Travel Plans: JAPAN

Location: East Asia
Name: Japan

Shrines

Blossom Trees

Mount Fuji

JAPAN? TELL ME MORE! When you hear the word 'Japan", what do you think of? Does your mind fill with images of ancient temples or futuristic cities? Do you see visions of mist-shrouded hills or lightning-fast bullet trains? Do you think of suit-clad businessmen or kimono-clad geisha? Whatever image you have of Japan. For example, many people believe that Japan is one of the world's most expensive countries. In fact, it's cheaper to travel in Japan than in much of North America, Western Europe and parts of Oceania. Others think that Japan is impenetrable or even downright difficult. The fact is, Japan is one of the easiest countries in which to travel.
If traditional culture is your thing, you can spend weeks in cities such as Kyoto and Nara, gorging yourself on temples, shrines, kabuki, tea ceremonies and museums packed with treasures from Japan's rich artistic heritage. If modern culture and technology is your thing, Japan's cities are an absolute wonderland- an easy peek into future of the human race, complete with trend-setting cafes and fabulous restaurants. Outside the cities, you'll find natural wonders the length and breadth of the archipelago. From the coral reefs of Okinawa to the ski-resort of Niseko, Japan has more than enough natural wonders to compete with its cultural treasures. Then there's the food: whether it's impossibly fresh sushi in Tokyo, perfectly battered tempura in Kyoto, or a hearty bowl of ramen in Osaka, if you like eating you're going to love Japan.
But for many visitors, the real highlight of their visit to Japan is the gracious hospitality of the Japanese themselves. Whatever your image of Japan, it no doubt exists somewhere on the archipelago-and it's just waiting for you to discover it!

BUT.... JAPAN IS AN EARTHQUAKE PRONE AREA! Indeed Japan is an earthquake prone area, which is why tourism starts to fall in Japan! Many tourists raised their safety concerns about coming to Japan. During past few years, Japan had been receiving huge amount of earthquakes ranging from 7.5 to 9.0 magnitude! Japan's economy led to a great downfall but the Japanese did not give up and instead, they gained hopes from despair and picked themselves up from beneath the ruins. Many people around the world admired the spirits of the Japanese and actually gained something from them. Just look at the photos from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365318/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-The-moment-mother-nature-engulfed-nation.html ! And visit this webpage to see some of the Japanese reactions! http://www.chinasmack.com/2011/pictures/chinese-netizens-admire-japanese-post-earthquake-behavior.html

Some ways the Japanese used to reduce impact:

educating all Japanese especially children
providing drills
strengthening of old infrastructure
use advance technology to strengthen current infrastructure
monitoring systems (to monitor the movements of sea etc)
locating infrastructure on non-earthquake prone areas

So, our purpose of this trip is to explore old places that have gone through the destruction of earthquakes and tsunamis and to bring Japanese culture back to life!