Japan (December 2017)
Without a doubt, the best part of our vacations have been the people we’ve spent time with - often guides. We’ve had some bad ones that made us shy away from them - you know, where you wish they would just stop talking - where you feel like they are preparing you for a test - and where asking questions seems like an invitation to another lecture? On recent trips, we had some great ones that have changed our minds ... we appreciate when a guide has deep knowledge and love of their history and culture but offers it in layers to be sure its useful ... and allow you to probe deeper where you’re interested.
Ayumi was our guide to food traditions of Kyoto and she was awesome! She took us through back streets and alleyways to reveal shops making and selling fresh tofu (starts every morning at 3am, closes when production is sold), soy sauce, miso, sake, green tea, and sweets. Every one of these businesses charts it’s history as far back as late 17th century and have been passed through generations. Some of the shops included private museums to teach the development of their craft and showcase their accomplishments along the way. These photos were taken at the sweets shop - and show sculptures made from sugar that are beyond lifelike. (Photos not allowed ... rule breaker! ... photo quality not up to snuff)
That’s what we hired her for and she hit the ball out of the park. Home run. But the best part were the insights into Japanese culture that put what we saw into context.
Japanese are deeply proud and protective of their culture - and this culture builds in mechanisms to show respect to each other and for themselves. I wrote about this during my June trip - and remember seeing the gardeners at the Hiroshima park wearing uniforms that express their care and professionalism in their work.
It was also evident during this trip when we get into a cab with a driver wearing a suit, often wearing white gloves, and seats covered in lace. One company honors its best drivers ( top four of 1400) with a four leaf clover on their roof (we actually saw one but no photo!)
And the tradition is so well known that it is considered good luck in Kyoto to catch a ride in one of these taxis
Back to Ayumi, our amazing guide. Bari and I were curious to understand the history and traditions behind Geisha - and how it related to our own sensibilities about gender equality.
Geisha started as a marketing ploy ... the original district is adjacent to the dense concentration of temples and was designed to attract visitors to restaurants. That the attraction are women dressed in kimono, with fancy hair and makeup, and “trained” on dance, music and conversation seems odd to us - but fits within accepted cultural norms in Japan.
She admitted that many women who became Geisha lacked opportunity for other jobs and careers - and even acknowledged that the practice is somewhat backward and antiquated. But she always maintained respect for its tradition - and for the women who were involved.
Gender roles came up again during a conversation about artificial intelligence. She explained that AI technology holds promise to address serious demographic problems threatening Japan’s economic future. Low birth rates have led to a shrinking work force.
Potential solutions include loosening immigration policy (nope) and expanding roles for women in workforce (progress is slow, counter cultural).
What was really interesting was the different perceptions about AI and workforce. What looks like a solution in Japan is feared as a huge problem of labor in our country. All rooted in culture. Very cool!
A few other observations about the first couple days
Japanese are generally shorter than Americans ... this leads to difficulty for me looking in a mirror - but delight for Bari finally being able to hold on to the handle on the subway
Being on time matters ... but has its own quirks. We were warned at one (Michelin Star) restaurant to be on time. We arrived 10 minutes early but were asked to wait outside in the cold. While this was annoying, we were amazed that the entire restaurant (just 10 guests) turned within 5min and we were seated exactly at 8pm as promised.
No witty ending because we're barely halfway through the trip. Will add more observations and fun memories in a couple days!
lnk