Japan - Traditional, Cultural and Modern

Japan is a fascinating country overflowing with tradition and culture that you can't fail to miss. Travelers to Japan can expect to be greeted by very helpful and polite locals throughout the country, even in the busiest parts of the biggest cities, Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, to name just a few. The streets are clean, the air is clean, the ski slopes are uncrowded, the wildlife is fascinating and the scenery is amazing. On a recent trip to Japan I was able to take a collection of images that showcase Japan and the Japanese culture. From temples to wildlife, city views and food. Japan is a cultural mecca for travelers from all over the world to come and immerse themselves in, and hopefully, master the chopsticks.

Tokyo, Japans capital, is an amazing city. As large, if not larger, than New York City, it is a bustling metropolis of business, commerce, finance and entertainment. A visitor could spend an entire vacation here and still not get to see all it offers. From the neon lights and all night partying of the Akihabara, Shinjuku and Shibuya districts to the serene calmness of Tokyo's many temples, there is loads to see and do for all members of the family.

Another amazing city to visit is Kyoto. Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan until Tokyo took over about 200 years ago. It is here where all the traditional cultural practices, that we've come to know and love about Japan, have been kept in place. At dusk every night of the week Geiko (the Kyoto name for Geisha) can be seen walking to and from different engagements at various teahouses in the Gion district. Avoid the mass of camera wielding tourists and photographers by taking a stroll down one of the few small lanes off the main street, and you are almost certain to come across a fully painted Geisha heading to work without the throng of people chasing her for photos.

Away from the major cities though, is where the traditional Japan can be found. Small houses with ornate roofs, gardens full of topiary and bonsai, farmers tending to their small farms. This is the real Japan. A Japan where life is a little slower than the electric buzz of Tokyo, and a little simpler.

If a traveller manages to make it to the ski slopes, especially those around Hakuba and Nagano, they will not fail to have the best ski holiday they've ever had. Long runs, unlimited powder snow, no lift lines and severely uncrowded slopes make for some of the best skiing in the world.

A not to be missed tourist destination to travel to in Japan is the Snow Monkey Wildlife Park in Jigokudani (Hell Valley) located in the mountains near Nagano. These fascinating small monkeys are the only primates in the world to warm themselves during winter in natural, volcanically heated hot springs. It really is a sight to see and an experience that children and adults alike will stare at in awe.

Japan is a place where a visitor feels truly welcome, and I can guarantee that a vacation there will provide the traveller with a lifetime of fond memories and a strong will to keep going back again and again.

Hi, my name is Nick Holdsworth and I am a stock photographer. A stock photographer is someone who takes photos of anything a client might need for their product. These could be anything from tissue boxes to websites and brochures to billboards. I recently went on a trip to Japan and now have the photos on my website for any interested buyer looking for images of Japan. You can find a link to the lightbox of images here:

http://www.ozimages.com.au/PLightbox.asp?ID=9170

Or if you prefer, you can find a link to my website with my complete collection of images here:

http://www.picsbynick.com

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

The Impact of the Yakuza on Modern Japan

The Yakuza have for centuries been an integral part of Japanese culture. The same is true for modern times, but what has been happening with the Yakuza recently? Japan experienced a recession last decade, that was ultimately caused by criminal elements in Japan. The effects of the crash of 1990 are still felt in Japan today and it is in my view that the Yakuza are essentially responsible for the aftermath.

Japan reached its height of economic success, as the world's second largest economy, in the early 1990s. During this time, Japan experienced an economic crash, which occurred primarily as a result of over-inflated asset prices. The Yakuza and other criminal elements were heavily involved in the boom and bust years leading up to the 1990s: During the 1980s, criminal organizations and corrupt politicians in Japan borrowed massive amounts - billions of dollars worth - of loans, which were never repaid. These "bad loans" led to the inevitable collapse of Japan's financial markets in the early 1990s, and extremely low stock and property value in Japan.

Nowadays, Japan is a relatively cheap place to live in the modernised world, thanks to the devalue of property over the past two decades. This would not have happened were it not for the crash, which was for the most part caused by the Yakuza.

Kattoulas has basically argued in his report for the Far Eastern Economic Review entitled The Yakuza recession that the Yakuza and corrupt politians were largely responsible for the economic recession of the 1990's: "[it has been estimated that] up to 50% of the bad debts held by Japanese banks could be impossible to recover because they involve organized crime and corrupt politicians."

Williams and Savano outline various threats posed by transnational criminal organizations, and some of the threats listed can be applied to the Yakuza during the boom and bust period in Japan: The threat to national economies, where although sometimes beneficial to the economy, they argue, criminal organizations tend to "make economic management a much more difficult task, as they can encourage inflationary pressures, a distorted sectoral development, and spending on luxury products by a few when the greatest need is for a wider distribution of resources within the society"; The threat to financial institutions, whereby infiltration of financial institutions leads to a situation where they can "no longer serve either the public interest or that of their shareholders, and reduction of management can lead to the misuse of funds". The threat to individuals is just as important, as "violence is often perpetrated on individuals by criminal organizations". This is often the case when important people are "disappeared", or die under mysterious circumstances. In many instances, the death or disappearance of an important person is not investigated properly.

Since the collapse of Japan's bubble economy at the end of the Showa period, the Yakuza have been faced with two main challenges: The economic recession in Japan, wherein it is increasingly difficult for the criminal organizations to make money, and the introduction in 1992 of the boryokudan countermeasures law (botaiho). Hill argued that as a result of the botaiho and economic recession in Japan, the Yakuza have been forced further underground and deal with drugs and organized theft: "the collapse of Japan's bubble economy in 1990... had profound consequences for boryokudan groups rendering many activities unviable, whilst simultaneously creating new opportunities".

Maruko offers the same view, that the relationship between the Yakuza and the state is changing. She also mentions that the Yakuza have been "forced underground", and are "turning increasingly to drug trafficking as well as to activities which they have not been very engaged, such as robbery".

The economic, political and social implications of the crash of 1990 and the introduction in 1992 of the boryokudan countermeasures law are of importance in understanding modern Japan. There has been a decline in the membership of the Yakuza as a result of these two events, and the Yakuza is also now less visible. Notwithstanding, the Yakuza is still active in a range of criminal activities, including racketeering and extortion.

Japanese society, in general, accepts the presence of the Yakuza. The Yakuza are, in fact, an older organization than for example the police force or even the Japanese government, with roots dating back to the feudal era. Thus, the Japanese are more or less accepting of the presence and authority of the Yakuza, and as with other modern Asian societies, the activities of criminal organizations have been embedded within the social fabric of Japan. Of course, that is not to say that the Yakuza are free to exercise their own will with regard to crime in Japan in the modern age, but that society is more accepting of the criminal organization and its activities.

The Yakuza has made a profound impact on Japan's economy, government and society in modern times. They contributed to the cause of a recession, instigated a government countermeasure and were basically forced underground within the last twenty years. Although decreasing in membership, the Yakuza nonetheless have made a profound impact on modern Japanese society.

Luthor Laine is a former scholar and professional Japanese/English Translator. You can reach him at http://www.rusasan.com/

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.