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Japan

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China has been in the news a great deal lately, because Beijing will shortly be hosting the Olympics. What is that news? That Beijing has a tremendous smog problem which officials are trying to fix in time for the Olympics by trying to get all the cars off the road. But this isn't going to work because the pollution is actually coming from communities surrounding Beijing, which the wind is blowing in and which becomes trapped over the city by the surrounding mountains.

However, China is also becoming the most polluted country in the world. The government is running a campaign to bring the country into the 21th century, which is resulting in a massive influx of factories which are pouring out pollution like there's no tomorrow.

Then there's the political aspect. Japan is a free country - China isn't. Let us never forget Tianamen Square. China may have "most favored nation" status with the United States - although I've never understood why, but their contaminated food imports have also been in the news recently.

Contrast that with Japan. Sure, Japan has a few problems. The people live on islands - and more than that they live on the coasts of these islands, as the interiors are mountainous and not habitable. So there's a lot of population squeezed into very little space and most every house or apartment is built small, with space saving devices.

Their culture is intact for the most part - although you will hear American slang and see a few of the younger generation dressed in hip-hop trends.

There are roads everywhere and an efficient train system.

There are plenty of castles and temples to visit. If you visit at the right time you can see a basho - or Sumo tournament. There's one held every two months. Sumo is the national sport of Japan and is rich in tradition. Also time sensitive are such things as the cherry blossom festival.

Every hotel in the major cities will have people who speak English. The streets are clean, the people for the most part law-abiding. (I won't go into the Yakuza...most people don't have to worry about them!) People are friendly and since there's a strong American presence there because of all the military bases, Americans are welcome.

There are a few things to see in China, of course. The Forbidden City. The Great Wall. But I'd advise waiting a few more years for a tourist infrastructure to be put into place before you go visit.

Learn more about this author, Barbara Peterson.
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