Few cliches are harder to avoid when writing about this country than “Japan as a land of contrasts.”
The difficulty lies mainly in the fact that it is ever-present.
Whether it is futuristic tech alongside fax machines, centuries-old temples juxtaposed with shimmering glass skyscrapers, or hotel choices between robot staff and facilities from the 1700s, Japan can be a whiplash-inducing experience even for those who have resided here for decades.
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