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This week in Japan has certainly had a very international flavour. I have been in the company of about 180 agricultural journalists from 29 different countries from all around the globe. As the vice-chairman of our association concisely summed up, in many places in the world you see walls between countries and between cultures. This week we have instead been building bridges. This congenial group of curious, questioning and open-minded people has been exchanging experiences, tricks of the trade and business cards. We have encouraged each other to drop a line or even to drop in if we visit each other’s countries.
In fact, strengthening my international network is what I have been doing, and today in a very pleasant way. A Japanese friend I met at the agricultural journalist congress last year and I spent my last few hours in Tokyo sightseeing, eating, talking about the future of Japanese agriculture and probing for facts about each other’s cultures and habits.
This week has been spent studying Japanese agriculture, but today I had the chance to study Japanese urban life. One thing that struck me was how much time and money people spend on their appearance. The style of dress seems to be used to make a statement about who you are and to rebel against the otherwise fairly rigid rules of etiquette. Most people seem dressed up to go to a party. And what a mix of partying that would be! Some teenage girls favour the Lolita-look: frothy pink skirts, pink knee socks and cheeky ponytails. Other girls are more into the ghoulish black look while still others sport the skimpiest and tightest of mini-skirts, thigh-high stockings and totteringly high shoes.
