on Japan's sarariman - the "salary man" or white-collar worker - and the proliferation of fast-food franchises nearly everywhere. The near-cult status of Western pop icons can lull the outsider into believing that East has met West. (Even the Japanese language, as different as it is, uses many English loan words, an estimated 10 percent of all words used in daily conversation.)