For Those Wander-lustful Souls: The 7 Reasons Why Everyone Must Travel to Japan

Everyone  is "wander-lustful," craving the excitement and adventure of travelling to an unknown place and trying new and unknown things. In today's advanced technological society, people can wake up one morning and decide to go on a trip, and just a few clicks on a mouse can get them on the next flight to whatever country they desire. Although there are so many options of places to visit, I am convinced that Japan is the best destination for travel. Last summer, I was privileged to spend two weeks touring Japan with my youth symphony. The experience changed my life. I returned convinced that everyone else must travel to Japan and share in this amazing, transforming experience.

These are the 7 best reasons I have to convince others why they must travel to Japan:

1. The 14-hour flight is relatively painless with terrific service.

(www.gopixpic.com)

The 14-hour flight is a major deterrent for anyone considering a trip to Japan. However, Singapore Airlines puts its passengers at ease from the moment they step on the plane. Singapore Airlines, which conducts many flights from Los Angeles to Tokyo, hires flight attendants that show true care for serving passengers. I was impressed by the nice clothing and constant smiles the flight attendants displayed. They were always quick to make sure we were comfortable during our flight. The airline also provided goods such as blankets, pillows, televisions with plenty of free movies, and freshly-steamed towels to rub your hands or cool your face. Any flight can seem to drag on forever, but the long flight was quite bearable with the excellent service and comfort provided by Singapore Airlines. 

2. You'll do things you never thought you would.

(Japanese bathroom picture: en.wikipedia.org)

One aspect of travelling to a new country is doing things you never dreamed of doing. Many parts of Japanese culture are different than American culture, including toilets. In America, a toilet has one knob that is pushed down to flush after use. Japanese toilets are much more complex, including seat warmers,lids that move up and down via motion activation, and remote controls with bidet functions. Even though bidets can be unsettling, your butt will never be cleaner after using one of these! Another aspect of Japanese culture that shocks Americans is communal bathing. In Japan, people strip and shower sitting next to each other in adjacent stalls. Once they have sufficiently soaped and cleaned their bodies, they join together (NAKED) in a hot tub as a way of relaxing after bathing. Bathing naked next to other naked people at first made me extremely uncomfortable, until I realized that bathing was a way of communing in Japan that maintained tradition. Other aspects of culture I participated in included weaving and making chopsticks.

3. You'll try new foods, and some of them will actually taste good!

The best part of travelling to a new country is trying new food. Although I had already eaten Japanese food in America, the food in Japan was much more authentic. The fish in the sushi was always fresh, and many of the meats I sampled came right from Japan. Even though you may think you have tried sushi before, you never actually experience eating sushi until you eat it in Japan. In the picture directly above, the platter included sushi with fish eggs. Other "crazy" foods I got to try included cow tongue, cow intestines, raw octopus, and yellow kiwi. Trying new foods gave me the opportunity to participate in a culture quite different than my own.

4. The children are adorable. 

The children in Japan stole my heart. The child in the top picture belonged to my first host family in Wajima, Japan. She is  proudly displaying a V-sign with her fingers, one of the best-known aspects of Japanese culture. This V-sign, which began as a sign opposing the Vietnamese War, is now displayed by many Japanese people in pictures to express peace. This expression of peace symbolizes the happiness and optimism I met when interacting with Japanese children. Even though the language barrier prevented me from fully understanding the children, they were still incredibly kind and welcoming to me. Yoora, displayed in the picture on the left, spent hours in my room trying to play even though we both were unable to understand each other. Japanese children, unlike American children, are often happy and optimistic. They do not care if you are a different color or race; they just want to be your friend. This unbiased optimism left a mark on my heart.

5. The culture is rich. 

Japan is rich in culture and extremely proud of its heritage. As a tourist, I visited many popular sites in Japan. Unlike American tourist attractions, such as water parks or "world's biggests," the attractions in Japan held wisdom and insight into Japan's past. I visited many Shinto shrines like the one displayed in the top picture. It is easy to appreciate Japan's respect for its religious roots. My homestay families, while showing us the shrines, always stopped to pray. Although the shrines are tourist attractions, they are also treated with respect. I was also privileged to attend "noh" plays, musical dramas that Japanese actors and actresses still perform since the 14th century. Finally, I was exposed to the modesty of Japanese culture through kimono fashion shows. Japan shows pride in its past and respect for traditions carried out even to this day.  

6. The scenery is breathtaking.

It is hard to express the true beauty of Japan in simple words. The pictures really say it all. Japan has breathtaking views of the ocean, along with many beautiful rose gardens and, of course, the volcano Mount Fuji. I was privileged to travel to Japan in the summer, but I am confident that Japan's scenery would take anyone's breath away any day of the year. 

7. The people are welcoming. 

Americans often meet people of different color or ethnicity with hesitance. In Japan, I was met with open arms and excitement. My youth symphony performed many concerts at high schools. The high school students were always extremely excited to welcome us and get to know us. They studiously practiced speaking English in order to talk with us and spent time teaching us many of their favorite activities, such as calligraphy. My host families were also incredibly welcoming and hospitable. They provided us with extravagant meals and ensured that their homes felt like our own homes. I ended all of my stays with them with tears in my eyes and a bigger heart. The Japanese people are unconditionally welcoming and kind to all visitors. 

Everyone must travel to Japan. The experience changed my life and taught me the importance of treasuring my heritage and being hospitable to others. If you want to take a trip and cannot decide where to go, pick Japan. It will change your life and soothe your wander-lustful soul. 

Can you work too hard?

If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me in the last month why I wear a wrist brace, I would not have to worry about affording college anymore.

Injuries are common on high school and college campuses, where students can easily get injured from automobile wrecks, sports accidents, or reckless behavior. My story is a bit different. I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel last year. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when too much pressure is placed on the median nerve, the nerve in the wrist that allows feeling and movement in the hand. I have carpal tunnel syndrome because I use my wrist too much. I practice clarinet and piano so much that the pressure builds up on my nerve and I start experiencing tingling sensations and numbing pain.

I never want sympathy from people when they see my wrist brace. I am not a "trouper." Rather, I am a victim of a society that pushes people beyond their limits. I do not have carpal tunnel syndrome because of natural causes. I have carpal tunnel syndrome because I constantly feel the pressure to be a better musician.

I am not the only musician who feels this pressure. Many young musicians suffer from tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome, the result of overplaying or playing while under excessive pressure. But I should not claim that only musicians suffer from these injuries. I do not think I have met a single young athlete that has not been injured at some point in his/her career. Some of these injuries are of course accidental, but what about the injuries that result from pushing themselves too hard toward greatness?

It is great that society wants our generation to be a successful one. We need to keep pushing ourselves beyond what we thought possible. But, have we gone too far? In society's quest to produce successful people, it has worked its people too hard.

Now that I am in college, I feel this pressure even more than before. I "need" to take lessons on both of my instruments. I "need" to practice two hours each day. I "need" to be in band and orchestra. Not to mention the constant push by my parents to try to get to the top of the clarinet section.

Would it be so terrible if I practiced just an hour less each day, or if I was only in one ensemble?  Would it be so terrible if young athletes and musicians worked hard, but just not too hard? Society would be even more successful if it didn't push its citizens beyond their natural limits.

I envision my peers being successful without health and stress problems. I see my generation achieving great things without falling victim to the unreasonable demands and pressures of society. I am not an unrealistic dreamer. My generation can be great without working "too hard."