Travellers to Japan invariably notice the cultural fixation on perfection that pervades there. It saturates everything from sushi and transportation all the way to the symmetry of Mt. Fuji and the timelessness of Kyoto. Travelling in Japan is a powerfully evocative experience beckoning visitors to imagine a world without flaws.

Japan is a nation of islands stretching across the Pacific coast of Asia. Along with the 'Home Islands' of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, Japan consists of nearly 7,000 mostly volcanic islands. This geography has long played a role in the Japanese way of life which, to this day, is deeply connected to the sea.