Edition #6 2019
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“Japan sometimes feels like a strange planet, but a nice one!”
FOREWORD
Japanese manners
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),
Marco Barneveld
Editor-in-chief
This issue was created by: Marco Barneveld, Frits Meyst, Alessio Cuomo, Daan Vermeer, John Donica, Veerle Witte, Walter de Vries & Marleen van Dijk (translations). Many thanks to: The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) & Turkish Airlines.
どうぞご無事で!
Hectic Capital
Tokyo & Kyoto, Japan
The trip to get there wasn’t the problem. For a few tenners, I took an overnight boat from South-Korea to the Japanese port city Osaka. There, I found it was Japan itself that embarrassed me. My bank card, mobile phone and English let me down completely. Japan had...
Tokyo, Japan
Ode to the Journey
The water and land covered planet we call home is a unique rock in an endless universe. This Bella Gaia, with all her biodiversity, is so diverse, one lifetime doesn’t suffice to explore her entirely, and to completely figure out her grandeur. But every footstep is...
Culinary happiness in Tuscany
Fattoria La Vialla
About fourteen kilometres from Arezzo, and a stone’s throw away from the authentic town of Castiglion Fibocchi, there’s a hidden gem in the form of a farm and wine estate. Between the rolling hills of Tuscany, scattered with cypresses, fertile fields, olive groves...
Feel like a Royal on Bali
Matahari Beach Resort & Spa
Do you ever feel the urge to be treated like the king or queen that you are? Check out this Pearl of Paradise on Bali. Arriving at Matahari Beach Resort & Spa you have the feeling of entering a Balinese palace. Set in a lush tropical botanical garden of 4...
Searching for the last wild tigers
Sumatra, Indonesia
Crawling through the mud, showering under waterfalls and an impossible battle against an army of bloodsuckers. Our author ventured into the lowland rainforest of Sumatra, during an expedition to protect the last remaining Sumatran tigers. ‘What if you encounter a...
Photo Portfolio
Streets of Tokyo
May we introduce our latest member of the WideOyster family? We are thrilled with John Donica, photographer and cinematographer from Moldova. He shot all the scenes for our Ode to the Journey: Japan. He also created these stunning images of the streets of Tokyo. A...
Sustainability Pioneer in Thailand
Travel Hero Florian Hallermann
As more and more voices are shouting that travel is bad for the environment. We believe that travel done right can be a tool in conserving this beautiful rock we live on. We’d like to shed a light on travelers who have been giving everything to preserve the planet....
