Stories from Japan

A journey through the land of samurai, sushi and cutting-edge technology

In Ueno Park, Tokyo, there is a statue of Saigo Takamori, considered the last samurai and symbol of the defense of tradition. Proof of this is that he committed suicide in 1873, committing harakiri, after losing a battle against the troops of a government that advocated modernity.

Japan is a land of contrasts par excellence: the persistence of the past and the look to the future coexist in a country where cutting-edge technology and skyscrapers cohabit with the samurai mentality and ancient temples and shrines, where nature is revered as a god and gastronomy strives for perfection. Xavier Moret describes the Land of the Rising Sun today through his travels to its three major islands (Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku) and his stays in the main cities (Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka) and tries to provide the keys to understand the culture and complexity of a country that fascinates the West more and more every day.