National borders - the borders in people's hearts

Saw this poster a while back in a restaurant in Ikebukuro and wanted to share it with my fellow travelers out there. Since it's my own interpretation the content might differ slightly from the original Japanese text. Anyway, here you go:

国境は、本当は人の心の中にあるものではないでしょうか。

Isn't national borders simply
the borders in people's hearts?

To cross an invisible line that someone drew
To appreciate different cultures or values
The world, its people,
To be connected in the word's true meaning...

To experience the world's beauty through traveling,
To make the world peaceful through love,
To become touched by the wonderfulness of different places,
By becoming more openminded our conflicts will disappear.

To travel,
Isn't it something that holds these true values?

国境は、本当は

人の心にあるものではないでしょうか。

誰かの引いた見えない線を飛び越えて、

異なる文化や価値観を認め合い

世界と、人々と、

本当の意味で繋がってゆくーーー

旅を通して世界の美しさを知り、

愛することで、世界は平和になり、

その土地の素晴らしさに感動し、
寛容になり、紛争もなくなっていく。

旅というのは、そんな
真の価値をもっているものではないでしょう。

About Anette
Anette came to Japan as an exchange student in 2010, met the love of her life and got stuck. From her base in Tokyo she writes about her experiences as a full-time worker in Tokyo and about her travels in Japan and abroad. She's a free-spirited adventurer who enjoys both the great outdoors and her urban lifestyle.