9 Days of Japan!!

#Day 1 – ARRIVED IN TOKYO, JAPAN!!

As I walked towards the automated door of Narita International Airport, I felt the chill of the outside air. My friends and I stepped out of the arrival building into a 3 degree cold atmosphere.  Most of us weren’t acclimatized to such a chilly weather, but the ambience of Tokyo was more attention seeking than its weather. We got into the bus, so called the Airport Limousine and headed towards one of the best hotels of Tokyo – The Grand Prince Hotel, Takanawa.
Since most of us hadn’t been abroad, the scene of the sky scrapers, super clean roads, bridges, flyovers, Shinkansen (The bullet train) and everything else really amused us. We marvelled at the spectacular view of Tokyo.

Tokyo Skyline

We reached The Grand Prince Hotel and as we had presumed, it was magnificent. Pretty lounge, pretty bedrooms, food that soothed our taste buds and beautiful Japanese Shrines in the middle of the garden. Luxury at its best.

The same day we’d an orientation program on Japan. Its history, geography, people, tradition, food etc.  First day in Tokyo had finally come to an end and we jet-lagged Indians didn’t get much sleep that night.

#Day 2 – TOKYO TOUR!!

The day we all had been waiting for finally arrived. Tokyo City Tour Day!!
First we went to the Edo-Tokyo museum, a place where visitors come to learn about Tokyo's history, which also serves as a projection onto the city and the living of the future.
By now, I had encountered a few Japanese people. Every Japanese that I met had a huge smile plastered on his face. They didn't really seem to mourn over the fact that they're frequently hit by earthquakes and tsunamis. I got talking with a lady at the museum. Without a vestige of sadness, she told me that her house was completely wrecked in the 2011 disaster and how she managed to re-build the house with the little money she had. The lady had the zeal in her to set her life back on track. That’s the attitude of Japanese people. J

The same day we visited the magnificent, breath-taking Tokyo Tower. Basically, Tokyo Tower is a communication cum observation tower situated in Minato-Ku. It is Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower painted in white and orange and adorned with colourful lights at night.

The Tokyo Tower

Eating out in Tokyo is a riot as there are hundreds of dishes to choose from. You can gulp in to your heart’s content without hurting your wallet. I don’t exactly know the name of the restaurant we visited, since it was written in Japanese.  Another impressive aspect of Japan is that everything is in Japanese. The billboards, hoardings, banners, shop’s name, signs and everything else.  You will not find a single man talking in English. That’s impressive because whilst the rest of the world is turning all western and aping  Americans, Japanese are intelligent enough to preserve their language, their culture and tradition. In Tokyo, you will find girls wearing one piece and high heels and at the same time you can also see women draped in the beautiful Kimono.

The Japanese buffet had hundreds of dishes to offer, but sadly I couldn’t enjoy the cuisine to the utmost extent since I’m vegan. My plate had Onigiri (rice balls), Dashi (A type of soup), Tofu (Prepared by coagulation Soy milk), Sushi, Eggplant tempura, Soba (A type of noodles). Everything was beautifully cooked.
Next on our itinerary was The Rainbow Bridge. It’s a suspension bridge connecting northern Tokyo and a bay between Shibura Pier and Odaiba waterfront. It offers a breath-taking view of the Tokyo Skyline.

Our day used to officially end by 7 PM but our coordinators were awesome enough to let us go out and explore Japan by ourselves.  After the dinner, my group mates and I used to randomly walk in and around Takanawa. We learnt more about Japan in these long walks than in an hour long orientation programs. We experienced the unique blend of tradition and modernism of Japan in these walks and I must tell you that as the night falls, Tokyo looks much more magnificent.

#Day3 – FLY TO FUKUOKA AND ROAM!!

 We took off to Fukuoka from Haneda airport. Fukuoka is a small prefecture south of Japan.
We saw Mount Fuji from the plane and what can I say, the view was ethereal. We were mind-blown.

Mount Fuji

In Fukuoka, we paid our first visit to Kushida Shrine, where we witnessed the Traditional Japanese Style wedding. Kushida Shrine is a Shinto Shrine founded in the year 757 and dedicated to Amatarasu and Susanoo.

At an on-going wedding ceremony in Kushida Shrine

The Kitakyushu Environmental Museum – The museum emphasises on the topics such as history of Kitakyushu City’s triumph over environmental pollution, environmental issues facing the city as well as the earth, and the city’s goal to become an eco-city of the future! A power point presentation made it pretty clear that Japan knows how to make use of natural resources and take care of the disasters that beset it. Here, their problem is the solution. The museum featured an Eco-House whose walls were made up of the ashes from volcanic eruptions. These walls keep the house cool in summer and warm in the winter. Best way to get rid of desolate natural stuff, right?

Later in the night, we visited the Shinkansen (The Bullet Train). This is probably the best part of Japan. Sleek, elegant and super fast.

Shinkansen - The Bullet Train

#Day4 – KYUSHU TOUR!!

