Koenemann: Japan

Geishas and samurais, karate and bonsai -no country in Asia has had a comparable influence on Western culture and global developments as Japan. It is a country full of beauty, exoticism - and contrasts. Dazzling mega-metropolises like Tokyo, Osaka or Yokohama on the one hand, rugged volcanoes, glittering mountain lakes and remote temples on the other. There is no question that Japan exerts a strong fascination on most people. This is also due to the people, for example those bustling suit and costume wearers who squeeze through the subways of the cities early in the morning and in the evening by the millions and who are willing to give up a large part of their annual vacation for the good of the company. Or even the ordinary employees, such as those gardeners in the many public gardens and parks who spend hours crouching with stoic calm, using small scissors to cut a tree into...