Touristic Places to Visit in Japan.

        Japan is maybe one of the countries with a lot of places to visit so that here, visitors could find which places they should go if they are planning to visit this country. However, Japan has too many that it is impossible to fit them all in one trip. So, before traveling to Japan, read this post in order to know the must-see places in Japan.

Kinkaju Ji, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

        First of all, the ancient Kyoto. For years, people have visited Kyoto to stay in its old ryokans and eat traditional, multi-course kaiseki meals. However, entrepreneurs are gutting old tea houses and geisha houses and giving them new lives. While being there, you could visit Niti which is a sleek bar cafe that seemlessly blends contemporary touches with japanese tradition.

                                 







        Secondly, Kumano Kodo which is another UNESCO World Heritage since 2004. It is a network of well-marked and well-maintained trails winding through the forest and fields, villages and towns. While staying there, people can find isolated hot springs, delicious cuisine, and authentic accommodations. What is more, visitors can also take a private dip in the cloudy waters of the Tsuboyu bath in Yunomine Onsen, at 1800 years old, considered as One of the oldest in Japan.

           






        Finally, Karuizawa which is one of the most beautiful places to be in Japan, in Autumn. Either because its several degrees cooler than Tokyo or because the thrill of being close to one of this countries volcanoes, visitors could have a trip that added edge. But its natural beauty and charm make visitors forget the risks. After having read a little about it, do not you want to visit it?

        As a conclusion, Japan is one of my favorite countries, and I really appreciate their culture, their nature, so if you want to visit it one day, there are too many options where you can go. Nevertheless, the money is the biggest obstacle that visitors can find in order to go there, or so as not to leave the country.

Japanese School System.

        Educational system varies  according to the country, and Japan is well-known for the high level of educaction that they have. However, japanese system is not as different from other countries as people can think. The next two paragraphs summarize the japanese school system so that you could know how the system works.

        As shown in the chart above, japanese education system is divided according to age, grade, and available educational facilities. Therefore, the system, talking about years of study, is similar to other countries. People believe that study in Asian countries is difficult, and that is true. For the japanese nationals six years at elementary school and three years at junior highschool are compulsory. After graduating from junior high school, children may choose to continue their education to high school, or to find employment.

        Most Japanese people describes their higher education as competitive and prestigious. However, they are under a lot of stress and pression because of their parents. In Japan, universities and high colleges are considered post-secondary education providers. Nevertheless, Someone asked to Japaneses about their school system, and that person expected an obvious answer related to memorization. On the contrary, they pointed out how great their system is, how it is one of the best in the world.

        In conclusion, the idea about the hard work and the high level of japanese education is real. Many people suggest to study in Japan. The development of technology and the profesionalism of Japanese people demonstrate that the education in their country is for real, one of the best.

The First Novel.

        Nowaday, one of the most popular genders that people use to read are the novels. Therefore, many people take the decission to becoming into a writer. Nevertheless, it is not easy and the talent or a lot of imagination is neccessary. However, the history talks about one specific novel which many people have considered as the first written novel and the first modern novel. Written by the japanese author Murasaki Skikibu, The Tale of Genji.

        The Tale of Genji ( Genji no Monogatari) was written in an archaic court language that was already unreadable a century after it was written. Thus, the Japaneses have been reading annotated and illustrated versions of the work since as early as the 12th century. Unfortunaly, the original manuscript no longer exists. Akiko Yosano, a poet, have translated the novel into modern Japanese in the early 20th century. Someone have attempted the first english translation, but it was of poor quality and incomplete.

        The story is about one man, Hikaru Genji, the definition of this name is "Shining" Genji of the Minamoto clan. He is the illegitimate son of an unnamed Emperor of Japan, and considered too handsome for his own good. The tale of Genji concentrates on Genji's romantic life and describes the costums of the aristocratic society of the time. Shikibu, the author, have written the story in 54 volumes. Since the birth of Genji until the life of his sons.

        To conclude, many people have been trying to translate the whole story, or almost the parts that still exist. This is considered the master piece of the author. Furthermore, a number of readers and translators have considered the importance of the story because the relevance of the time when it was written and what represents in the modern times.

The Sea of Trees (Aokigahara)

        Aokigahara is a forest at the northwest base of Mount Fuji in Japan.This is known as "the perfect place to die." Unfortunaly, it has the distinction of being the world's second most popular place to take one's life. However, this place, in some parts, show an absence of wildlife and the wind-blocking density of the trees that are in it, making it a popular tourist destination.

        Aokigahara's forest ranks as the second suicide spot in the world after San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. This undisputed fact constitutes the visit of many tourist waiting to find a body inside it. As a result of the high suicide rate, there are signs in the forest in both japanese and english. Those trying to persuade people not to commit suicide. The police have mounted this sign reading "your life is a precious gift from your parents," on trees throughout. This does not deter determinated people from commiting suicide.

