Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun. The Japanese are probably the most civilised population group in the world. Where everyone bows to show respect, where people are completely silent in the subway and where the seats meant for older people, pregnant women and the disabled stay empty, even though the train is packed. Japanese are cautious not to be a nuisance to others.

Japan is also the country where the edges of lawns are cut with nail scissors because perfection is at the core of the national identity. This is a society without unemployment, even though that means that there are people who hold a road sign along the road as a job. Japan feels like a different planet, but a nice one. 

In this edition, in cooperation with MasterCard, we bring an ode to this spectacular country. We used eight haiku to create a travel poetry film, the traditional Japanese poetry form. Plus, you’ll find two more stories about Nippon, as the Japanese call their land. We also take you to Sumatra, where we went on a tiger expedition with the World Wildlife Fund. And you’ll get hungry reading about Fattoria La Vialla in beautiful Tuscany. Have fun with this edition of WideOyster Magazine.

Happy trails en どうぞご無事で (Safe travels),