On the fourth day, we visited Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and Kyushu National Museum. Dazaifu Tenmangu. Shrine is a Shinto Shrine dedicated to a 9^th century scholar Suguwara No Michizane who was exiled to Dazaifu by some envious rivals. The story goes that his favourite plum tree uprooted itself on the night he was exiled and flew down to root itself in Dazaifu. The tree can still be seen in front of the shrine.

Kyushu National Museum

The Japanese kids are exuberantly cute. And Kawaaii is the Japanese word for cute. Oh, I never got tired of shouting KAWAAIII whenever I came across a cute kid. :D

He's simply adorable, isn't he?

Then came the Saemon confectionary Factory where we tried our hands at making Japanese famous sweets called Wagashi.

Me, my Wagashi and Saemon Confectionary Factory.

#DAY5 – HIGH SCHOOL VISIT!!
“Junshin High School welcomes students from India with open arms” said a huge banner at the entrance of the magnificent Junshin High School. Oh, boy! The school looked more like a three-star hotel. We finally got to talk to people of our own age. Well, not literally, because they didn’t know English. Nevertheless, we got along pretty well talking in sign language and gesturing about how cute they all look. The Japanese boys and girls grinning at us and of course, we all loved the attention that we got.
We tried Kendo (Japanese Marshall Arts), Shodo (Japanese Calligraphy), Koto (Japanese harp) and attended a physics lecture on electrostatics and had an English Discussion with our Japanese counterparts on Earthquake Mitigation Measures.
At the end of the school day visit, I gave a speech in Japanese which was very pathetic because of my accent. But I tried, what the hell? :D

In our Kendo Costumes, we shouted HAKATA BURA BURA! :D

After a brief orientation on home stay and dreading the fact that we were going to be dumped at an unknown Japanese House for two nights, we bid goodbyes to ourselves. My so-called Japanese sister, who apparently studied at Junshin High school, took me to her house. Honestly speaking, I had a terrible feeling. She hardly understood English and my Japanese was equally ridiculous.

I was warmly welcomed by my Japanese Family – Mother Shuzuko, Terminator Father (He looks like Arnold Shwazenegger, really) and the two twins – Shoya and Saaya.
I was terrified. My parents made sure I was comfortable, but I really wanted to run away from there. They tried all sort of appliances to understand what I was saying and trying to convey their messages. Google translator, picture dictionary, electronic dictionary etc etc. My sister couldn’t understand my accent, so I would write stuffs on the paper to convey my message.
I cried that night.

#Day6 – HOMESTAY!!
I woke in the hope of having a better day. And what can I say?  This was one of the best days of my life. I was taken to the Onsen (Japanese hot springs). The spa was beautiful, rejuvenated and revitalised my already rejuvenated body. My sister took me to one of the hottest shopping malls of Fukuoka. This is where I fell in love with stilettos.  I was set back by a few Yens but at the end of the day I owned pretty good Japanese stuff.
We went to Fukuoka Tower, Fukuoka beach and Fukuoka Marine world. By now, I had bonded pretty well with my family. We didn’t talk much, but by then, I had realised that talking is overrated. Simple gestures of love, yes love, is enough to bring people together.

From left – Brother Shoya, Mother Shizuko, Terminator Father, Sister Saaya, Me, Neighbor.

 Fukuoka Marine World. Pretty amazing, huh?

Until now, I had seen only tall buildings, malls etc. The twins and I went cycling on the streets of Fukuoka where I came across pretty Japanese houses like the ones shown in Shinchan and Doremon. Trees, parks and lakes. Oh, how I love Japan! :D

#Day7 – Farewell

My family drove me back to Junshin High School. After an Indo-Japanese function, we left to Kyushu University. The hardest thing was to say goodbye to my family. My Jap-mom got too emotional and started crying. Pathetic feeling, I tell you. In 2 days I got so close to the family that bidding them goodbye was as hard as bidding goodbye to my real family back in India.
In the Kyushu University, it was our time to recollect everything that happened with us in Japan and make a power-point presentation that we had to present it in Tokyo University.

#Day8 – Back to Tokyo

We flew back to Tokyo and went to Tokyo University to showcase our views about Japan and Japanese people and what all we’d like to emulate from them. Tokyo University is to Japan what IIT is to India. Best of best faculties, huge campus, world-class amenities etc.


                                   

           University of Tokyo

This was our last night in Japan, had to make the most of it. We went on a long walk again, got lost, asked direction for the hotel, got directions for elsewhere. Oh, what fun!
Later in the night, we had a Kimono-Maggi Party.



#Day9 – Back to Delhi

To say Japan is a beautiful country is like holding a candle in the sun. With a heavy heart swollen with love, mushiness oozing out of us and navigating through the memories of the past week, we walked towards the departure building. The Exchange Programme, a big time success, officially ended.

But I choose to forever bask in the glory of Japan, a paradise on earth.