What a pleasant surprise it was to discover that part of our annual family holiday was to be spent in Japan! I had always been curious about the Land of the Rising Sun -- the land of samurais and shoguns.  

My little sister was excited too at the prospect of meeting the mermaid at Disney Sea.

Japan has come a long way since the time of the shoguns -- the country’s legendary military commanders. It is now one of the most modern nations in the world, and boasts a great civilisation. Although Japan is a small country, consisting of a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, it has a large population of around 127 million. Because of the relative scarcity of land, the Japanese try very hard to make the best use of space. 

Japan is the land of technological innovation. The Japanese are famous for their skill in adapting technological ideas and making appropriate changes to develop technical effectiveness. Toyota is one of the most successful car manufacturers in the world. Japan is also a fascinating mix of the ancient and traditional and the modern and funky! There are cities and towns like Kyoto -- the ancient capital of Japan -- which are not only windows to Japanese history but also combine the charm of old Japan. Then there are the exciting Disney Land and Disney Sea, which are marvellous slices of the modern, techno-savvy Japan. 

In Kyoto we were dazzled by the beautiful palaces that the Japanese built. One famous palace is Nijo palace that was built as the residence of a great shogun general. It has a beautiful fortification wall made out of enormous blocks of stone, and is surrounded by a deep moat which once upon a time had crocodiles and other aquatic animals in it. The wooden gate in a metal frame, complete with spikes, looks strong even today!

The stone-and-wood palaces are constructed with a lot of care and attention to detail. In one, the floor is made from a particular wood that creaks when somebody walks on it. This was done so that the emperor could be warned if someone tried to creep in! The floor is called the ‘Nightingale floor’. The palaces have many paintings in them, a lot of them on the theme of nature. Interestingly, in an effort to save space, many palaces feature small square wells instead of big round ones!

Kyoto is also home to some magnificent Zen gardens. These gardens are designed to make the best use of natural beauty. In fact they are so well laid out that the trees are set at a particular angle and plants in a particular design. The rocks too are part of the overall design of the garden and are placed in certain shapes and angles, although to a casual visitor they may appear to be just a random pile of stones. This idea may have been inspired by the Zen belief that everything in nature is perfect and forms a part of the whole design of the universe. Whatever the philosophy, the end result is an exceptionally beautiful garden.

From Kyoto to Disney Land is indeed a jump in time and technology. Board a super-fast bullet train and you can be at the Disney resort in less than three hours! 

The amazing Disney resort in Tokyo is a masterpiece dedicated to colours and characters that make life lighter. Pinocchio, Chip ‘n’ Dale, Ali Baba -- all come alive here. The place is filled with adventure and fun. Feeling hungry? Pop in at one of the many restaurants and be served a delicious array of food. If you want a small memento of your once-in-a-lifetime visit to Disney, there’s a souvenir shop selling anything from a small cup to a long toy sword. And your favourite Disney toons are there waiting to have their pictures taken with you -- especially mermaid who has a photo booth. There are also games, dazzling merry-go-rounds, space adventures, arcades, very scary roller-coasters, and some horrible haunted houses!

A special Disney train takes you to Disney Sea. Instead of buying a ticket everywhere you go, get a one-day passport. In fact, the Disney resort is so huge it could take you three whole days to explore all of it. So check into one of the hotels in the resort.

My trip was just a taste of a slice of Japan. There are many more interesting places waiting to be discovered…

(Vineet John is a Class VI student at the Bangkok Patana International School) 

InfoChange News & Features, September 2008