418 The Land of the Rising Sun

418 The Land of the Rising Sun

“The Land of the Rising Sun”

Japan’s tourism policies have been successful.
Many tourists from abroad are flocking to Japan.
Foreigners’ impressions of Japan are quite interesting.

Streets are clean and free of garbage.
Restrooms are clean and comfortable and the toilets have bidets.
Trains and buses arrive and depart accurately and are never delayed.
Trains are safe and comfortable, ordinary people often fall asleep in their seats.
Elementary school kids safely ride alone on the trains.
Children play alone in the parks.
Women can walk alone at night.
Lost wallets are returned at a high rate.
When asking for directions, people kindly tell you where to go.
Quality service is provided even without tips.
Japanese food is delicious, not only sushi and ramen but also others.
There is a mixture of old and new cultures.

The list is endless.

Things that are commonplace to Japanese people,
Seem to have quite an impact on foreigners.
This is something to be proud of.

This kind of Japan was not created overnight.
It has been built over at least tens of thousands of years.
It is the accumulation of wisdom from the Jomon period to the present day.
These are things that Western society can never catch up with.

Japan, Land of the Rising Sun.
Japan is the country with the oldest history in the world,
Dating back 2,700 years to the accession of Emperor Jimmu to the throne.
We should be grateful for the fruits of our predecessors’ untiring efforts,
We should have a heart that loves our country even more.


「日出づる國」

日本はインバウンド政策により
海外から多くの観光客が来日している
外国人の日本の印象はかなり面白い

街がきれいでゴミが落ちていない
トイレがウォシュレットで清潔で快適
電車やバスの発着が正確で遅延がない
電車の中で居眠りをしている人がいる
電車に小学生が一人で乗っている
公園で子ども達だけで遊んでいる
夜でも女性が安心して一人で歩ける
落とした財布が高い確率で返ってくる
道を尋ねると親切に教えてくれる
チップ無しでも上質のサービスがある
寿司やラーメン以外の日本食も美味しい
古い文化と新しい文化が混在している

数え上げたらキリがない

日本人にとっては当たり前のことが
外国人にとってはかなりのインパクトらしい
これは誇っていいことではないだろうか

こんな日本が一朝一夕にできたわけではない
少なくとも数万年の歴史の重みがある
縄文時代から現代に至るまでの知恵の集積
欧米社会には決して追いつけないものがある

日出づる國 日本
神武天皇即位を紀元とし約2700年
世界で最も歴史ある國 日本
先人たちの弛まぬ努力の結晶に感謝し
私たちはもっと國を愛する心を持ちたい