Introduction
The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
-St. Augustine
Traveling is one of the greatest learning experiences. We travel to learn about other cultures: the people, their religion, food, traditions, and customs. We travel to be awe-inspired by majestic landscapes: from the mountains to the oceans and the valleys in between them. We travel to open our senses to the world view—to the panoramic perspective that we are often insulated from in the United States. We travel to enrich our personal growth by gaining wisdom, learning a new skill, or simply making a connection with another human being.
Traveling has taken us Lombardi Scholars across the westernized globe. We have explored the Mayan lands of Mexico and have been immersed in the glory that was Greece. Never before have we abandoned our westernized lifestyle. Our two week study abroad in Japan lead by Dr. Ann Wehmeyer was the first experience to do just that. As a country, Japan is the bridge to the Orient. It links Western civilization and its practices with, from a foreigner’s perspective, the often undiscovered and enigmatic societies throughout Asia. Our travels began amidst the urban sprawl that is Tokyo then journeyed south to the onsens of the Wakayama Prefecture. From there, we headed east to the old capital of Kyoto and journeyed south to the coastal pottery town of Hagi. A stretch to the north landed us in the Japanese Alps for calligraphy immersion, and our extensive tour ended where it began, in Tokyo.
As we railed through the country, our Western minds were often apt to compare and contrast what we experienced on a day to day basis with life in the United States. Whether it was as apparent as witnessing the strong beliefs of cleanliness on subways and streets in downtown Tokyo or as minute as identifying the relationship between authority and cuteness on forest signs, we constantly found ourselves drawing parallels and establishing differences. With this, we gained a newfound appreciation for our own country and at the same time, discovered the amazing progressiveness of the Japanese. For the purposes of this website, we have focused on the relationship between Japan and America from an angle of diplomacy and foreign affairs, with additional consideration to business and enterprise between the two healthiest economies in the world. Our analysis concludes with Japanese perspectives on these and other issues relating to the harmony—or lack of—that exists between the United States and Japan.
We emphasize that many of the analyses throughout these pages are based on the foreign introspection and observation of two university students. Our intent is to capture, in our own words, what we experienced during our day to day encounters in Japan and our interactions with the Japanese. We strive to convey the foreign perspective of an educated traveler and student and not that of a tourist.
The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes "sight-seeing."
-Daniel J. Boorstin
