Category Archives: Kyoto/Hiroshima

Samantha Kosai – “Barefoot Gen” and Hiroshima

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By: Samantha Kosai

Today we discussed the atomic bomb, primarily through the first two books of Keiji Nakazawa’s Barefoot Gen series. These books follow a closely-autobiographical journey of a boy named Gen and his family right before the atomic bomb drops on their hometown, Hiroshima, and its aftermath. Nakazawa writes in the form of a comic series; we read the first two and saw the 1983 animated movie. When we discussed the animated film, Lela brought up an excellent point about the use of animation in depicting the initial moments after the bomb drops. The horrific effects of the bomb slowly paint onto Hiroshima civilians and leave them looking somewhat like zombies.

This is the movie cover for the 1983 animated version we saw in class.

The class agreed that animation was able to show the destruction of the atomic bomb in a manner that allowed viewers to recognize and grieve its effects while not being too gory, like what might happen in a live-action remake. Bright colors and cutting between freeze-framed scenes also let viewers take in the damage done to Hiroshima victims in ways that are particular to an animated style. We discussed the differences between Barefoot Gen and “A Grave of Fireflies,” which we read Friday. We also read an article by Susan Napier that compares the two and agreed with her argument that both have different tones. Keenan shared that Barefoot Gen has an overall more uplifting tone that is reflected in Gen processing the war by taking care of his mom and younger sister, the only other survivors of his family. This reinforces a distinction Napier makes about victimhood and suffering. By being the latter, Gen does not enable victim consciousness to form. 

This is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

We read two other articles about Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Park. An article by Rinjiro Sodei posed the question: “Is the A-bomb known more for its power or misery?” which I asked the class as well. Keenan answered that it depends on who you are asking and the rest of the class agreed. The atomic bomb is internationally known but means different things based on your relation to the history of the war. I thought this was a really great point. We also read Ran Zwigenberg’s article and focused on the ethics of preserving the A-bomb dome, the use of calling the park sacred in political discussions, and student protests. One of the biggest takeaways I got from this part of our discussion was Lela’s recognition that it is not really our place to decide the ethics of how these issues are handled since we are not part of those communities. This is an important thing to remember as we continue to study history and go forward in creating it. 

I am working with Gabriel Galanti for our research project to study the depiction of comfort women in the Korean film Spirits’ Homecoming. This film is critical of the discriminatory actions comfort women faced and those who reinforce this system. We finished a draft of our paper last week and submitted it to Professor Uchiyama in lieu of a preliminary research plan to receive feedback on our work. It has been really nice working with Gabe; he is very dedicated to both this project and being a responsible and communicative writing partner. I’m looking forward to reading Professor Uchiyama’s comments and revising our paper based on them. 

Our Second Day in Kyoto

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By: Madeline Clasen

On our last day in Kyoto, we all woke up to eat breakfast and check out of our hotel. Then we were off to explore the offerings of the city. My research project partner, Athena, and I decided to check out Gion, the geisha district in Kyoto. We were hopeful that we might spot a few maiko, or geisha apprentices while there. Sadly, we didn’t see any geisha or maiko, but we did see a lot of people wearing yukata, a lighter cotton version of kimono worn in the summertime.

Gion is a neighborhood with many narrow twisting streets and traditional wooden houses and buildings. While there we visited various craft and souvenir shops and also stopped for some green tea flavored ice cream. It was also very hot outside so I stopped in one of the shops specializing in Japanese paper fans. With the weather as hot as it’s been these past few days, I think it will definitely come in handy.

One of the popular streets in Gion

We also visited the nearby Yasaka Shrine and took a walk in Marayuma park. We also hiked up to a Buddhist temple, where we took our shoes off outside before going in to take a look at the temple’s statues. In the park, we saw some koi fish swimming in the pond, and some beautiful traditional bridges and architecture.

The main gate to Yasaka Shrine

On the way back towards the station we were delighted by the roadside Buddhist statues and alters. Nearby signs instruct visitors to touch the statues for good luck and merit. We made sure to touch the ones we passed by. Hopefully we accumulated a lot of luck and merit to help us with our project here in Japan.

