To extend your point about going to understand Japan rather than consume it, people should try to visit Hiroshima and the abandoned hotels of Kinugawa or similar places. One shows you a wound that belongs to Japan alone, a threshold in human history that no other nation can truly stand inside and understand. The other shows you what happens when a bubble pops and the devastation that follows. You can't consume either of them. They consume you.
Thank you for writing this Leila.
I’ve been to Japan 4 times in the past 3 years and still long to visit again.
As I read this, I’m looking into ordering a copy of Showa, be book you recommended :)
I'm so glad to hear that! I hope you enjoy Showa; it's an excellent series.
To extend your point about going to understand Japan rather than consume it, people should try to visit Hiroshima and the abandoned hotels of Kinugawa or similar places. One shows you a wound that belongs to Japan alone, a threshold in human history that no other nation can truly stand inside and understand. The other shows you what happens when a bubble pops and the devastation that follows. You can't consume either of them. They consume you.