Japan is more than simply sushis, gadgets and geishas 

A few days before Christmas, I landed in Tokyo. Winter had just set in and unlike north India, it meant that the days were sunny and the nights nippy. If you travel to Tokyo in January and do not happen to be a big fan of chill, pack extra woollies. I have been told that it gets cold. This was my second, longer trip to Japan to film a TV programme—yes, I do seem to have some lucky stars—called Vintage Traveller. With a host, a crew and yours truly, our team was on a quest for all things medieval; artefacts and antiques. Tokyo was the one city on our travel map that I was looking forward to the most. There are two aspects of Japan that I enjoy experiencing—its streets and people. On my first visit, I realised that Tokyo’s sense of pragmatism and functionality reverberates across its architecture. It did remind me of Nehru Place (Delhi) a bit. Those unfamiliar with Delhi’s super-busy electronic goods area, it is where the city shops for its latest gadgets. There is an aura of nononsense across Tokyo, both admirable and intimidating. A greater part of the city was bombed out during the Second World War. Newer structures stand testament to the country’s romance with functionality married in small spaces. As one would imagine, you can see every sort of automation in Japan. However, unlike Asian mega-cities, technology is not flaunted in your face. In Japan, my land of contradictions, there is a twist to every tale. For a nation so in love with functionality, there is a whole culture of the ‘cute’ (kawaii). From police mascots to shop and subway signs, Japan has made everything cuter. As some Japanese people pointed out, the culture of kawaii is often about making taboo items easier to process. As for my favourite bit—the people—Japan really offers the whole gamut. Its citizens are a polite bunch; helpful, bound by traditions, and sometimes quite conservative. Perhaps, it is this side to the civil society which leads to its more eclectic or outlandish ways—perfectly-professional adults walking the streets dressed up as their favourite Manga or Anime character. If you can keep the bizarre aside, there is a profound sense of discipline among the Japanese that Indians could learn a thing or two from. For example loud telephonic conversations are considered rude in subways. Even during rush, commuters manage to maintain a silence which India cannot dream of. It can be a fair challenge to get around on one’s own in Tokyo without knowing Japanese. Though there are more English signboards these days, a majority of the population does not speak English. However, most make an effort. That is Japan for you—cool people. Take Mr Saito for instance. During our hunt for everything vintage, we met this collector of nohintos (Samurai swords). An affable man, Mr Saito was nowhere as dangerous as the swords that he collected. My trip threw up a motley crew—a collector of Godzilla figures. The iconic status of Godzilla underlines the fact that Hiroshima and Nagasaki incidents still resonate in the nation’s psyche. For those rare few who are not familiar with the figure; Godzilla is a creature ‘burdened’ with extraordinary powers after getting exposed to a nuclear explosion. There are hundreds of Godzillas on sale at most shops. I may not have found them particularly attractive, but they do sell for a fortune. That’s Japan for you; obsessed with its cartooning tradition. Take Nakano Broadway for instance. It is a mall dedicated to Manga and Anime cartoons. If you believe that reading graphic novels or cartoons is silly and dressing up as them even more so; Japan would be a cultural shock. Look beyond the obvious, there are more layers. It is a land where the traditional co-habits with the postmodern; and Australian geishas walk the streets.