Back from Japan - Human civilization in hyper-speed

A few days ago, I returned to Krabi, Thailand after spending six weeks in Japan.

It’s hard to put into words what Japan does to me. It’s incredibly electric. Alive.

I went all over the place. Initially, I was thinking it would be a two-week trip. Yet I booked a one-way ticket. I mostly just planned as I went. No itinerary.

Three places that are particularly memorable:

Nakasendo
Hiking the Nakasendo Samurai Trail in the Kiso Valley, I experienced something increasingly precious to me: wonder. Walking a path that has been used for centuries going back to the Shogunate Eras (1192 to 1868), surrounded by mountains, forests, and streams, has a way of quieting the chatter in one’s mind. Nothing to accomplish. Just be there. Awed by nature, silence, history, and simplicity. The post towns along the journey are gems.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima was another sobering reminder of human fallibility – and our capacity to create, destroy, and begin again. The park is a memorial for the 140,000 victims of the nuclear attack when the United States dropped an atomic bomb above Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Nothing affected me more deeply during those six weeks than standing before the Atomic Bomb Dome. Today, Hiroshima is a beautiful city that I have grown to love.

Tokyo
It was my second time to Tokyo and again it blew my mind.
I have never been anywhere like it in my life.

Standing in one spot, I can see trains racing past me in all directions. Millions of people moving through a complicated city with astonishing speed and precision. And even with all that intensity, it’s remarkably clean, orderly, and safe.

Tokyo is a serious city.
Focused people move quickly and deliberately.
Trains arrive, doors open, crowds pour out, crowds pour in, things keep moving.
Enormous energy, but very little chaos.

It’s amazing what humans can create together.
Density without disorder.
Speed without confusion.
Complexity becomes rhythm.

Tokyo is human civilization in hyper-speed. I find it absolutely exhilarating.

Conclusion
One thought kept occurring to me while I was there: Asia is vast and complicated, and Japan and Thailand could not be more different from one another.

When I travel, I tell myself that I get to keep the sensations I have along the way.
- Hiroshima gave me a sobering reflection.
- Nakasendo gave me wonder and transcendence.
- Tokyo gave me awe at human potential.

Traveling is a lot of work. I need to remember to pace myself. Boarding trains and switching them at various stations can be exhausting until you get the hang of it.

I especially enjoyed spending a couple weeks in two relatively quiet Tokyo neighborhoods.
I wanted to feel like I was living as a local – cafes, groceries, yoga, gym, long walks.
Very few tourists, very few English menus. I also needed a break from the hustle, and I wasn’t ready to go home to Thailand.

I know I won’t always keep this pace, but I’m going to enjoy the journeys while I can.

Keep living life, friends, and keep expanding.

All the best,
Peter