A Busy Last Day

            It was our last day in Japan and we had a full schedule. The trip had been amazing. It was fun, educational, and exhausting. Our morning started by heading to a more peaceful place called the Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo.

By the Giant Torii Gate

            As we got closer to our destination we were surprised to find less giant buildings and more trees. The shrine was in the middle of a big park. The trees were huge and shaded all the paths. It was relaxing and nice to get out of the middle of the city. The shrine was built to commemorate the great Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken in the early 1900s. Emperor Meiji was a great ruler who led Japan into prosperity. He also created friendships with foreign countries.

The Meiji Shrine

Priests and Priestesses at the Shrine

            To get to the shrine you have to take a few steps. First you walk along one of the many paths in the woods to the Torii Gate. Once you cross the gate you go wash your hands and mouth in a stone basin. This area is called Temizusha. Afterwards you go to the shrine. There is a big box where you can throw a donation or offering. Then you bow twice, clap twice, and bow once again before you make your wish. Near the shrine there is a place where you can write your wish on a piece of paper, put it in an envelope, and slip it into a box. Otherwise there are big hanging wooden plaques that you can write your wish on. This was a beautiful place to stop and get out of the hustle and bustle of the city.

Harajuku

            Next we traveled to Harajuku. This area in Tokyo is full of fashion for teenagers and young people. It full of all sorts of styles of clothes, accessories, and really delicious crepes. I expected to see people in cosplays and some really outrageous clothes but everyone was dressed pretty normal. I loved all the cute skirts and tops. Japanese fashion is very cute. I didn’t make any big purchases other than a backpack that I found. Also, down the street there was a little booth where a man from Istanbul was selling Doner Kebabs. I couldn’t resist! I had been craving one of those since I had been in Europe.

Me with the Main Palace Bridge in the Background

Entrance to the Palace Grounds

            After doing some shopping we traveled to the Imperial Palace. This is where the Emperor lives. We were unable to enter the gates because it is currently closed to the public. The palace grounds are huge and surrounded by an inner and outer moat. The buildings used to be made out of wood but were damaged by fire so now they are a bit more modern, although still traditional looking. The palace is built where Edo Castle used to be. The current emperor of Japan is Emperor Akihito. Similar to other countries, the Emperor does not have political power; he is more of a symbolic figure of Japan.

            The next stop on our busy day was the Mitsubishi Corporation. The other university in attendance, Rice University from Texas, was honored to be visiting the corporation because it has offered them scholarships. The meeting definitely wasn’t what I expected. I thought we would be learning about Mitsubishi cars but in reality the company does all sorts of things. It is more of a trading and manufacturing company that imports and exports all sorts of goods and materials. It has a global network and “more than 200 offices and subsidiaries, as well as over 500 group companies in approximately 90 countries around the world.” This had been my first time learning about such a big corporation. I was amazed at how much detail they needed to pay attention to and how many different things they did.

            To end our day we headed back to a government building in Tokyo to get our debriefing. Each school was given a small amount of time to give a speech touching on a few questions. Important people from the Japan Foundation were there. For our group, Alex and I gave the speech. Rice University knew about this in advance so they were a bit more prepared. This made the UW Oshkosh students nervous. When brainstorming the idea of what were going to talk about I offered to share my blog. The point of this trip was to promote Japan and I thought my blog could show how people in the U.S were learning about Japan by what I have been writing. Alex did an amazing job of opening up our speech; he even made people laugh with his sweet sense of humor. Then I showed and explained my blog and how it relates to this 10-day trip and promoting Japan. Luckily, our speech was a hit! I was so happy that I was able to represent the students from UW Oshkosh in such a positive way.

Our Last Hurrah

            Everyone was pretty tired. It had been a long day and a busy trip. We fought our sleepiness and went on the town to give Japan one last hurrah. With the help of Sam’s two Japanese friends we found a place on the second floor of a building nearby. We were only out for a couple of hours but I was able to enjoy a few glasses of plum wine and conversation with the wonderful people I had spent the last few days with.

            This post was actually written from home. The 12-hour plane ride was long, but not bad. Reflecting on these past 10 days, I just wanted to say that I learned so much about Japan. I am so thankful to have been given this opportunity by the Japan Foundation and Japanese government. I am excited to return to this country in a few weeks!