During my travels I take photos of things that belong to Japanese culture, but also I encounter a lot of things that belong to international cultures. For centuries Japan was an isolated country, but today it’s open to new and different cultures of the world.
The first thing that a traveler notices is architecture as it forms the image of a city. The modern buildings of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, and Sendai are made in an international style and have no specific national traits. Towers and skyscrapers made from metal, concrete and glass are often the same all over the world, and well-known architects such as Kenzo Tange have created architectural projects in many countries. The unusual Umeda Sky Building in Osaka was inspired by the futuristic designs of architects from many countries who created works in the beginning of the 20th century. During my trips I also came across buildings that reminded me of European architecture, and a good example of that style can be found at Tokyo Station. The Venus Fort shopping mall located in Odaiba is decorated to resemble an Italian town, complete with an inside square and a fountain. That international influence started in the Meiji Period (1868-1912) and a few samples of old houses can be found at the Edo-Tokyo Museum.
Besides Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, there are international churches including Catholic and Orthodox churches. I was told that many Japanese young people prefer international weddings rather than traditional Japanese ones, and there are many places that hold wedding ceremonies. For international weddings, the bride and groom have standard formal outfits as is the norm in many other countries.
The next thing a traveler sees is Japanese people who are dressed in a common international style with some slightly different features. In shopping malls you can find international brands such as Levi’s, Zara, H&M, Adidas, Marks & Spencer and so on. The Japanese brand of casual clothes UNIQLO is also known in many countries.
I like Japanese cuisine very much, but I noticed many restaurants and cafés that serve international cuisine. Among them are McDonalds, Starbucks, KFC, and MOS Burger, which are known all over the world.
Regarding culture, a lot of international cultural traditions were accepted in Japan, such as celebrating Halloween and Christmas, a passion towards ballet and figure skating, the love of bands such as The Beatles and Queen in the past, and 30 Seconds to Mars now. These are just some examples which show that Japan is not ‘another planet’ as some people may think!
Tatemonoen, The Edo Tokyo Open Air Architecture Museum has a Craftsman style house that reminds me of old houses in Vancouver, Canada, which I lived in. It's nostalgic for me.
One of the weirdest places I've visited in Japan was Huis ten Bosch near Nagasaki, a theme park consisting of full scale replica's of famous Dutch buildings, most of which I have actually never seen in my own country (shame on me...). But no matter how hard they tried, they won't fool anyone :-)