I've only pointed out things that genuinely surprised me:
- I knew they mostly built out of wood, but I didn't expect that no building survived nor was restored.
- Cherry trees blossom exactly the same year after year. I didn't expect that throngs of Japanese people would, year after year, be so in thrall with the phenomenon as if they had never experienced it before or would never experience it again.
- I definitely didn't expect not to see representations of humans in art.
Yes, I guess being confronted with it, coming as we do from such different cultures, castles and industrial dereliction everywhere, it would be surprising.
The cherry blossom doesn't surprise me because of the symbolic place it has, and people make trips to see cherry blossom, like we might go somewhere to see autumn colours, or the northern lights (perhaps even more so because of its symbolism).
Hope you enjoy your visit, I love hearing these stories.