I voted for none of the above as I believe one cannot place a finger on, or actually say what the "real" Japan is. To each of us it is a different answer and no answer is right or wrong as each of us sees Japan through different eyes.
To me, the real Japan would be where I was living at the moment. When I lived in Japan, the "real Japan" was my 2DK apartment with it's
futon,
kotatsu, small refrigerator, TV and bath. The real Japan is the walk to the station avoiding traffic on small streets with no sidewalks and slight head nods and greetings to the neighbors and speaking Japanese 90% of the day.
It is the train ride to my destination or the shopping in local supermarkets and department stores. It is hot ramen and a cold beer on the way home from work or a night out. It is the buying of
bento boxes to eat on the train to an
onsen with friends or family. It is warming up a cold room with the kerosene heater. It is the visiting of local historical places to learn of the past history and culture. It is running the last minute to the station to catch your train in the morning or the rushing to catch the last train home in the evening. It is meeting a friend under Studio Alta in Shinjuku or in front of
Hachiko in Shibuya for a date or a night out.
It is the hustle and bustle of the large cities with crowded trains and everyone constantly looking at their cell phones playing games, texting, or looking at messages and it is the quiet, serene areas in the country or suburbs where life is slower and a bit quieter. It is "
irrashaimase" and "
domo arrigato" when entering or leaving a place of business. It is, "Stay behind the yellow line," at train stations. It is a cold beer with dinner and hot tea with breakfast. It is
sumo and baseball and shrines and temples, etc., etc.
And when I visited Japan again these past few weeks I considered myself to have experienced the "real" Japan by visiting the same house I have for the past 20 yrs, our room, the eating of all meals while seated on the floor in front of the TV, the hot bath before dinner and, again, all the things I mentioned above. Culturally, not much has really changed in my opinion these past 34 years as far as I can see with the exception of the massive construction of mansions and tall buildings in all areas.
The "real" Japan, therefore, is whatever one is experiencing while there and no two people will have the same experience. What I may consider to be the "real" Japan to me may be far different to what another may consider to be the "real" Japan to them. To paraphrase a popular saying, I guess you could say the "real" Japan is in the eye of the beholder.