Whether you end up taking photos of a neon-lit skyline, surfing an indoor wave, musing in a Zen temple, shacking up in a love hotel or kipping down in a traditional inn, you’ll dobest to come to Japan with an open mind and be prepared to be surprised. Somewhere between the elegant for mality of Japanses manners the candid, sometimes boisterous exchanges that take over a few drinks, between the sanitized shoppong malls and the unexpected rural festivals, everyone finds their own vision of Japan.

March and April; or before 1853, when Japan started opening up to foreigners

Taking a relaxing dip in an onsen (hot bah) at Beppu or Asoyama Admiring the cherry blossoms in Tokyo’s Ueno Park in March Drinking in the view of Tokyo from the top of Mt Fuji Pretending you’re a Samurai warlord at Himeji-jo castle Having a zen experience at Kinkakuji temple, Kyoto Finding out why war sucks at the Hiroshima or Nagasaki war museums Riding on a slide made entirely of ice at the Sapporo Snow Festival

Read lnside Japan by Peter Tasker, a fasker, a fascinating foray into Japanese culture, society and the economy. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto is a hauntingly beautiful story set in contemporary Tokyo that shows a side of Japan not often seen.

Listen to ‘Sukiyaki’ by Kyu Sakamoto, a 1960s hit and classic Japanese tune, reminiscent of 1950s lounge music; or anything by Morning Musume, an all girl J-pop group of 30(!) members, where singing talent is optional

Watch Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, a classic 1954 film set in 17 th -century rural Japan, or get a taste for Japan with Tampopo, a witty and insightful film set in a ramen (noodle) shop

Eat ramen noodles, Japan’s fast food specialty-though you haven’t ‘done’ Japan till you’ve experienced fresh raw fish

Drink sake, Japan’s signature drink, commonly known as rice wine and served hot or cold

Sugoi (used for surprise, wonder or horror and everything in between

Raw fish; Samurai swords; hard-working salary men; bowing; Hiroshima and the A-bomb; electronic gadgets; geisha girls; Mt Fuji; karaoke; manga comic books

lt’s polite to slurp loudly when eating soup or noodles; shoes be removed before entering any home; most home kitchens don’t have ovens; Japan has over 1500 earthquakes a year

The synthesis of the modern and traditional is one of the things that makes travel in Lapan such a fascinating experience. lt also ensures that no matter what your taste, you’ll find a side of Japan that suits your interests.