Instructions for touching roadside statues

One of the roadside statues near Gion

After a long day of walking through Gion and visiting shrines and temples, we hopped on the train and headed back to Kyoto station to catch our Shinkansen, or bullet train, back to Tokyo. The train travels at speeds close to 320 mph, meaning the trip that would take more than 5 hours by car, takes less than three hours by train.

Before getting on, we stopped in a shop in the station to buy an ekiben, a pre-made bento box available on trains and in train stations in Japan. There were lots of options to choose from and often times train stations sell bentos with regional ingredients or foods specific to the area. I decided on a Kansai region bento box, with lots of different types of vegetable side dishes.

Opening the bento to eat on the train

After our train ride back to Tokyo station, we all rode back to Sakura hotel and checked back in for some rest and relaxation before we start back to class at Meiji University on Monday morning. Kyoto was a wonderful experience jam packed with exciting things to do, see, and eat. I definitely hope to return to Kyoto in the future.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

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By: Jessica Idenoshita 

Upon our return from Miyajima Island, we visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. On our way to the museum, we walked through the Heiwa Koen (Peace Memorial Park) where we saw the Atomic Bomb Dome. The Genbaku Dome or Atomic Bomb Dome, which used to be the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, was the only building near the hypocenter of the atomic bomb blast left standing. While walking past the Genbaku Dome, we were greeted by several Japanese high school students who were collecting signatures to prevent the use of nuclear weapons so that there are “No More Hiroshimas.” It was my first time signing a petition in a foreign country and I’m glad that I got to help the local students who are advocating for a more peaceful future so that such a devastating tragedy never happens again.

Genbaku Dome at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Another memorial within the park

Once inside the museum, the exhibits graphically illustrated Hiroshima city before and after the bomb, along with personal stories of the victims and families in great detail. Every piece of artifact on display, from pieces of clothing and name tags, belonged to many young innocent civilians whose family members were also heartbreakingly affected by the bomb. Although this was not my first time visiting the Peace Memorial Museum, it was still such a powerful and moving experience seeing all the artwork, photographs, and reading the detailed accounts of the disastrous aftermath. The accounts that illustrated how the victims asked those who came to help for water because of their severe burns, made me feel emotional because they were similar to the story my 80-year-old grandpa told me, who is also a hibakusha (survivor affected by one of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan) since he entered the hypocenter to aid civilians and lives in Hiroshima to this day.

Exhibit of everyday items in the hypocenter when the bomb was dropped

Towards the end of the exhibit hall, there was a display of tiny origami cranes made by Sadako Sasaki, a twelve-year-old who passed away from leukemia due to the effects of the radiation from the bomb. Sadako folded one thousand cranes hoping that her wish for getting better would come true. Seeing such intricate and beautiful cranes that Sadako folded throughout her life despite pain, the paper cranes will forever symbolize courage to me. It was touching to learn that when Sadako was in sixth grade, her classmates founded the Unity Club to visit Sadako in the hospital and started the Thousand Cranes Movement, which eventually helped create the Children’s Peace Monument that we visited during our walk through the Peace Memorial Park. Even after more than 60 years following her death, Sadako’s classmates wanted to keep their kindhearted classmate’s story alive so that people would know of her strength throughout her short life and how such a devastating event can never occur again.

Paper cranes folded by Sadako exhibit

I am very glad we got to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum because it is important and valuable to know of the tragic history and stories of the victims of the atomic bomb that took the lives of more than 100,000 people. I was able to get a much greater and deeper understanding of the impacts of what happened the morning of August 6th, 1945 that textbooks cannot fully convey.

Miyajima Island

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By: Keith Leach

What’s popping y’all? My name is Keith Leach, I’m a rising senior studying Communications and I’m currently in Japan (yay!). But you’re not reading this to learn more about me (although you really should be—I’m extremely interesting), you’re reading this to learn more about the trip and what we’re doing out here! So without further ado, here’s my account of our day at Miyajima Island.

