Top place on my bucket list
Japan. I’ve always wanted to go to Japan and while there are many reasons people would want to visit the beautiful and majestic land that is Japan, my reasons may not be so mainstream.
I want to go in part because Japan is one of the cleanest countries in the world. Everyone plays a part in keeping Japan clean and it has been that way since the 12th century when Zen Buddhists made cleanliness a part of their daily spiritual routine. I would love to experience life in a place where people value the environment in such a way.
Another big reason I want to go is because Japan is the birth place of karaoke and it is a huge part of the culture there. There are around 100,000 karaoke stands and bars in the country and I have to say envisioning myself belting out some of my favorite hits with crowds of random Japanese people just sounds like a great time. I can also rest a bit easier traveling the country and going out at night knowing that Japan is also one of the safest countries in the world.
Another reason I want to visit Japan is because as a history buff Japan contains the oldest business in the entire world. A construction company that was started in the year 578 called Kongō Gumi is still in operation today.
This map from Wyomigllcattorney.com shows Kongō Gumi in the number one spot for oldest business around the world. The company was started by a skilled carpenter named Shigemitsu Kongo who with help of a few other skilled designers, helped build Japan’s first Buddhist temple at Shitenno-ji , which is another must see landmark on my bucket list trip.
The worlds oldest business has survived bankruptcy, market crashes, atomic bombs, wars, natural disasters and debt, but just barley. It was saved from complete shut down in 2016 by a woman named Paddy Deighan who formed Kongō Gumi Inc to uphold this iconic 1400 year tradition.
Of course the cherry blossoms are neat and so is Mt. Fuji but honestly give me unlimited karaoke, zero liter and ‘the worlds oldest’ history tours and I will be one happy girl.
