Who knew?   Our first stop would create our family dialog for all of our upcoming travel. The beginning conversation. Kobe, Japan brought out the fire boats to escort us in.  We were welcomed by 4 different colors of water spray for over 20 minutes. After so many endless days at sea, we were being welcomed to land.  A type of water parade just for us.

The band arrived on the second floor of the port terminal.  They were dressed in brilliant red, playing songs like “Tequilla!!” on their sparkling instruments.  They waved flags, played music and clapped as we arrived.  That was incredible.  After days at sea, I was almost in tears.   Tequilla!  Yes.  Land!!  Yes!!

We were honored guests in a country we had never visited.  Scott thinks they may have had some sense that there were 800 voyagers aboard, who had made a 21 day sail across the mighty Pacific without any chance to explore….or spend money!  I tend to agree with Scott’s assessment.  They knew we were hungry for experiences, for choices, and to spend our money.

Our days in Japan were exciting, easy, and orderly.  Their trains make sense.  Life was comfortable.  Many people speak English to some extent or another, or it is written in English just below the lovely characters.  And, our very own Traveler Scott, seemed to instantly become fluent in Japanese!  (We were astonished.  He read the characters, politely asked for directions, and seemed to be able to explain the ways of this country to us.  He was our qualified tour guide.  Never mind that he claimed to not be speaking correctly.  I am certain this is just his modesty.  He has never been one to toot his own horn.   He suggested it was only basic Japanese.  It did not matter, we learned he knew more than we had previously been aware of.  He was our leader and hero! )

The day before we landed, we invited a Japanese college student to speak to the dependent children’s’ group on board the ship.  She told us a few items of food that we really must try, how the trains worked, and how it was expected that you do not eat on the trains.  In fact, she mentioned that you must not speak above a whisper on the trains.  The children were fascinated by this.  She mentioned that you do not put feet on anything but the floor of the trains.  You must be orderly…..and get this….respectful of all of those around you.  It is not YOUR train, but it is collectively OUR train.   (Hmm….take a minute to think about that.  It is not YOUR train.  Wow.  That statement says so very much.)

It seems our Japanese native was correct. This country is built on the “we” of things.  We as a people will treat one another with great respect.  “We” will act as if we are a collective group trying to ensure the success of one another.

That is the story I am taking away from Japan.  The “we” of it all.  There were many friendly people who helped us along the way.  We needed help at every turn.  If asked, these friendly (but quiet) strangers would move out of their way (far out of their way) to seek an answer for us.  They would find a solution for us, even when it was clearly not their problem.  Not their concern.  Shop clerks would call other stores to find items we asked about. (We were prepared to be told no.  We only thought it reasonable to ask.  No would have worked.)  Random strangers would seek answers to questions we asked.  I was left with a genuine appreciation for their wanting to help, to provide for us, but they would not insert themselves into our struggles until we indicated assistance was needed.  (And, it was needed a great deal.)

This is the cleanest country I have ever visited.  Adult voyagers commented again and again on this fact.  There are teams of cleaner people. We saw a few of them.  They were constantly cleaning the streets, the train stations, the trains.  They are so very appreciated.  The trains are emptied at random stops, with the cleaner people rushing on board to clear the train.  In this culture, one would not dare eat on the beloved train, or leave any garbage behind….or speak above hushed tones…..but they clean and polish the trains on an hourly basis.

In the stations, riders line up in perfect lines.  They wait for those to disembark, completely, before the new passengers walk on board.  To us this new culture appeared to be a collective people, concerned about everyone getting to where they are going without hassle.

The riders are dressed in navy blue, black, and browns.  The use of bright colors is only seen on the young children it seems.  A spot of bright green, and you know they may not be natives.  Either European or Americans in colors.  Tate wore his Bayren Munich gear everywhere.  The only questions we received about our home country were whether we were German.  Red is not seen on anyone but Tate.  There is a sense that you should not stand out.  You should be a part of the “we.”  And, be sensible.   Just do this.  Just manage yourself……in good order.

