Feeling Japaneasy
My first time to Poland and wondering what it would be like. Would it be a bit like Czechia?, a bit like Germany (no definitely not). No it is very much like Poland. But suddenly it felt a bit like Japan (I lived in Hokkaido for one year). I think it was when we were parked next to a town’s sports centre and recreational ground. There were facilities such as fire pits and barbecue areas which were being used by groups from the community. I was woken early by workers maintaining the grounds. Everything kept very tidy and in a good state of repair. The small neatly sculptured conifers reminded me of the shaped plants around Japanese public spaces.
Considering their histories, Japan and Poland have both acted to strongly defend their cultural identity. At one time Poland disappeared from the map entirely, yet Poland still continued. Japan implemented a period of isolation from the rest of the world to maintain its cultural identity in the Edo period. Both countries experienced devastating destruction in war, yet as they have undergone a transition to modern industrial states, they have in a conscious and deliberate way selected what they wanted to take from other cultures and from alliances, while maintaining a strong self identity. So perhaps there's something coming from that.
Interestingly, I read that Japan and Poland have recently made an agreement for greater economic partnership.
Then I started seeing Japan everywhere. Did my dumplings look like gyoza? It was interesting to see a massive sushi factory on the outskirts of Poznan (Building on specialism in fish processing, Poland is a hub for sushi production in Europe).