Tanja Škopac

My first trip to Japan was in 2019, a few weeks after the new imperial era had begun – after Emperor Akihito had been succeeded on the throne by his son Naruhito. What led me to the Land of the Rising Sun was my fascination with Buddhist temples and the Far East, culture and tradition. This happened even before momiji – maples wearing their autumn colours – worked their magic on me (note: I say magic because the j in momiji is pronounced the same as the g in magic). I returned there in November 2022, as soon as possible after the situation around the Coronavirus calmed down, to enjoy the colours of autumn leaves in Japan for the first time. That trip triggered other, novel forms of infatuation with that part of the world. On that occasion I revisited some of the cities I had already seen, but also discovered the wonderful Kamakura. Last autumn (2023) I visited Kyushu, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Yufuin, as well as the Takachiho volcanic canyon in Miyazaki prefecture, and two places that are connected with Japan’s origin myth and with the supreme deity, the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami: Ama no Iwato Shrine and Ama no Yasukawara Cave. Japan won me over with its tranquillity, cleanliness, order, security, the Japanese attentiveness and consideration for others and for their own environment... Of course, getting back to their smart toilets is always a pleasure. I’m thankful to Japan for increasing my hunger for knowledge with its rich culture, arousing in me an interest in movies, botany and many other things. The only negative memories I have were my own social gaffes in certain situations. For instance, there was the time when I used the thermal water pool (onsen) in Koyasan, in a shukubu, a temple with accommodation for tourists, where I had spent one night in May 2019. Coming to the dressing room wearing a yukata left for me in my room, I jokingly mused in front of other female guests I did not know if I would be the only one wearing a bikini in the pool. This enraged one Japanese woman, who let me know with words (with the help of a string of vehement "nos" in English) and gestures that wearing a bikini was out of the question. Such swimming pools in Japan are enjoyed with no clothes whatsoever and that is no joking matter. The year before last, convinced, for some reason, that Tokyo metro runs all night or at least until 2 am, I missed the last train to the station near my hotel. Fortunately, among those who were rushing up the stairs of Tokyo Station at the same time as me to catch their trains was Yuma, to whom I turned for help. I assumed that the distance was short enough to walk. Yuma offered to walk me to the hotel. Along the way, among other things, he googled Rabin, that is, Labin, my hometown. "Do people in your country like anime?" was one of his questions.