Small in Japan

Japan is a country I know almost nothing about. I've read a stack of Murakami books and seen a couple of Studio Ghibli films. I recently watched a Michael Palin documentary recorded there in 1997. That's about it.

The end of several months of hard work culminating in a second bachelor's degree and some saved up travel money has left me able to grab with both hands the chance of taking a holiday. I will be spending the summer in Japan and Korea.

As a student of Arab and Islamic culture, society, history and language, I'm specialised in entirely the wrong kind of orientalism for the coming 2-month trip. However, I'll record my observations and post a few photos here just the same.

Over the last couple of weeks, as I have looked forward to setting off, two songs have embedded themselves in my consciousness.

These songs, while both having Japan in the title, have ostensibly nothing to do with the country itself. This seems quite appropriate given my almost total lack of background knowledge and preparation.

A quick Google search reveals that Tokyo is 5,614 miles from Beirut. You can get lost a few times in a distance like that.

Departure first thing tomorrow.