        In January 2018, the forest gained international attention after a youtuber filmed and broadcast a suicide victim's body on his popular channel. This undisputable fact terrorized many people. On the contrary, the forest is not the reason why people choose the suicide, so it has some possitive aspects too. Designated trails lead to several tourist attractions such as the Narusawa Ice Cave, Fugaku Wind Cave, and the Lake Sai Bat Cave. It is also posssible to find animals such as asian black bears, small japanese moles, foxes, japanese grosbeak, japanese white-eye etc.

        As a conclusion, the sea of trees is a wonderfull place, maybe beacause of that, many people choose to die inside it. The sense of solitude could be one of the main attractions. This happen in some parts due to the extensive land where some exotic fauna and flora species could be found.

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine.

        People use to say a lot of proverbs and sayings. These sometimes can occur in our lives. Let's go back to one specific moment in the past. A moment when I learned that " a stitch in time saves nine," is true. That happened when I was a teenager and I wanted to go out with my friends because they used to do it.

        One of my problems was that I am an only child, and my mother had always been overprotecting me, so she refused the idea of letting me to go out late at night. One day, one of the friends of mine had an idea. On those days, the sea used to have high tide, and they wanted to pass the night at the beach. Nonetheless, I was not sure about it, but my friends had already made their decision.

        I asked my mother for permission, but she denied it. She told me, " the high tide is not a joke, many things could happen." So, I could not go with my friends because of the piece of advice that she gave me at the end, "it is for your own good, a stitch in time saves nine," she said. That night, I stayed at home, but I could not sleep. Suddenly, a storm appeared, and it was then when I realized that my friends could have some problems where they were at that moment. " it was high tide when the storm hit," one of my friends said, "we just barely moved off before something worse happened, we were very lucky," he added.

        In conclusion, I thought that I was safe because of the piece of advice that my mother gave me. I was the kind of person that did not believe in sayings and proverbs. However, since then I prefer to avoid decissions that can lead me to an unexpected situation.

Different Cultures between El Salvador and Japan.

  Culture is one of the most important aspects that people can find in order to know more about the way of the population of a determined country lives. However, that doesn't mean that the culture is the same in all the countries, that's the reason why, the purpose here is to compare and contrast the culture of El Salvador and Japan.

        First, a well-known aspect of a culture,the greeting. It's normal to know that the people in our country has a lot of ways to greet people, that depends on the situation in which people are. Althought the idea that people around the world may have about Japan, they share that aspect with our country. Nevertheless, in Japan people join their own hands and bow the head, while in El Salvador the most common greet is to give five or shake the hands. However, Japan has taken some aspects of occidental culture, so they use to shake the hands,too.

        Secondly, both countries have different feeding habits. Not only for what they eat but also for what they do at the moment of having dinner. In El Salvador when we eat, we use to do it anyway, by ourselves. Nonetheless, some families use to eat on the table. In contrast, at dinner time, in Japan they have to eat together on the table unless someone has another compromise. Moreover, in Japan, before eating and after eating they have some expressions in order to thank for the food, whereas in El Salvador some families pray before eating.

        As a conclusion, both cultures differ in a lot of aspects, here some of them were given, in spite of the differences between the two countries, there are some aspects that they have in common. That means that cultures can go beyond the frontiers and join people in any possible way.

Difference between Kimono and Yukata.

          Japan is marked by a lot of things such as the culture, the folklore, the responsability etc. Furthermore, it is distinguished by their traditional clothing. Both the yukata and the kimono are part of the traditional clothing in Japan. However, although many people have heard about them, there are few who know the differences between these.

Yukatas

     
The most significant difference can be seen in the weave. The yukata is made of cotton, while the kimono is made of silk fabric. Another important detail is that the yukata is used during summer season, as well as in warm and cool places. They are also used for thermal baths, making them lighter than normal ones. Unlike the yukata, the kimono has at least two broad bands called "Obi," of which one is placed diagonally almost touching the neck, and the other goes around the the waist. The kimono is reserved for special ocassions, and it is a more sumptuous dress than the yukata.

Kimonos

        The kimonos are accompanied by "getas," or " zori" which are low sandals made of cotton and leather, these are used with a special sock. When using kimono these accessories are mandatory, but in the case of a yukata, the use is less dispensable than kimono's. The kimono use to be more expensive than the yukata. The kimono is worn by both men and women; however, the yukata is more used by women than men.

        As a conclusion, there are many differences that people from other cultures can not appreciate at the first time. However, the two dressess are really different, not only for the moment that can be used but also the material of what they are made. Furthermore, the yukata is more common in women than men. And the kimono is more glamurous than the yukata which are ideals for hot times or for go to walk.