View of Miyajima from the boat.

When traveling to Miyajima, you have to take a ferry from the coast of Hiroshima on the mainland to get to the island. Once we were on the ferry, the rest of the cohort and I were absolutely floored with how beautiful the mountains looked. It was an extremely sunny and clear day, so everything looked amazing.

 

Deer walking across the island.

 

The boat ride lasted about 10 minutes. And as soon as we got off, we saw the islands main attraction—the deer. Miyajima is inhabited with what seemed like thousands of the most adorable and unbothered deer in the world. They roamed freely and pursued anyone who had any type of food. They were nice enough to be touched and petted, but one of them did buck a little bit at my friend Joe when he tried to take a picture. As we continued up the dirt road towards the “real” main attraction of the island, the Shrine, we passed a multitude of shops until we finally got to its gate. The gate was actually in the middle of the water, but conveniently had a little area where we could snap pictures in front of it without getting wet.

View of the shrine.

Finally, we were able to trudge up to the gorgeous (and thankfully shady) shrine, where we were directed to throw a coin and say a little prayer. Beforehand though, we had to perform a cleansing ritual: pour water over your left hand, then your right, pour some more into your left palm to swish it in your mouth, and lastly, hold the ladle upright to wash the rest of the water over the handle. There was a similar ritual we had to perform for the prayer: toss a coin into the trough, bow twice, clap twice, pray, then bow a final time to finish. All of these rituals may sound like a bit too much, but I personally loved them. The Shinto shrines we’ve been visiting in Japan are so rich in history you can almost feel the years coursing through your feet with every step. Entering each shrine and observing the masterful architecture makes you want to be respectful towards every ritual that’s sacred to the people who built it—for them and for the spirits.

View of the streets behind the shrine.

After we finished walking through the shrine, we had lunch at this amazing okonomiyaki (a Japanese pancake) restaurant. The portion was honestly huge, which we all needed after a long and eventful afternoon walking everywhere. Finally, we had a little bit of time to kill before leaving the island, so we walked through the streets around the shrines and picked up some souvenirs and drinks—a satisfying end to an amazing afternoon on Miyajima.

Dreaming in Kyoto

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By: Joseph Narcisse

On the morning of Friday, May 25th, each member of the group grabbed a few slices of toast and a cup of coffee and were on their way to Tokyo Station. It would be our first time riding the Shinkansen (Bullet Train). Once all boarded, we placed our bags above our reserved seats and embarked on a 2-hour train ride, zooming by famous peaks like Mount Fuji on the way.

After a quick ride that consisted of binge-watching TV shows, reading, and sleeping, we finally arrived at Kyoto Station! It was by far one of the most amazing train stations I have ever been to. The station was filled with up-to-date technology, modern architecture and held a dozen train tracks as well as hundreds of shops and restaurants.

Kyoto Station

After dropping our luggage off at Ibis Styles Kyoto Station (the hotel where we would be staying for the next two days), we headed right back across the street to Kyoto Station to grab lunch. The group split in two and aimlessly wandered around to find a restaurant. The group of 6 that I was with found Katsukura, a Japanese restaurant, and I ordered a plate of Tonkatsu.

Next, we went upstairs to the train tracks headed over to Fushimi Inari Taisha, commonly known as the Fushimi Shrine. This shrine sits at the base of a Mount Inari, and consists of a magical, seemingly unending path of over 5000 orange torii gates that wind up the mountain. I bowed before entering under the first torii gate – it is said that walking underneath them brings good luck! We then washed our hands at a chōzubachi, and water-filled basin just past the entrance of the shrine area. Worshippers are supposed to wash their left hand, then right, then mouth, and lastly the handle of the water ladle to purify themselves. Next, we began the hike up Mount Inari!

GEA Japan Scholars posting beneath the torii gates.

