japan is a fascinating country. being chinese it has always been a bit tough to admit that because of the geographical and cultural proximity of the two, not to mention bitter remnants from violent historical events. however it cannot be denied that the japanese excel in many things they do, to the point of being miraculous. this time in tokyo i heard many reference made to china on tv news, book covers and street conversations. with the world zeroing in on china as the beijing olympics approaches, i was in japan observing things that make this island country what it is, and thinking how characteristics of a country and its people help to achieve and define its greatness, and in the same way, how china is making history in its own way.