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Aoyama Flower Market Tea House in Tokyo

Aoyama-flower-market-entrance

Aoyama Flower Market

Before arriving in Japan, we read a lot of articles about places to visit. One that jumped to the top of our list was Aoyama Flower Market in Tokyo, a flower shop with a cafe. The photos showed beautiful flower displays and creatively displayed food served in a cosy area dripping with plants. This was a place we had to visit!

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What is Japanese etiquette

Japanese etiquette is shown by friendliness to strangers

Consideration of others is central to the Japanese way of life

When I did the wrong thing in front of many people, I discovered one aspect of Japanese etiquette. No-one wishes to cause you embarrassment, even if it means pretending you are not there!

We had been in Japan about 2 weeks and everything had gone smoothly. It was our first overseas trip so were surprised nothing had gone wrong: no problems with the transport, communicating with people or finding our way from place to place.

And then, disaster!

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Two faces of Japan

Furukawa merchant buildings

Whenever you read about what to expect when visiting Japan, you will come across the notion that Japan is a land of contrasts…tradition versus innovation; urban versus rural; familial obligations versus business commitments; austerity versus flamboyance.

We saw examples of this often during our travels… a centuries old temple in Tokyo dwarfed by surrounding skyscrapers; viewing communal rice farms from a speeding bullet train; groups of professional (and presumably family) men dining and drinking into the night; schoolchildren in uniform going off to school functions on Sunday morning.

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Kabuki Theatre

Kabuki Theatre actor

In a tear inducing moment of Christmas 2017 our daughters gave us a cash voucher to spend on a ‘unique Japanese experience’… a thoughtful and generous gift which really tugged at our hearts!

After considering various options- sumo wrestling, sushi classes, kimono dressing, ninja training etc- we decided that a visit to a Kabuki theatre would be more suited to our tastes. Although we are not regular theatre goers, we do enjoy the opera, and had read that Kabuki was like opera without the singing. Apart from knowing it involved costumed actors with white faced make-up, we knew little about Kabuki theatre.

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Japan is unique

A cloud-pruned shrub at Onshi-Hakone Koen

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In Japan, beauty is everywhere you look. Kindness from a stranger, a small vase arrangement left in the bedroom of our Kyoto house, cloud-pruned trees and shrubs on every street.

Cloud-pruning is not wide-spread in Australia. Plants are usually high-priced, available to be kept in pots or as a garden specimen. It was overwhelming to see pruning using these methods as standard practice.  Trees, shrubs, private and public gardens, street trees.

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