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People met on my packpacking (245) - Japan's Travel Culture and History

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Japan's travel culture has a long history, dating back to the upper class, centered on the Samurai group, before the Edo period. Traveling was primarily religious, with facilities like hot springs, inns, and restaurants contributing to public visits to temples. In the early 1900s, travelers began traveling abroad in groups. In 1912, the Japan Travel Association was established, followed by an international tourism bureau. Japan began fostering tourism as a national project, leading to its current status as a global tourism powerhouse. This history demonstrates that Japan's tourism development is not sudden.

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Japan is a highly visited country for me. My first visit was in 1989, when I stayed at a Japanese friend's house in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The friends formed a family, and the narrow living space of 26 square meters was surprising to me. However, the house had everything they needed, including a sink, refrigerator, shower room, tatami master bedroom, TV, AC, desk, closet, and shoe rack. They appeared odd to me. No, I could not believe it. Because Japan was a more richer country than ours.

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Korea's GDP in 1990 was $318 billion, whereas Japan's was $3.10 trillion. Japan's GDP was almost 11 times that of Korea at the time.So was the GDP per capita. Korea was $6,610 in 1990, while Japan was $25,896. The difference was around four times. Japan felt somewhat jealous of a country unlike Korea. As everyone knows, from the 1980s onwards, Japanese electric rice cookers, mechanical pencils, ballpoint pens, cassette cassettes, and a variety of other items such as food and apparel were the envy of Japanese people.

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In reality, I believe that the Japanese people's living environment has remained unchanged between then and now. The Japanese business hotel we are now staying at is a fantastic example, though very narrow. However, everything is nice. We utilize this business hotel every time we visit Japan. Of course, the majority of the users are Japanese office workers. Koreans, Chinese, and Westerners can be spotted on occasion, although only in small groups.

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A Japanese business hotel offers several advantages. Affordable prices, handy location near the station, convenient amenities, etc. However, we prefer a small restaurant space. We glance at each other and eat breakfast beside the person next to us. Conversations generally flow freely while meeting guests. We take use of these possibilities to interact with as many foreigners as possible. We understand how much joy, reward, and value it provides. You know such chances are practically nonexistent in major hotels.

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During breakfast, the restaurant's TV continued showing foreign news. The scene of the demonstration in Gwanghwamun emerged. They included the opposition party's leader, Lee Jae-myung, with his members and KCTU members. They called for the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol and independent counsel Kim Gun-hee. A Japanese man in his fifties next to me questioned, "Why Koreans hate President Yoon and his wife?“

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Thanks for reading.

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