Mix of technology and ancient traditions, Japan is a land of contrasts that has attracted me since my youth. In mid 2015, at the end of several years of study which left me full of questions about the future, I decid to go alone on a journey across the country. I wander for six months through Kyûshû, Honshû, Okinawa, Shikoku. I discover traditions, food and some very specific aspects of Japanese culture. And faces the language barrier and the weight of history. I also do several volunteer work, in a small family inn, on a very small dairy farm and on a tiny, almost self-contained farm. I discover the country on foot and by public transport. I even work in a refractory factory. A great chance to discover how Japanese work. I also take the opportunity to marvel at the beauty of the last temples and shrines and visit the Ghibli museum. A special journey. I left the country in a hurry but I plan to return in the near future.
Keywords: discovery, temples and shrines, onigiri, Buddhism, volcanoes, wwoofing, onsen, hiking, islands, studio Ghibli, mythology and yokais, geishas, nuclear bomb, cultural identity, misunderstanding.