TOKYO, JAPAN—By the time you read this, I’ll still be somewhere in Japan; perhaps kicking back on a nice cup of hot macha tea while taking in the crisp autumn air or chasing some girls in “cosplay” outfits with a naughty smile pasted on my face. As a people, the Japanese have never failed to amaze me with their ability to combine seemingly opposite ideas and turn them into something uniquely, well, Japanese. Take for instance the very example I pointed out above: amidst the penchant for strict and proper etiquette (tea ceremonies and sumo wrestling matches to name two), you’ve got the colorful world of anime, school girls, and umm, “adult material”. It’s funny and all, but it’s a fact: these two polar opposites make up and perfectly describe Japanese culture.
