Ready for Your Next Great Travel Adventure?
To help get you started, and to set the scene, below are descriptions from my books of some of the world’s most amazing destinations. These clips are to help you learn about the location, prep for your travels and drive up your excitement about a specific place.
Tokyo
The jam-packed skyscrapers of Tokyo, Japan emerged into view as we descended into the rapacious motion of the Roppongi district. The area of gigantic intersections was encircled by glass and steel towers, neon lights and rapid humanity blinking life and flashing by like millions of fireflies. The economic miracle from the ruins of World War II reflected both a culture devoted to compliance and order and a world committed to eliminating the origins of war. Ancient ritual tea ceremonies stood preserved alongside lightening fast bullet trains. The culture of wealth operated through consensus and a patience bordering on the acceptance of inertia. In the streets, a distinguished politeness buoyed a deft of street movement that unsettled more risk adverse souls. The pace was purposeful but not intrusive. And within the pounding acceptance of a post-industrial life, they also did worship here…
“This is an interesting destination,” I remarked as we began to walk past the nightclubs, bars and restaurants towards the center of the city…Tokyo is a marvel, modern ingenuity and ancient remembrance but let’s go capture a little of the peace, maybe on the plaza of the Imperial Palace or in one of the beautiful garden parks…
…later within the grounds of Kōkoku-in Temple [we came] to stand before the Great Buddha statue, Daibutsu, in Kamakura, 32 miles south of Tokyo. The nearly 50 foot high, 100 ton bronze work of art had been sitting in faithful contemplation for almost 800 years. A stunning reminder of the deep faith and ritual that defined this culture before the gas-sipping cars and electronic gadgets overwhelmed it. The temple building was backdropped by slight hills, the trees cutaway to open up the space to a concrete plaza leading to the stone base where Amida Buddha sat head bowed, legs crossed in the lotus position…
– Describing Tokyo, Japan in Walking with J by Karsten Quarters
Place: State of Japan, an ancient people in the most modern of settings at the top of Northeast Asia, islands sharing only water borders with its neighbors
Visited: Twice
Most Recent Visit: TBD probably 2000s
Original sites: Manageable
Familiarity: Medium: be aware of your gestures and manners
English usage: Rare: signage in major transportation hubs is usually also in English
Surprise: The quirky areas where pink-haired teenagers play loud music in the streets, and dress code rebels sport bright colors and holes in their clothes.
For Rising Entrepreneurs Expanding to Global Markets: An advanced global economy with unique cultural and language differences that typically challenge intrepid entrepreneurs. Stay with the difficulties to reap the reward of being singular in your own industry.
Country Details: U.N. Country Data Stats for Japan
Reading Recommendations (click the book cover to learn more)
For fiction, I recommend the delightful, reaching and totally engrossing novels of Haruki Murakami.
Want more details about visiting Japan: contactcase(at)readyentrepreneur(dot)com
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