It typically takes about 2 hours to make it to the top of the shrine, but just a hair over 3 hours if you take as many Instagram photos as we did. We passed what felt like an infinite amount of torii gates, both large and small, and hundreds of mini-shrines where we would ring bells signifying good luck, pray, and leave written pieces of our goals and wishes on small pieces of wood. At one of these shrines, we followed a ritual where we tossed a 5 yen coin (approximately a US nickel), into a barred area followed by two bows, a prayer or wish, and one final bow. At another, we estimated the weight of a stone before lifting it off of a pedestal, and if the stone was lighter than we predicted, the wish we made before was believed to come true.

We then headed back down to the base of the mountain and stopped by a food marketplace on our way. I tried matcha ice cream for the first time and grabbed a half-vanilla half-matcha desert that was fantastic. Afterward, we caught the bullet train back to Kyoto and got ready for dinner.

Vanilla & Matcha Ice Cream

For dinner, a group of us walked roughly a mile from the hotel to Sujin Shinmachi, a food-marketplace that was brimming with life. Everybody got an entirely different dish; the plates ranged from cooked sausage and rice to kushiage (vegetable skewers). I bought a bowl of sweet chicken with noodles and had a ginger-ale on the side. To finish up the night, we sat and talked for a few hours, then head back to the hotel to get ready for the morning.

My dinner at Sujin Shinmachi: sweet chicken with noodles and a ginger-ale on the side.

Making New Friends at Meiji!

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By: Krystal Gallegos

Today was a really fun day as it was our first time getting to explore more of the area around Tokyo and meet some of our project group members from Meiji University. A portion of us started the morning exploring the area and we went to Kitanomaru Park as a quick wandering session before heading out to Meiji University. The park had really beautiful views and a calming vibe that I’m sure we all appreciated considering all of the traveling and metro hopping. I came prepared with my camera to help document the trip and I will be sharing photos as we moved along the day. Here are some photos from the day!

On our first day, we took a stroll through Kitanomaru Park after breakfast.

Thomas and Kenny enter Kitanomaru Park on our first day exploring Tokyo.

After exploring the Kitanomaru Park, we met Professor Katada at the Sakura Hotel and made our way together to Meiji University. At Meiji University, we had an upfront experience to university life in Japan through meeting the students and exploring the building. Personally, I couldn’t help but notice the architecture of the building and I was very impressed by the multiple floors, elevator, and studious facilities that Meiji has. After attending a brief lecture with Professor Katada, where we gave previews to our personal research groups, we attended a reception with members of Meiji’s Politics and Economics Department and some of our supporter students. Finally being able to meet some of the students was a really fun experience. They were all incredibly approachable and made an active effort to speak with us, and I feel that our group did a great job in establishing connections with them. More photos!

Tamia and a Meiji student pose for a quick photo op, quickly striking up a friendship.

Jessica and Taryn with their Meiji student supporters.

USC Professor Saori Katada with the Meiji University faculty.

USC student Kayla speaks to a Meiji student at our Welcome Reception.

Madeline and Athena speak to a Meiji student supporter at the Welcome Reception.

USC students (left to right) Keith, Thomas, Asha, Jessica, and Kenny pose for a quick photo with Meiji University students at our Welcome Reception.

During the reception, we found some of the members from our groups and exchanged contact information. Some of us added each other on LINE, the main Japanese messaging app, and on other apps like Instagram and Facebook. For example, Shon and I added one of our supporter students on LINE who goes by the name Arachan 🙂 It was very easygoing and comfortable meeting the Meiji students. I think I was a bit afraid of trying my Japanese skills with them but they were all very nice and willing to help me practice. After the reception, we received a warm welcome by some of the staff at Meiji including Professor Nelson and received orientation materials for the rest of our stay. Once orientation finished, we made our way back to our hotel with one of the Meiji students, Tatsuya. Here he is with Jessica as we made a quick stop at McDonald’s!

Jessica (left) and Tatsuki (right), a Meiji student supporter, speak about potential lunch food spots after our first day at Meiji.

And that was the end to our first visit to Meiji and the jump-start to our Maymester in Japan! I am incredibly excited to meet more of the Meiji students and explore Japan more in the next few weeks. Looking forward to all the cool stuff we’ll do such as taking some more photos and making new friends throughout the trip! Here’s a nice photo I took of Jessica as we walked back to our hotel 🙂

Jessica makes her way back to Sakura Hotel as we end our first meeting with the Meiji University students.