They deviate from this sensible notion at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan.  (Just when I was beginning to become concerned they were a depressed society…they displayed their fantastic flare! ) It is something you must see.  Those Japanese residents are fun!! They were attending the park as we were.  They dress as groups of Minions.  There were fully dressed as Harry Potter characters!  Head to toe…the entire outfits on grown adults.  Cookie Monsters, Elmo, Hello Kitty and others attended the park.  Everyone had some type of display.  This was beyond festive.  It allowed us to stand in lines, and enjoy the parades of characters.  They LOVE their characters.  It was similar to a massive Halloween party right in front of us!  An “American” type park, with a Japanese flare that delighted us. Festive. Happy.  Exciting.  (And, an amazing ability of the people to stand in line. To walk orderly through the park.  To watch for other people….to be aware of your space requirements…..to be aware of you.)

We spent a few nights in Osaka at an Airbnb.  This may seem strange as we have the ability to use our ship as a floating hotel.  But, we have been in the same room for the past 30 days.  We needed a change of scenery. Seeing the way people live, how their appliances work and what their toilets do is critical to understanding who you are dealing with.  Figuring out what they eat for breakfast and why they do not have shelves and shelves of Western style food……Providing food for the family and shopping at the grocery stores where the locals shop is required to better understand how it all works.

The ship will happily provide us meals while we are in port. However, the finding of new and native foods is part of the journey.  We have asked the boys to try 2 new things every day before we go back to things we “know”. The boys found so many treats, and new found favorites, by looking at the pictures and coloring of the packages.  It is a picnic of the complete unknown.  That is what traveling is about.  Being a little surprised.  A little uncomfortable.  And, completely prepared to be delighted.

Tate and I laughed after eating red bean sweet cakes for our dinner one night.  We ordered some food, hit the train, and ended up with sweet cake red bean dinner.  We just ordered 6 of what we saw others in line for.  Follow the locals, see where they eat, and copy.  Cake for dinner!! And, a memory we will never forget.

The toilets say so many things about the way this all works.  These gorgeous thrones have heated seats.  They provide a place to rest out of the cold (it was snowing when we arrived).  These toilets could make you a meal.  I really believe this.  They could.  They are robots of amazing delights.  They play the sounds of trickling water when you first take your seat. There are many stations of sounds or music you can play.  You can change the lights.  You can rest, as you like, where your business is going to happen.

You then move to wash your hands.  Here is the biggest shock…..especially after this amazing toileting experience.  The water IS NOT HEATED in the sinks.  As it is snowing outside, you will be experiencing that type of shallow-fast….I am so very, very shockingly cold… breathing the minute the water hits your hands.  It maybe they want you to come out of your heated toilet bliss before you are joining the rest of society again?  What it did do was force me to wear gloves while we were in public bathrooms.  I did not wash my hands with the glacier water.  I could not take it.  I am a Japanese society failure.  I will admit this.

In our AirBNB we were allowed access to a pocket wireless system!  We could take this little gizmo with us while touring around.  We were connected!  And, securely.  This is simply brilliant.  I can only hope that we will have something similar coming to our home….(see photo).  Innovation that truly helps travelers.  Wi-fi on the go.  That is all yours to use as you like.  An amazing innovation.

As a female, I was able to walk the streets alone at night.  I found myself walking beside children on their way home from their days.  Gals wander the streets.  Kids walk and ride their bikes alone.  Even in the dark. No one really wondered what I was doing.  The near silent acknowledgment between people was comforting.  It is especially comforting when you no longer have language.  It is so very, very quiet when your language does not work.  You learn by watching.  You speak with childish gestures or signal the numbers with your fingers….it is so very, very quiet when you travel.  You must watch and observe.  And, learn.

What I can say is we will return.  There is so much more to learn and see.   (Mind you we only stayed south in the Kobe, Osaka, and Hiroshima region. We left the massive cities for another time.) Each of us saw the magic.  Each of us found something there that delighted us. We will have more time here.

We saw so many things.  Castles, farms, pavilions, memorials, and extremely dense cities. We enjoyed Scott’s expertise and stories of when he lived here back between college and graduate school.  We asked questions, enjoyed the quiet, and gazed at the gorgeous landscape, and mountains.  Being able to travel alongside their culture brought us closer to this place. The peacefulness.  The ability of a traveler to know how things work just by watching it all happen.  The orderly sense.  The trains, the gorgeousness of the way they allowed us a glimpse into it all.  Their assistance and kindness showed when our motley and exhausted crew asked for it.

Japan spoiled us.  A delight we only just scratched the surface for 5 days.  Who knows where our adventures will go from this type of a starting point.  It was too good.  And, we did nothing to deserve it except for just showing up.  It was a reward.  I must have more.  It was only the start of something new.  More Japan, please!