Japan is not finished. By way of introduction.

I am Buncho, a tour guide.
The official name for my profession is 'Nationally Licensed Guide Interpreter,' and my job is to accompany visitors from abroad and guide them around various locations. We call this 'conducting a tour.'

Tours can vary greatly. They can last anywhere from half a day to three weeks. The formats also range from large group tours involving dozens or sometimes hundreds of people on large buses, to private tours for families or couples. Basically, each guide chooses the type of tour and schedule that fits their own capabilities and preferences.

What I love most is guiding small, private tours. Through private tours alone, I have met over 10,000 people from more than 30 countries around the world.

I take guests who have come to Japan—a country with a different language and different customs—to tourist spots and explain the history and culture. This is my primary mission.

However, it is not just that.I believe the most important thing is to convey the Japanese way of thinking.

I make a conscious effort to be a guide who can explain the Japanese way of thinking that lies behind the actions of the Japanese people, which can sometimes appear mysterious.

The reason I do this job is because I love Japan. Perhaps you cannot do this job unless you love Japan. If you were asked to talk about someone you dislike, it would likely be full of insults. Anyone can find and talk about the good qualities of someone they love.

There are also many bad things about Japan. There are endless challenges in every aspect, including the social system, economy, politics, science, and education.

I often hear on social media about how inferior Japan is compared to the rest of the world, about political corruption, and about troubles with immigrants. I have often heard people say, 'Japan is finished.' But is that really true? Even looking back through history, there were many eras far worse than modern Japanese society. Yet, Japan has moved forward step by step, without giving up.

The work of Noters who point out and share social issues is wonderful, and I always find their articles very interesting to read. Even though I love Japan, I always make sure to stay informed about the challenges facing the Japanese nation. In fact, many guests ask me questions about them. When that happens, I speak honestly. Every country has its bad sides. Fairytale lands do not exist anywhere.

While I remain aware of these problems, the reason I continue to do this work is to focus on a different side of Japan. It is to convey to foreigners that Japan has such wonderful things and that the Japanese people are lovely.

This is not the same as excessive praise of Japan. Most of these things are small details that even Japanese people themselves do not notice.

I sometimes see this during group tours: when you look at the table after a meal, the mess left behind by foreign tourists! Haha. The chopsticks are pointing in all different directions, and food scraps are scattered everywhere.

However, even in the same group, the tables of Japanese people are clean. This is something we can do unconsciously because we were taught it by our parents' generation. I am sure this has been going on for hundreds or thousands of years.

Each of these little things is something Japan can be proud of. Japanese people can act without thinking, 'Why should a restaurant customer have to clean the table?' A guide's job is to explore why that is possible and put it into words.

It is easy to find the bad sides of one's own country because they stand out. I, too, used to think that Japan was losing its traditional good qualities and was only losing momentum. But because the good sides have become part of daily life, those of us immersed in them do not notice them.

It is the foreign tourists who properly notice these things and put them into words. Every time they point them out, I am struck by the realization, 'Oh, that was also a good quality of Japan.'

'Find strengths and build on them.' I believe this is important not only for individuals but also for countries.

I even think that if people who visit Japan become even bigger fans of the country, it will help contribute to the realization of a peaceful world.

'You cannot point a gun at a friend.' You might think this is a pipe dream given the current state of the world. Even so, I believe that those who return home with the good aspects of Japan etched in their hearts will truly believe, should something happen, that this is a country worth protecting.

I strive, at the very least, to convey to the people I meet—those who have questions like 'Why are the streets so clean? Why do the trains arrive on time? Why do people bow even when no one is around?'—the roots of the Japanese way of thinking. Most of the time, these are things that Japanese people themselves do not notice.

Even for me as a guide, these things are difficult to put into words, so I am never certain if I am truly getting through or how much is being understood. I have felt so frustrated with myself many times, feeling the helplessness of the limitations of language. The moment I put it into words, I felt as if I were moving further away from the truth, and I would fall into a sense of powerlessness.

We ourselves cherish the Japanese temperament and seek to protect what Japan has created. Seeing this, foreign tourists should be deeply moved as they return to their home countries. When we let social problems crush our emotions and become desperate, Japan's charm will disappear, and the many foreigners currently visiting will likely stop coming.

That is precisely why I want to find even the smallest good aspects of Japan and spread them. Even if I cannot do anything myself, I can become a publicist for Japan.

There are many things I want not only foreigners but also Japanese people to know. To that end, I am utilizing NOTE and conducting lectures.

Just as we often only realize our own strengths when someone points out, 'You have such good qualities,' I am writing about the things foreign tourists have said to me that made me happy or took me by surprise, through my tour experiences.

Thank you for your follows and comments. I look forward to your continued support.