Meets Ancient and Modern

Original text By ST Sularto, executive summary by Darmansjah

Sawara, KAMAKURA, NIKKO, ASAKUSA, and SHIBUYA. Five of tourism in Japan is not as popular as other tourism objects in there. All five may be just an example of Japanese excellence combines the old - fashioned with a new-traditional-modern.

I happen to be his fifth visit. Initially when my relatives, family Sunagawa-Irene - Japanese-Indonesian couple with two children they offer the option. The reason is practical: it is easy to achieve a fifth object of Chiba, self-contained satellite city which they live, on the edge of the highway 40 miles from Narita Airport to Tokyo. Be their homes into our base-camp.

Reform of Japan's 16th century still preserve the ancient Japanese civilization results side by side with modern civilization that characterizes Japan now. Sawara, KAMAKURA, NIKKO, ASAKUSA, and SHIBUYA just a few examples of the success of Japanese temples reconcile not only with the results super-modern culture and technology, but also the preservation of cultural heritage in the past greatness of Japan.

Sawara in the territory of Chiba Prefecture, one of Japan's example of the success of preserving the old-traditional. A small town 20 miles northeast Narita Airport, which at the time of the Edo Period (1603-1867) so the bustling city center. The main object of the elongated channel, the main means of transportation for centuries and is known as the Small Edo because of small-city tiny and quiet atmosphere behind the hustle bustle of modern Japan.  Small boat ride led by two mothers with typical clothes Sawara-shirt and hat ships farmer-driven with the engine slowly down the canal cost 12,000 yen for 20 minutes.

Unlike the gondola ride in the 'city-water' especially miniature replica Venetian in Macau, down the canal in Sawara felt along the canals in Amsterdam. The difference in Amsterdam filled with the bustle of his passing humans and cars, in Sawara-round peace and quiet. Quiet, traditional houses on either side of the canal sustainably maintained, as well as arch bridges on it. In addition to the shops with souvenirs of Japan, can not be abandoned Museum Tadataka-Ino Tadataka the birthplace of the 19th century managed to make a more complete map of the Japanese archipelago and are more accurate at the time of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
.

Want to know Japanese in the reform era 200 years ago, came to Sawara! The provocative ad that dot. Not only warehouses, traders and houses 100-200 year old buildings alongside modern 'Western' Japan following the trimmings past.

ASAKUSA, SHIBUYA, KAMAKURA, NIKKO

In antiquity and the modern Japanese, ASAKUSA, SHIBUYA, KAMAKURA, and NIKKO be complementary. ASAKUSA known as the oldest temple in Japan, Hachiko SHIBUYA with myth-symbol of loyalty to the bronze statue of the dog Hachiko (1923-1935), KAMAKURA with bronze Buddha statue sits imprisoned built in the 13th century, NIKKO with temples and gardens were built centuries -17, dedicated to Iemetsu Tokugawa, founder of Shogun dynasty.

All five offer reflective experience. The atmosphere is possible, either because the aura that was in there, either because it is not in the tourist group travel. Japan as a nation state and expertly pack the two civilizations. I was amazed and put as learning materials for Indonesia.

Through Sawara is a Japanese-paced life with advanced technology. Chiba, the nearest city as the capital of the prefecture, is not busy like Tokyo. However, in Chiba supposedly contained only tram dependent (no rails under the train carriages but depend below) which are not found in other cities.

ASAKUSA, the oldest temple in the direction towards Tokyo, not only offers the expertise of the Japanese treat the results of physical civilization, but also caring and giving place of growing confidence and show Japan spiritual. Packed with neat, ASAKUSA display religious objects alloy and shopping centers. The Japanese also used to predict predictor. Asakusa temple was crowded with day visitors who want to know his fate. Forecasts that contain bad luck they left behind. Great put in a bag. Surprisingly, despite the dense crowded, the atmosphere is quiet and solemn.

Combined with the cherry blossoms are in full bloom and hundreds of stalls selling souvenirs, ASAKUSA represents a blend of religious pilgrimage, trade, and panoramic beauty of nature. Department stores with cheaper prices of goods, such as New Market in Jakarta, complete embodiment of the concept of pilgrimage and tourism blend, blend between the old and the new as human civilization.

Not far from ASAKUSA, SHIBUYA with mascot ever filmed Hachiko-titled Hachiko Monogatari 1987-today more and more visited after Richard Gere and Joan Allen starred in the movie Hachiko: A Dog's Story, directed by Lasse Hallstrom three years ago. Hundreds of visitors, mostly Japanese teenagers who lined up posing with Hachiko, a view of the daily routine.

SHIBUYA alloy packaged as a tourist attraction, offices and shops branded shopping. Do not be surprised, standing at the intersection waiting for the green traffic light, we see the human moths rows that do not care about each other. They are very much the right of the individuality of each person. Photo with Hachiko statue was used as a distraction waiting light to change color.

Japanese blend of modernity and antiquity more fully realized in NIKKO, a tourist attraction in height 634 meters above sea level-tall Tokyo Tower, which recently inaugurated building-integrated between the old temple architecture and tropical gardens. NIKKO included in Tochigi Prefecture region is relatively far from Chiba-four hours by road via the toll-date most visited by tourists. Not only as one of the world's cultural heritage UNESCO appropriate recognition, but also here there is a mausoleum of shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, founder of the Tokugawa dynasty. Temple built 16th century and reconstructed several times was both a gateway national park tourist attraction in the mountains with snowy winter lake.

Fifth visit to the basecamp of tourism Chiba city, then a small part of Japan. Fifth means admiration visit Japan combines past success as a heritage to be preserved and combined with his pace of physical development and modern culture. Japan, the geographical areas in the vortex 'precarious disaster', managed to position ourselves as always on guard.