In this video, Nick Kemp shares his heartfelt thoughts about living in Japan and the deep connection he feels with its unique culture and traditions. Reflecting on the balance between welcoming more people into the country and preserving its rich heritage, he explores the concept of nagomi—a harmony between foreign influences and indigenous customs. He dives into the challenges and hopes for Japan’s future, its cultural identity, and what makes it a must-visit destination.
Journeying through Japan
Nick: This is really interesting for me, because I loved living in Japan, and I want to go back. But at the same time, I love Japan because of its uniqueness, and I guess in some way, because of its purity. So it's this dichotomy of Japan should have more people going in, but Japan should maintain its culture and its traditions and customs.
And that might be a real challenge with a foreign population. But maybe, I'm thinking of a term I talked with Ken Mogi about, nagomi. And he often gave examples of both of indigenous Japanese concepts and foreign concepts working together to create this nagomi—this balance or harmony.
So maybe that's the goal; to find this nagomi, this balance, harmony in, I guess, refugee intake, and I guess increased immigration. For me, living in Japan, it's been such a powerful learning experience and some of the best years of my life.
So I certainly hope Japan would have more people to experience what I experienced. And I hope to go back, too. So I hope I can go back when COVID ends. So yeah, wonderful country, beautiful people, fascinating culture. So I recommend everyone to at least go once in their life.