HAPPY FISH DREAM AQUARIUM SKIN

You will see as many Shinto shrines with bright orange torii gates as Buddhist temples with their Zen sanmon gates. In the 21st century, as we are dealing with conflicts over religion, it is commendable that Shintoism and Buddhism not only co-exist in Japan but a good majority of Japanese practice both. Yes, I am too proud to accept that people are not interested in me. This complete lack of curiosity from the locals towards an “alien” like me was surprising, shocking, and truth be told, a little offensive. You will have total strangers coming over offering to help if needed but at the same time, you do not see subway commuters make eye contact with any strangers much less engage in small talk. Japanese are extremely polite and helpful, but also very formal, private, and socially a little awkward, and that is not just with eating. Later, I learned from the locals that you can save your face by sticking your face close to the bowl as you do your business of noodle slurping. Oh, I forgot to mention, I enjoyed noodles, udon, and ramen, whenever I could find them served in friendly broths, but fishing those noodles from warm bowls of broth with chopsticks, a feat as performed by me, may have looked awkward, uncivilized, and anti-social and may have shocked some unsuspecting passersby. I wondered if that was because of all the noisy slurping one has to resort to to suck in those noodles. In fact, the Japanese diet is supposed to be good for your heart health and to maintain a healthy body weight (which is apparent as you hardly see any overweight people in Japan).Īt Dotonbori, a bustling tourist attraction in Osaka.Įating is also a private matter and you see most restaurants with bar-style seating or personal spaces with partitions, especially in metro areas. Let’s just say I had a difficult time with food but I know it’s me, not them. Seafood menus include many more options than the usual fish, shrimp, and crab, and to me were more like exhibits at an aquarium. Chicken dishes come with pork meat, pork broth, or seafood paste as a base, and my vegetarian options were boiled tofu, fermented miso, seaweed as a seasoning, many interesting-looking mushrooms, and matcha, their green tea which is pure chlorophyll, all difficult choices for my palate, and sometimes my other senses. Much to my surprise and frustration, I learned I may never get there in Japan.

The struggle with our first meal, I thought, was because of a learning curve.

HAPPY FISH DREAM AQUARIUM SKIN

Japanese people have glowing, acne-free skin because of low consumption of dairy but for bone growth in children and for prevention of osteoporosis in older women, it is recommended that they add more dairy, the necessary evil, to their diet. Other than the occasional softserve, you don’t see dairy as an option, and even their lattes are watered down with very little milk. Most Japanese people are lactose intolerant even today as dairy was not in the Japanese traditional diet.

The delicate art of calligraphy which is still alive today is in strong contrast with the so-in-your-face technology and advertising done in bold colors, font, and music.īarrels of Sake at Meiji Jingu Shinto shrine. We visited as many temples and shrines as anime stores and entertainment hubs with dozens of characters. You will see that old traditions such as the Japanese bow are very much in use today (can I link that to their fitness?), but you will be surprised that freedom of expression is shown in the Harajuku style of dressing (saw some real-life Barbies). Tradition and trends are equally important, anime is as vital as religion, and beauty and technology coexist. The Japanese natural inclination is towards efficiency, discipline, beauty, precision, and tradition, in some order, however, opposites or extremes in each category not only co-exist but are mutually sustaining. One rude awakening for us was that our two-dimensional GPS system was pretty much useless when we were underground. However, decoding their different lines, routes, floors, underground streets, and malls is no small feat for visitors. Otherwise, at nearly 40 million people, the greater Tokyo region would be impossible to live in. In fact, most commute happens below the surface, that too in several layers, keeping their roadways congestion-free. Japan’s subway system is so efficient and punctual that we always end up showing up early to our activities.

My 16-year-old son who was the main reason for us to take this trip to Japan not only rose promptly every day but also guided us through the web of subways and underground streets and malls. The Land of the Rising Sun also turned out to be the land of the rising “son” in our case.

Happy fish dream aquarium