My one week of bliss and what I learnt in Japan that is altering the way I think :
I rarely write a Travel blog though to think of it, it’s not a bad idea for the amount I’ve been globetrotting recently
Japan gets a 10/10 from me – for truly
Living a Life by Design
While India had all it in its essence
We as people I feel have lost it over time
But something about Japan has just brought peace and harmony into my being
Meditating with the monks
Eating vegan meals
Visiting so many shrines
Practising daily rituals of good habits
I went expecting nothing believing this trip will be a tick on my travel list to the many countries I want to visit in my lifetime
But to see a culture this modern and yet this traditional was an eye opener
In India you can either be modern or traditional
Not both so I loved the And
Even religions they have two
But you don’t have to belong to one or the other
Again you can use And and believe in both
Shintoism and Buddhism
The five things that bowled me over were :

  1. Cleanliness is godliness :
    they are obsessed and I loved it, it was exag to the point where they are no dustbins anywhere
    The trains the parks the streets are spotless
    Swatch Bharat suddenly makes so much more sense
    I have always believed your surroundings are reflection of your mind
    So if u see clutter – clean up
    And your mind will feel so much clearer
    Suddenly the channel for ideas and decision making will flow
    Very imp for me currently as I move into my new house I’m planning to only take 1/3 of my stuff ….. as I’m so inspired by the Japanese
    It’s all has to go ….. I have to let it go
    Only that that gives me joy will go with me to the new house
  2. Worshipping nature (literally being used as therapy):
    parks everywhere
    Ikebana and bonsai being art forms
    There religion itself is all about loving nature
    How can the world be out of balance when nature becomes your god
    Forest bathing / celebrating nature / calming your cells are all things we living in concrete jungles have forgotten.
    So glad my architect has given my house so many green pockets and trees
    I am going to add a prayer for the greenery of my house and make one of the trees sacred to pray to remind myself god is nature and nature is god
  3. The degree of Punctuality :
    How can a country be this time bound
    I don’t even consider 5 mins a delay
    Then how are they calculating / calling their trains to be averaging at 18 seconds to 30 sec delay as delays
    That’s not even a delay in my head
    I’m not a deadlines kind of girl
    So truly a big lesson for me to respect order and time in my own life and in the lives of others around me
    In Japan being on time means being 5 mins early or else you are late
  4. Culture of Respect and Politeness
    Towards everything and everyone :
    Was amazing to watch being bowed to by the train conductor as he leaves the cabin on the Shinkansen was so humbling
    To be greeted in every store with a big smile
    And to generally see an invisible sign on every Japanese wanting to help was just so beautiful to me
    I truly believe they’ve got it right in their schools
    To always prioritise group over individual interest
    And to respect the whole vs me
    Was just so wonderful
    Making me think how in my house I can bring this form of thought
  5. Importance of Rituals :
    You become what you practise
    Kimono passport- discount in every shop in Kyoto if you are in your traditional costume
    Love for their Geisha ‘s – these are highly respected women know more for their abilities to entertain through dance and music rather than their bodies
    Not entering their homes with shoes on
    Something we do a lot even in Chennai
    Bowing to one and all no class difference
    Never being fired – Japanese people never fire
    They help you
    Allowed to sleep on your job- as you ve worked so hard you are tired
    To always expect the best from everyone rather doubt everyone ‘s intentions is so much better for a community as a whole
    Every country every place has an energy
    And I really hope I’ve absorbed this energy for a lil bit Japan in me -will def help me become a better human being
    This is why I call myself a gypsy
    For the ultimate aim of my life
    Is to be an open wanderer
    Travelling for me is therapeutic
    It’s my coach
    For it awakens
    Parts in me I didn’t know I had
    And introduces me to me.