Would You Visit Japan Right Now?

Right about this time, 11 years ago I was packing up to attend a friend's wedding in California. From there I was heading to Japan. My husband and I had decided to use the trip West as an excuse to keep going West, and since our then 10-month-old daughter was in the sand-eating stage, we jettisoned thoughts of Hawaii in favor of Japan. A friend was working on a dissertation there and was happy to play tour guide/translator for us, so it seemed an ideal time to go.

As we waited in the airport for the plane to San Francisco, we happened to glance up at one of the screens playing CNN and saw that there had been an accident at one of Japan's nuclear reactors. The scenes on TV were chilling: panicked-looking masked people, emergency vehicles, a map with a red throbbing button on it, marking the spot of the leak. Should we still go? Were we uncaring and irresponsible parents for even considering taking our infant into harms way? We started to field calls from frantic relatives, all of whom felt we should stay in the US, and we started researching alternative road trips in the US.

Heian Jingu Shrine, Kyoto (Photo by Robert Montgomery)

But after four days of Napa Valley wedding festivities, and another two days in San Francisco, we got itchy feet. We wanted to head out of the country (we hadn't cancelled any reservations and kept a close watch on the news) We called our friend in Japan, as well as other associates who knew the country well, and determined that the nuclear problem was too far from Tokyo and Kyoto (the two main stops on our itinerary) to be a threat to us. And so we headed across the Pacific.

What followed were 10 sleepless but delightful days as we walked our Ryokans' bamboo matted floors with our alert baby each night (she had a bad habit of falling asleep in her carrier during the day); and hit the streets in the daylight hours for temple-hopping, department store openings (we loved to go early in the morning and see the ritual of all the clerks lined up and bowing to the first customers), castle tours and market strolls. Having our baby daughter with us proved to be a boon; every where we went, we were surrounded by admirers cooing "kawa-ee" (cute) and "genki" (feisty) at our precious bundle. Those who spoke English, came up to us to chat about the baby. We were even invited to a stranger's house for dinner (an unusual event in this usually stand-offish nation). It was a remarkable experience, and one that has made me a lifelong fan of Japan.

That incident that almost derailed our trip was, of course, just a blip in history, especially compared to Japan's recent crisis. I don't blame those who have been cancelling their trips in the months since the tsunami and nuclear crisis. Too many discrepancies have arisen between what the Japanese government is telling its people (and would-be tourists) and what outside experts and local, unofficial monitors are saying about the scope of the nuclear contamination. A very disturbing article appeared just this week.

So would I go now? I think I would, though I might not bring my daughter this time as I do have worries about the radiation. Maybe I'm being too cautious though. There are no longer any State Department advisories warning visitors away from the country (and that's not just the case with the US, but also with the governments or Australia and the UK); and prices have never been better, important for this usually pricey country. The New York Times ran a lengthy piece recently about the 50% discounts that are standard in hotels across the island nation.

And my guess is that traveling there now is probably a bit like heading there with a baby. What I mean is: you're likely going to be greeted with great affection and thanks. Tourism is an important industry in Japan and its taken a beating. Those who are heading to Japan are finding a more gracious and open welcome than usual.