Every once in a while, my life in Japan presents me with an image that perfectly encapsulates just how varied this amazing country is. Those are the types of moments that cause me to chuckle to myself and wonder how I ever got so lucky to spend an extended amount of time here. Today’s moment involved two of the hallmarks of Japan: one involving the food with which Japan is perhaps most strongly associated, and one dealing with a technological advancement with which few other countries can compete with. Rural rice fields and a bullet train, speeding along at almost 190 miles per hour, make for quite the pairing. I love the fact that the traditional and modern coexist so closely in Japan.
The sun setting over rice fields, as viewed from my seat on the bullet train to Tokyo.
Alas, the speed of the 新幹線 (shinkansen, bullet train) proved to be too much for the meager camera on my phone…but I think you get the idea.
