To learn more about the history of Japanese transportation you will want to visit some of these great museum locate in various areas of the country.

Trains

The first railway line in Japan commenced operations in 1872 and linked Shinbashi and Yokohama.  Today, if you attached all of the train tracks in Japan together they would take you two-thirds of the way around the world or approximately 27 thousand kilometers.

Learn about the history of Japan’s train system at the impressive Railway Museum in Saitama City, Chiba Prefecture (approximately 45 minutes out side of Tokyo) or at the  Modern Transpiration Museum in Osaka.

Bicycles

The first company to produce bicycles in Japan was Miyata Industry Co. who began bicycle production in 1890 and is still in operation.  Today the bicycle is the most common means used for running errands in and around your neighborhood and for commuting to the nearest train station.

Learn more about the history of this human powered form of transportation at the Bicycle Museum & Cycle Center near Osaka.

Cars

The first domestically produced gasoline powered vehicle in Japan was the Takuri, built in the early 1900’s, but Japan relied heavily on imported vehicles until the start of WWII.  Today, many people in Japan do not own cars and rely on the efficient and sprawling train network to get around.

Visit the Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagoya or the Classic Car Museum in Hakodate, Hokkaido to learn more about the history of the automobile in Japan and the see the first Takuri produced.

Other Modes of Transportation

Prior to the industrialization and modernization of Japan’s transportation system the most common means of transportation was on foot or on horseback.  Eventually the rickshaw and the palanquin were imported from other parts of Asia.

The Edo Tokyo Museum offers a visitors some insight into these forms of transportation and life in the days of Edo.  Until February 1, 2009 you can also see the special Beautiful Palanquins exhibit at the museum.

As an island nation, Japan has always relied on water transportation and the Michinoku Traditional Wooden Boat Museum in Aomori (Tohoku region of Japan)offers exhibits and information on ancient boat building techniques use in Japan.

Image Credit:  Wikimedia, Kuruma zukushi

“If the truth be told, living in Japan is not that different from living anywhere else.  We have to get around, shop, eat and entertain ourselves.  We love and miss our families, we worry about things.  Will I fit in?  Will anyone understand me?  Will I make friends?  What will people think of me?  How will I get around? Where is the grocery store, the pharmacy, the gym, etc? These questions would come up if you moved from Seattle to New York, Vancouver to Toronto or Honolulu to Japan.

The challenges that arise when moving to Japan are due to the fact that we have been taken out of our robot-like comfort zone.”

Need vs. Want

When you live in a foreign country, what you need versus what you want comes into sharper focus.  In the modern world that we live in it is very easy to mistake a want for a need and also very easy to take for granted all that you have and all that you are able to do.  Living in a foreign country is a great opportunity to take a look at your values in a different context and determine if they are in fact your values or values that you simply inherited and never really took the time to examine.

When I moved to Japan I was forced to take a close look at what I needed in order to live a comfortable existence and I was a bit surprised to find that I don’t need as much as I have.

Home is Where You Make It

Living in Japan has confirmed my belief that home is where you make it (and who you make it with) and it has reminded me of an inner strength that I have to make the best out of most situations.

I could have moved to Japan and bemoaned all that I was giving up but I chose to look at it as an opportunity to learn more about myself and more about a culture that is often written about but difficult for many to understand.   I have barely scratched the surface in my understanding of this ancient culture and it’s people but the more I learn the more I am intrigued and the more I want to learn.

Patience, Frustration & Independence

They say that patience is a virtue and I always joke that it’s not one of my stronger ones but it is getting stronger everyday thanks to the time I have spent in Japan.  I am more flexible too and am reminded that often that there is no one right way to do things – just because things are done one way in my home country doesn’t automatically make it the right way everywhere else.

It can be frustrating to live in a place where you don’t speak the language and my Japanese ability is minimal at best.  That can make it difficult to accomplish anything more that a basic task in Japan and while I am able to ask simple questions there is no guarantee that I will understand the answer.  I am forced to be more resourceful and independent and sometimes I simply have to make do and do the best that I can in a given situation.

I have learned to be more patient with myself and others and I now appreciate how much we rely on others simply to move through our lives.

Appreciation of Tradition and History

One of the thing that I love about Japan is their reverence for their history and religion and how it seems to be seamlessly integrated into their daily lives.  Stop into a church on a Tuesday afternoon in North America and it will likely be empty but stop by a local temple or shrine in Japan and you will often find someone pausing for a moment of prayer.   It’s a bit ironic that in Tokyo, a city well know for it’s crowds and fast paced lifestyle, that people still find time to feed their souls.

Living in Japan has taught me that I don’t need to rush through my life checking off the next thing on my to-do list and that it is good to pause and reflect on  every now and again.

Appreciation of Seasonal Changes

Seedlings are planted and crops are harvested, but in these days of world wide air shipments and modern technology it is easy to take the food on our plates for granted.

The Japanese treat good food with reverence and there is great excitement in Japan around seasonal foods.  In the spring you will likely stop by a teahouse for some matcha (green tea) and seasonal wagashi, in the summer you can’t miss the abundance of unagi (eel) in restaurants, in the fall and winter you will be warmed by Oden.  Food in Japan is celebrated and appreciated with simple preparation and small portions that are meant to be savored.  Food is a source of great pleasure in Japan and is treated as much more that a source of nourishment.

Living in Japan has given me a new appreciation of the food that I put on my plate and into my body.

Better or Different

Am I a different person that before I lived in Japan?

I am basically the same person but the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone has brought many of my beliefs and values into sharper focus.

Has living in Japan made be a better person?

I can’t say that I am a better person but I think that the experience of living in Japan has given me a better perspective on my life. I hope that the ability to lead a more conscious life stays with me well beyond the time I spend in Japan.

This article was entered into the Japan Blog Matsuri which is being hosted by DBR at Narrative Disorder this month.

But Japan is often portrayed as a destination for sightseeing and there is a lot more to this county than temples, shrines, sumo and sushi.   While there are, without a doubt, beautiful and breathtaking sights to behold in Japan, the centuries of history and tradition that they are built upon runs much deeper than any snapshot can portray.  The Japanese culture is one of the oldest in the world and one that has taken influences from other countries like China, India and Korea and then moved on to influence western and European cultures with its food, technology and fashion, to name a few.

The Nihon Sun will delve into this unique culture and present some of the country’s travel destinations and local events all while striving to provide you with additional information that will enrich your experience of Japan, whether you are visiting in person, virtually, or whether you make the county your home.

Come along and experience Japan – leave a comment or question and be sure to subscribe to The Nihon Sun to learn more and keep up with what’s happening in Japan.

Image Credit:  Personal Collection