I still remember the moment I landed at Kansai Airport in Osaka, Japan. It was my first trip abroad—my dream trip—and unfortunately, I was stuck in a middle seat, unable to glimpse the island nation as we descended. But the moment I stepped off the plane and into the terminal, I was greeted by a world that far surpassed anything I had ever imagined from the anime and manga of my childhood.
The first thing that caught my eye was the blue-green patina of an ancient temple roof, standing in stark contrast to the meticulously organized urban sprawl around it. Thick, forested islands perched atop hills, seamlessly woven into the cityscape. I had never thought human civilization could coexist so harmoniously with nature—until I saw how the Japanese did it.