A Taste Of Japan

One of the safest, cleanest and most interesting places in the world to visit.

- Val Mohr

Flying to Tokyo with Japan Airlines was a greatway to get in the mood for my upcoming visit to a very interesting country. The air-line’s crew was tremendous and their service was second to none, which seemed to set the tone for the complete tour.

I have seen and enjoyed many countries in my lifetime so far, but Japan has to be one of the cleanest and safest places that I have experienced. Litter, it seems, is nowhere to be found, and on many of the streets, smoking is only allowed at the corners, where ashtrays are provided. The people of Japan are so obliging and friendly, and are a real pleasure to be with. The country has lots of history and, if you were to spend less than a month there, you would not even come close to seeing it all.

The first thing we learned is not to tip in Japan, as it’s considered an insult by people providing services. But what really struck us was how much there was to see! Although we did not rank an invitation for tea inside the Imperial Palace, we did tour it from the outside and were smitten. While in Tokyo, we saw freeways that rose to a height of seven stories. During a visit to Kotoku-in, we viewed the second largest bronze image in Japan—the statue commonly known as the Great Buddha of Kamakura, or the Kamakura Daibutsu. Absolutely awe-inspiring!