Uganda, April 28 -- A couple of friends who had just returned from Japan took me back to some years back when we travelled there. Although there has since been many changes, the overall experience of visiting Japan always remains one of awe and fascination.

I remember vividly when we were driven from the airport to our hotel. It was raining heavily, we passed by a construction site where a tall building was being constructed. It was interesting to see that all the workers were wearing raincoats and working tirelessly on the tall scaffolding, no rain would deter or stop their work. It looked like an anthill buzzing with activity and life.

During that time, one of the biggest challenges of travelling there was the fact that few people spo...