UF in Japan Final Project

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UF in Japan Final Project
May 29th - Nara
After rearranging the plans that we initially had yesterday and today with Himeji, today was the day that we wanted to have as much sun as possible for our interactions with the famous Nara deer. We started off the day per usual with breakfast and then the last quiz that we will have on this trip so it was nice to get that work behind me. After taking the quiz we then had a meeting where we discussed the readings and then all of the plans that we had set up for the day. Once the meeting concluded, we went and got on another longer train ride where I got some time to read for myself and it was nice to get some quiet time. Upon arriving in Nara, it was immediately clear that the deer have dominion over the entire city, and all of the visitors feed them with joy as they are more than happy for their company. It was very nice to have deer around and we got to walk around what was essentially a petting zoo getting to interact with the deer and feed them and see their infamous bows that they sometimes do to the people that feed them. After going around petting and feeding the deer, we went and had a lunch break where I had some more unagi and it was incredible, and it was a very large portion. Only, after finishing the meal, we learned that it was cash only and we had to help each other out spotting yen coins so that we could fully pay for our meal. Lunch concluded and then we went to get doriyaki and then met up with the rest of the group, where we got to see a shrine known for its thousand year old sacred tree and then a Buddhist temple known for its massive statue made of bronze. These sights were really incredible and unlike anything that I have seen in person before. I was able to get some more stamps and then we decided to head back from the excursion and I got to relax at the hotel before getting some American barbecue in the Japanese style which was awesome to revisit.
The articles that we had today talked about Shingon Buddhism, which had different doctrines and interpretations of Buddhism’s history. Kukai was the founder of this branch of Buddhism and discussed three bodies involved with the three body doctrine, which discusses the Dharma-body, the Enjoyment-body, and Transformation-body. When looking at the statue, it not only gave a sense of scale to the belief system they were trying to showcase, but also was a showcase of power to the rulers at the time. In religious corners in Japan, much often as it is in the other corners of the world, places dedicated to worship were as much about worship as it was showcasing the grand spectacle that the higher classes are willing to pour into the project for its completion.
Independent Excursion: Media Reflection
One of the things that I first think of when I think of Japan is the samurai, a strong lone warrior that fights swiftly and with honor for his lord or by his own ideals. One of the most iconic depiction of the samurai in Japanese history is the film Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa. I have already gotten familiar with this film last semester, as I watched it in my Japanese film history class and it was one of my favorite films that we viewed as a class. Seven Samurai’s plot is that there are a group of villagers that are practically defenseless at the start but a group of hired samurai band together and teach the villagers to be able to defend themselves and fight back while also leading them in the ensuing guerrilla warfare. The film Seven Samurai represents Japan because it gives a taste of what lawless lands could have looked like in ancient Japan and how samurai fight for their honor and for the honor of others. Samurai have earned the title as Japan’s quintessential warriors because of the way that they fight and how they are depicted in various forms of media throughout history. Historically, samurai are high up in ancient Japan’s social hierarchy and would serve a lord as their personal strength while also helping out the lord’s citizens. Because of this reputation that samurai have garnered, I wanted to take a class where I got to learn more about samurai and be able to wield their signature weapon, the katana. Therefore, I signed up for a class a few months before we started this trip to get a samurai sword cutting experience where I would be able to cut up a rolled tatami mat that would give me a taste of what it is like to wield a samurai sword.
Initially when I would see samurai swing their swords either at an armed or unarmed opponent, it was depicted with a large amount of force that I assumed would be gained from the strength that you put into the swing. However, I was incorrect in this assumption as katana have their own natural weight that the swordsman must acknowledge and use to their advantage, as I did not have to swing the katana very hard at all to be able to cut through the mat completely. In Seven Samurai, fights between sword fighters would be brief, only lasting for one or two slashes, which gave it a sense of realism compared to long choreographed sword fights that you will often see in Hollywood blockbusters. I can now see that when using a katana the most important aspect is the form that which you use it, as the angle at which I cut and the amount of strength I put into the swing could take an embarrassing misfire into a precise slice that glided through the target. While Seven Samurai does depict accurate skirmishes between swordsman, I think the part that is the most unrealistic is that a few times in the film there would be scenarios where one of the seven samurai would get surrounded by enemies and have to fight their way out, and the unrealistic wild swinging as they all came at the samurai one at a time did lessen the impact for me after seeing how quick and non-flashy a real sword fight would be in that era. On the whole, I believe that Seven Samurai does a really good job at depicting the honor bound warriors the world has come to romanticize, as the sword fights are quick and most often graceful and easy to watch, cementing in my mind why the movie is so iconic and seen as one of the best and most realistic depiction of samurai ever made.
