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.