Overall, thank you Meiji for a great first day!

 

Off the Beaten Path in Kyoto

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By: Vincent Bertoni

Because we started yesterday (our trip to Hiroshima) so early, I wanted to get a good rest and sleep late today. So, by the time I’d gotten up, everyone else had already checked out of their rooms and started exploring Kyoto. I heard from Matt, an alumni of the program, that there are plenty of bike rental shops around Kyoto station, so I decided to give my feet a rest and bike everywhere today. After paying for the one-day rental and stocking up on water, I used the simplified tourist maps to proceed to get completely lost only minutes after setting out. It’s not that the maps were wrong per-se, but they omitted some very important details (read: roads) that meant that if I ever got off of the map, it was nearly impossible to find my way back onto it. I ended up navigating using Google maps for the whole day, only consulting the map to make use of its extensive bicycle parking directory.

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Helpful rules for getting accustomed to riding in Kyoto; over the course of my day I watched locals break almost all of them.

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The first place I visited was Fushimi Inari-taisha (the shrine of one thousand torii). The entrance and main shrine were magnificent, but packed with people, making it hard to take in the calm majesty of the torii, each of which was donated to the temple as thanks for its donor’s business success.

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Too crowded to get a good picture

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Trying for the perfect picture against all odds.

As soon as I could, I took a side path that jutted off from the main avenue of people, leading to a secluded and almost abandoned trail up the East side of mount Inari. It didn’t have the titular torii of the main trail, but the calm quiet of the bamboo forests and intricately detailed shrines offered something else, a bit of peace from the bustle of the cities I’d been living in for the past two weeks. Almost every one of these was equipped with an unmanned store at the front (this being Japan, they weren’t worried about anyone stealing anything). At one, I think I may have arrived during the middle of a prayer or ceremony, based on the faint chanting and “do not enter” sign placed halfway along the walkway. Eventually, after many gratuitously expensive vending machines and quad-destroying switchbacks, my trail joined back with the trail of torii towards the summit. It seemed very few people were committed to reaching the top,  so it was just as empty as the backwoods trail had been. There weren’t any spectacular views (at least not from the summit), but the shrines (and accompanying gift shops) at the highest point were magnificent and worth the trip. On the way back down, I took the main trail and experienced the conventional Fushimi Inari-taisha experience, but backwards. Instead of gradually escaping the crowds and seeing the torii in their uninterrupted beauty, I progressed further into the crowds and aggressive shop owners as I traveled back down the mountain. Overall, I see this as an situation where I tried to avoid the well-beaten path, and got rewarded with some unique experiences for my troubles.

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At this shrine, all I found were sandals at the entrance, accompanied by the sound of pouring water, chanting, and singing coming from behind the “do not enter” sign.

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The most delicious tofu I’ve eaten in my entire life.

Back on my bike, I traveled to Yasaka shrine, where I ate at a restaurant that only serves one order, a course of the most delicious tofu I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Three different styles of tofu came together to form a complete flavor experience, complete with sweetness, savoriness, and richness, all from tofu! After that, I was planning on biking along the Philosopher’s Walk (a secluded riverside path lined with cherry trees), but I was waylaid by cats from a local cat cafe. They were way friendlier than I’d experienced from other cat-cafe cats (even when they’re on the clock!). By this point, I was already pushing it in terms of getting back to our hotel by the scheduled meeting time, so I wasn’t able to take any more pictures in my mad dash back to central Kyoto. In the end, between visiting shrines and other tourist hotspots, as well as biking through the streets and narrow alleys of Kyoto, I feel that I got a good mix of both the tourist and local experiences in Kyoto.

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Here we see the Vincent in his native habitat, struggling in vain to understand how selfies work.

