Tokyo, Japan
Because it kept its borders closed to outsiders until the Meji Restoration in 1868, much of Japan’s culture is unlike any other in the world. Geishas, Hanabi (the cherry blossom watching festival), sushi, kimonos, and kabuki theater are just a few traditions that give expression to the Japanese spirit. Around the end of the Shogun period, Chindonya, street performers who wore elaborate costumes to promote local shops, began marching in Tokyo. Even if the Japanese don’t typically respect performing in the streets for money these days, Harijuku is full of young people in outrageous costumes playing music, dancing, or just standing around showing off their colorful makeup.
