Trailhead: Seibu-Chichibu Train Station
April 4, 2013
I stayed at a hotel two blocks from the station and walked directly to trails.
Cherry blossoms, rice paddies
There were several shrines
Trailhead: Mitake Train Station
April 5, 2013
I put my backpack in a locker, and set foot from the station.
Great views, had it not been hazy.
People were whitewater kayaking
I wonder if the peace and tranquility of certain foreign countries is due to the homogeneity of the population.
In the US we have so many different countries to assimilate, it causes problems.
I'm absolutely sure you've got this right, Sharon. Japan is quite homogeneous, so it is much easier to reach consensus. The USA is definitely a cacophony of competing, often irreconcilable agendas.
I celebrate life in Japan, and I celebrate life in the USA.
In the end, I prefer to live in the USA, with the energy that comes from all the competing agendas.
On the darker side, I suspect, beneath the surface in Japan, there is racism. At least, in the USA, racism is out there, and we have to confront it. In Japan it's swept under the carpet, and is possibly even a point of pride.