Honoring Hiroshima and Miyajima’s Majesty

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By: Jordan Kondo

We started our day very early at 5:30 am and walked over to the Kyoto Station to see a rare sight; an empty station. The station soon came to life as early workers and students began commuting. We traveled via the Shinkansen to Hiroshima to see the Hiroshima Peace Museum. It was a powerful experience for myself and my classmates. In class, we read about the racism and hate-mongering exercised by both Americans and Japanese toward each other during World War II, that lead to wartime conduct that was savage, dehumanizing and merciless. It was moving for us to see the destruction that the atomic bomb had caused to Hiroshima. The museum displayed artifacts – clothes, rubble, skin – and the names and short biographies of the victims, which made the experience much more personal.

The A-bomb claimed over 100,000 lives in Hiroshima. During his visit to Hiroshima, President Obama said, “We must change our mindset about war itself and prevent conflict through diplomacy and strive to end conflicts after they've begun…We must reimagine our connection to each other, as members of one human race.”

The A-bomb claimed over 100,000 lives in Hiroshima. During his visit to Hiroshima, President Obama said, “We must change our mindset about war itself and prevent conflict through diplomacy and strive to end conflicts after they’ve begun…We must re-imagine our connection to each other, as members of one human race.”

As the museum was quite graphic, I was surprised to see many young school children on field trips but felt that the museum emphasized the importance of peace to everyone. Outside the museum in the Peace Park, there were many beautiful memorials such as the Sadako memorial and the famous Genbaku dome. It was a reminder, especially in wake of President Obama’s recent trip, to strengthen understanding between different cultures as global ambassadors so that Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be remembered as the “start of our own moral awakening.”

The Genbaku Dome, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was one of the few structures left standing in the central area where the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945.

The Genbaku Dome, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was one of the few structures left standing in the central area where the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945.

After Hiroshima, we enjoyed traditional obento and lighter conversation. We took the train and a ferry to Miyajima Island. There, we were pleasantly surprised to see deer roaming peacefully around the island. While signs advised us not to touch the deer, they were very easy to approach and observe up close. In addition, Miyajima Island is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, an iconic landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The famous torii (traditional Japanese gate) found at the entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine and symbolizes the transition from the profane to the sacred. During low-tide, the water recedes and you can walk through the gates.

The famous torii (traditional Japanese gate) found at the entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine and symbolizes the transition from the profane to the sacred. During low-tide, the water recedes and you can walk through the gates.

There was much to enjoy on the island and as a class we visited various shrines, shopped for omiyage and feasted on grilled oysters, okonomiyaki and the region’s famous maple leaf shaped manjū. We spent some time relaxing and meditating at a shrine and found the respite very calming to be surrounded by Miyajima’s natural beauty. After a long day of traveling, we returned via the Shinkansen to Kyoto. We were fortunate to have 7-day JR Rail passes because it made travelling by the Shinkansen and other JR trains much cheaper for us. I realized that even though it might be cheaper to take a flight across Honshu (main island), the Shinkansen is much more convenient – there is no TSA, times are exact, you can take anything with you and it is really easy to sleep because there is so much leg space! We were really lucky to travel across Japan using such an iconic mode of transportation.

Reliable Rio, our TA, caught Alex (left) and me (right) sleeping on the Shinkansen.

Rio, our TA, caught Alex (left) and me (right) sleeping on the Shinkansen.

When we returned to our Kyoto hotel, many of us made our plans for the following free day to explore Kyoto’s rich history!

Up, Up, and Away (On the Bullet Train!)

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By: Fridaouss Nabine

Today has been fantastic! We took a bullet train (officially called the Shinkansen) to Kyoto, for our second excursion out of metropolitan Tokyo. It was my first time, as well as many other peoples’, and we reached speeds of up to 150mph. The entire ride took about two and a half hours from Tokyo to Kyoto. After arriving, we dropped off our luggage at the hotel, conveniently located across the street from the train station, and headed toward Kyoto University, the second best rated college in Japan. There, we met with USC alum and former student of Lon-Sensei, Tokunaga-san, and discussed the idea of a transpacific identity. Toku-san was raised in Kyoto, and has a long lineage of Kyoto University attendants and professors in his family. Therefore, his identity is somewhat rooted in Kyoto. However, he also spent years at USC as a PhD student and had his first child there. Through discussion, we explored what it means to embrace two or more cultural and geographical identities.

