The State We're In

My trip has been one that has been rife with shocking world events changing the scope of my existence in each country I have been. Whether it's been the Christchurch earthquake, the floods and cyclones in Australia, sparring between Thailand and Cambodia, the massive earthquake in Japan, or, most recently, the assassination of Osama bin Laden and its effect on European Muslim population, a lot of things entirely out of my control have changed the situation in my time within each stop.

Or at least, so says the media.

Let's use Japan as the test case here. Based strictly off the media and US travel advisories, my expectations would have been a country in tatters, with people moping about and everyone paranoid that the next moment could be the one when the next major earthquake hits. Based off the empty hostels I stayed in and the fact that I was interviewed by a Tokyo television station about the massive drop in foreigners visiting, it appears that these beliefs are widespread amongst the travelers of the world.

Yet, reality is completely unlike the one that is portrayed by news channels more interested in sensationalizing the news for the purpose of ratings and/or hits, as well as the one depicted by the understandably cautious US government.

Before I made my decision to come to Japan, I did a ton of research. I didn't just trust news outlets - I went to the ground. These days, with your everyday bloggers struggling to make a niche, sometimes you can't even trust the smaller news outlets, so I went with the very small niche. I went to smaller forums, I asked people I knew in Tokyo, and perhaps most importantly, I asked CouchSurfing.org and their Tokyo and Japan communities.

In that process, I found out that the "rolling blackouts" and "food shortages" were rare to non-existent in Tokyo and further south, that trains were in fact running in a timely fashion, and that the status was most definitely quo. Not only that, but I read articles from various sources (which I sadly cannot find) that were underreported and stated things like:

- A British nuclear expert shared that Chernobyl's historically large radius of effect was 30 km. Tokyo is 240 km away.
- Even at the heightened state of radiation, it would take 2 years of continuous dosage at Tokyo levels to affect you negatively.
- Radiation levels on average are higher in China even after the nuclear problems.

As for the earthquakes themselves, I came to realize that they were going to be something I would have to deal with. Even the ground level sources I came across readily admitted that they were coming regularly. Given that I'm from Alaska, a few earthquakes were not enough to deter me.

Throw in the fact that the US government only suggested not to go to Tokyo, and that neighboring cities like Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka and others were good to go, and I said screw it, let's do this.

And do this I did, and I found that...not a whole lot had changed. People were happy. Trains were on time. Shelves were stocked with food. There were no blackouts. Basically, the only thing that had changed is that the amount of foreign visitors had plummeted - I spoke to one front desk employee at a hostel and they told me that they were hit by a 90% cancellation rate.

But the things that people would be concerned about just weren't there. People were fearful for no reason. Even the things that were most likely real - the earthquakes and irradiated food/water - ended up being non-factors for simple reasons.

Earthquakes: They happened. Sometimes often - I felt probably ten in one night - and sometimes prolific - I was in a 6.0 that lasted for about a minute - but they are earthquakes. I've grown quite accustomed to them over the years, and they weren't anything to stress about.

The Food: The area with the nuclear troubles also happens to be the source of 25% of the produce and a good amount of the seafood for the country. They came up with a simple but elegant solution to the problem. DO NOT SELL IT! Shocking, right? Going to a restaurant and finding out that a certain type of sushi or bit of food was nixed because of potential risks was an uncommon but occasional occurrence. If you happened to be the type of person more fearful than me, here is an easy solution: don't eat seafood. There are plenty of other options.

The Water: They invented something. It's called bottled water. Buy it. Drink it. Go forth and prosper.

To me, those people who passed on traveling here are, like the US government, understandably cautious. If you're fearful of these problems enough that it would negatively affect your trip, don't come. However, I went for it and ever so glad I did. Not only did I find out that this is a spectacular country, but I found out just how warm and welcoming and understanding the Japanese people are. Especially now with the way tourism has plummeted, I've actually had people come up and thank me - thank me - for visiting their country.

According to the news, I should likely be on my death bed with some sort of radiation based disease, surrounded by wildly depressed doctors and being served food that should only worsen my condition.

Instead, I am greeted with open arms, eating better than I have ever eaten in my entire life, sleeping in the world's best hostels, and generally having the time of my life.

With that in mind, I approach my upcoming in time in Europe without trepidation or reservations, but with excitement and happiness. Some have suggested I mask my identity as an American for fear of retribution from the Muslim community. As a traveler, I quickly realized that the old adage "treat people how you'd like to be treated" is one of great import.

While Americans may get mistreated on occasion in foreign countries, I can attest to this fact personally that it is quite often because American travelers frequently act like boorish jerks who are ethnocentric and overly expectant of these places to cater to their very specific needs. The answer to me is to assimilate quickly, act with understanding and openness to new things, and to just be friendly and make an effort to bridge the gap between my preferred customs and theirs.

When I did that in 2009 in Europe, I found myself blending in instead of standing out. That's not to say I will travel with no care in the world and not protect myself from potential harm. But it is to say that I will likely find myself less likely to need to, no matter what the media or travel advisories state.