Next, he took the group on a tour through Kyoto University, and talked about the school’s history with activism. Student activism at the university is very liberal, but it is not as popular as it once was. We encountered one person sleeping  in a makeshift home with pots and pans and clothes outside, as a sign of protest. Though the ability to protest in such a public manner was available, many students did not engage in it this way. After the tour, we arrived at Kiyomizu-Dera, a historically preserved place in Kyoto. The styles of the homes, shrines, and streets were the same as those from hundreds of years ago. We walked along the famed temple path, looking at handcrafted souvenirs and consuming frozen treats along the way. After walking through a section of the temple, we arrived at a location where we all had the chance to purify out mouths and hands before continuing through the temple. The process involved using a wooden ladle to retrieve water and wash both hands and then scoop some water into the mouth. For many, it was a first experience.

Learning about the history of protests at Kyoto University

Learning about the history of protests at Kyoto University

We then walked away from the temple and explored the surrounding area. We saw the statue of Kannon, a well respected Bodhisattva. We also came across many temples and shrines, including one dedicated to geishas. Throughout the day, we encountered many ordinary people who wore kimonos on their journey through the area. We learned from our Teaching Assistant Rio-san, that, many people do this as a way to connect and be a greater part of the traditional environment. Soon after, we settled at a park at the edge of downtown Kyoto. There, we hung out by the river. The location is known for local artisan goods and its restaurants. College students also frequent there during the weekend, creating a social and relaxed environment. Finally, we went to a traditional Chinese restaurant in the area. There, we enjoyed traditional Chinese dishes of egg fried rice, fried eggplant, and spicy fish soup, among others. The day was filled with a lot of cultural and historical excavations.

Jumping in front of Kannon statue

Jumping in front of Kannon statue

Welcome back to Tokyo

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By: Steve Nguyen

Good morning Kyoto! Today June 11 is our last day in Kyoto and we have free time until 12:45 pm. A lot of us broke up into different groups. Some of us went to the arcade, others went shopping in the malls near Kyoto station, and I decided to rent a bike and ride down the Kamo River. The bike shop was just around the corner from the our hotel and the rates were really good. It cost me about $8 to rent a bicycle for a day. Going to the river is very easy because you just have to head in the general direction of the river until you see it.  Almost every bridge has stairs or slope for people or bicyclists. I only had a limited time to ride on the river plain so I decided to head north because I was told it had beautiful scenery.

Here we go! I cruised along the Kamo river on this bicycle

Here we go! I cruised along the Kamo river on this bicycle.

When I got to the river I noticed that the river plain was clean just like Kyoto and Tokyo. I found it very nice that we can find areas with nature, even though we are in a big city. The river plain was very pleasant and serene. It wasn’t very crowded this Friday morning, but I saw some people eating, chatting, and sleeping along the river. There were many ducks, swans, and cranes along the river enjoying their day as well. This scene reminded me of the scenes in Pico Iyer’s The Lady and the Monk when Iyer would walk with Sachiko in the beautiful and serene parks in Japan. Experiencing Japan’s nature in real life helped me grasp Japan’s respect for nature.  In each place we have visited, mankind has coexisted with nature.  As Iyer described in his books, Japan’s respect for nature is beautiful. Perhaps the Japanese respect for life and others stems from their respect for nature which can be seen everywhere in Japan if you know where to look.

The river plain by Kamo river was serene and beautiful. There were many wildlife and many people jogging, eating, chatting, and resting along the river plain. If I had more time I would do all of that and more along the river!

The river plain by Kamo river was serene and beautiful. There was lots of wildlife and many people jogging, eating, chatting, and resting along the river plain. If I had more time I would do all of that and more along the river! 

I had to get back to the hotel at 12:45 pm, but got lost on the way back because all the bridges that connect to the street look the same. Luckily Kyoto tower is a major land mark by our hotel. I went down the river until I was near the tower that looked like a giant daikon. I arrived safely and on time. Bye Kyoto, thanks for all the good memories! The ride back to Tokyo took about 3 hours, so many of us got some good rest and sleep.

Kyoto Tower is a major landmark near Kyoto station. To me it looks like a giant Daikon. I got lost a little bit but thanks to Tokyo Tower I was able to get back on time.

Kyoto Tower is a major landmark near Kyoto station. To me it looks like a giant Daikon. I got lost a little bit but thanks to Kyoto Tower I was able to get back on time.

When we got back to our home in Jimbocho Sakura Hotel, some of us went out to dinner with the Meiji students while some of us (myself included) decide to stay in the hotel and get some rest.  Later that night Andi, Chris, and I headed out to Ikebukuro to go to the legendary Penguin Bar. Going to Ikebukuro station was easy, but finding the bar was a little bit harder. We got lost, but we found a lot of interesting things. Ikebukuro has a very interesting night life. There were many other young people looking for fun, host and hostesses advertising for their restaurant or club, and the fabled love hotels we have heard about. There were also many restaurants with delicious looking food around us. We went to a very busy ramen shop and ate some very delicious ramen.  Nearby was a Don Quijote (a mega store chain in Japan that sells many cheap items) so we stopped by after dinner. While the ladies were looking around I was looking at Japanese gag shirts. I was really surprised to see that the Japanese also had their own versions of gag shirts. This goes closely with my research which is on western symbols and phrases on Japanese T shirts. What I noticed on Japanese gag shirts, is that most of it is written in Japanese. Perhaps shirts that meant to look cool or make a political statement are usually written in English while shirts written in Kanji are worn for humor. The types of gag shirts in the store reminds me of the shirts we find at a gag store in the United States called Spencer’s.  Throughout the trip, I have experienced the same experience as Pico Iyer in his book where he realized that Japan and the west are not so different after all.

Here is an examples of gag shirts in Japan. They are often have a simple design and is written in Kanji

Here are examples of gag shifts in Japan. They often have a simple design and are written in Kanji.

After doing some shopping, the three of us stumbled into a couples’ park.  We think it was a couples’ park because there were many couples there and they were showing personal displays of affection, such as holding hands.  This was interesting because we did not see many couples showing affection in public. At night there is a lot more freedom and anonymity so young couples like the ones in the park can express their love for each other in public.  This reminds me of the concept tatemae and honne as discussed in class.  For many Japanese people they have to maintain tatemae and keep a public face by acting like everyone else in society while honne, the true self, is only expressed at home or at night when they are anonymous.  It was an interesting contrast to see young people loosening up, enjoying the night with their partner, and being themselves. It got a little uncomfortable watching the other couples in the park so we left for the Penguin Bar.

Here is picture of the couples park we went to. It was a beautiful sight to see tatemae and honne in real life, but we got uncomfortable watching so we left.

Here is picture of the couples’ park we went to. It was a beautiful sight to see tatemae and honne in real life.

We originally did not know the directions to the Penguin Bar. Something interesting was that when we asked Japanese girls where it was, most of them pointed us to the general direction to the bar while men did not even knew it existed.  When we arrived, it was clear that this bar is mainly catered to girls and couples. It was a very classy place with waiters and waitresses dressed up in vests that made them look like penguins. When we saw the penguins all of our heart beats jumped; the penguins were very cute. We all took pictures of them and Chris wanted to set them free. It was a very cute and cool bar.

After getting lost numerous times we were glad to enter the legendary Penguin Bar.

After getting lost numerous times, we were glad to enter the legendary Penguin Bar.

We enjoyed ourselves in the bar for a really long time and had “Real-Girl-talk”. We enjoyed ourselves for so long, that we missed the last train home. It was fine though because there were three of us so it was not expensive taking a taxi home. In total it cost us about $10 each and interestingly this was only the second time we have ridden a car in Japan.  What an amazing night in Ikebukuro. I’m looking forward to getting lost and finding my way with my friends!