May 28th - Himeji Castle
Out of all of the days that we have had on this trip, today was the most challenging as far as weather conditions. We started off the day by getting breakfast as usual and we had a quiz today before we met up for our class meeting. In the class meeting we discussed our plans for the day and how castle designs contrast with one another when comparing them across continents. After the meeting we then left as a class and got on the subway and then took the train to get to Himeji, where the total time on the train is two hours each way, making for the longest commute of the whole trip so far. I was able to get some nice time reading on the train home before we got to the castle. Once we got there it fully set in just the type of weather that we were going to be having for the day, the rain was torrential. We had a lunch break where we ate at a diner chain in Japan and the food wasn’t great overall, I had a pancake but everyone that had a meat dish had a final meal that looked not great at all. After we had lunch, we left as a class and started walking towards the castle, and the rain was sideways at point but we ended up making it there in one piece. We got to go through the castle as a class and got to experience all of the fortifications that the castle has as well as steep stairs throughout. We then headed back to the hotel and got to relax for a bit before spending the evening with friends at the hotel getting food delivered and watching television.
For the readings that we had assigned today, it discussed how castles were designed with fortifications in mind. Rather than having high walls like European castles, Himeji castle uses natural fortifications like mountain surroundings to wear down attackers all the while shooting through holes in the wall. Daimyo in the areas of Japan would also seek to be accommodating with the lower classes in Japan and using it for farmland, and the castles would foster urban areas because of all the services that could be provided to the upper classes. Not only did castles serve to protect the leadership of the land but also to foster commerce within the nation, and these phenomenon I found to be very interesting to read about.
May 27th - Monkey Park
I have been looking forward to today since the beginning of the study abroad, that is, the day that we got to go to the bamboo forest and see the wild monkeys in the monkey park. I started the day as usual with breakfast and then we grouped up for the daily class meeting where we discussed our plans for the day and all that we were going to be doing. We then grouped up and left as a class to head off to the first destination, the bamboo forest, where there were mazes of wild bamboo that was the perfect background scenery for pictures and was unlike anything that I have seen grow naturally before. It was a rainy day but I still managed to grab some great pictures and then psych myself up for the next part of the day, climbing the mountain trail to get to the monkey park where you can gather to look at and feed the wild monkeys at the park. It was incredible being able to watch them interact with one another and the surroundings of the park as it was truly adorable. After breaking up and being able to go wherever we wanted for the day, I went with a group of friends to a local Indian restaurant and had some of the first actually spicy food ever since starting the trip and thoroughly enjoyed it. Lunch kept me fueled for what came next, I was able to go to a samurai class that I had signed up for before the trip started and do cutting practice. I was able to wield a 200 year old katana and cut through my block in one slice with the technique that the sensei taught us and I was really proud of how I was able to perform. I ended the day by spending the evening relaxing at the hotel for tomorrow, the next day to come.
Relating today to the documents that were assigned to us, much like the readings that we had last week, learning more about Japan regulated its forests, and in particular the forestry management in Arashiyama being so precise was nice to read about. The sections about managing monkey and deer overpopulation reminded me of the experiments run in Yellowstone National Park in America where they tried to remove all wolves from the park to benefit the ecosystem as a whole but it ended up destroying the balance of it all. Nature is a delicate balance as we have all come to learn in the past few decades and by preserving the current states of habitats across the world, we can allow it to thrive for the benefit of us and the countless generations of others in the future.
May 26th - Gion
As a class today was another day to experience the more religious side of Japan, especially when discussing Kyoto and all of the Buddhist temples that we have visited as a class so far. We started off the day with the usual breakfast and then a class meeting where we discussed our plans for the day and all that we would be doing, with today being on the more intense side as far as the number activities that we are doing as a class. Our first destination was to go to Kiyomizuradera which is known for being a water temple associated with Buddhism and a relatively touristy location. When we got there we got to walk around in a tunnel that was completely dark only led by a left side handrail and beads. It was an interesting experience and was fun to go through with friends. After we got finished with walking through the tunnel of darkness I got another stamp for my stamp book and I partook in an interesting tradition at the shrine where you drink from one of three streams of water which gives a different blessing for each one that you choose. After having a sip and getting a blessing we had a break for lunch in the area where I had a number of seafood and meat skewers which was really nice and gave me a chance to rest from the long day so far. After meeting back up, we saw a very avant-garde exhibit of a robot that is recognized as an official vessel of Cannon and gave us a small sermon and the teachings of Buddhism. We then traveled the Gion district and went to a Geisha show which was a very elegant display and allowed us to sit down and relax from the long day. I went back to the hotel after we dismissed as a class and took a nap and then went out with some friends to karaoke which was a really fun time and was one of the most enjoyable things I have done in the evening here.
I really found the readings today to be very interesting as it delved into Buddhist legends about Cannon and other figures of note throughout Japanese history. Comparing Cannon to other deities and figures from Greek and Roman myth, Cannon was much more merciful and understanding in their interactions with humans compared to the other pantheons which would go on and exploit humans and treat them as playthings. I very much enjoyed reading some of these stories as it gave me a better perspective of a world that I had not known much about and made me curious to read other texts related to the folklore.
May 25th - Osaka
For another full day excursion away from Kyoto while still being on the Kyoto leg of our trip, we have Osaka, known throughout Japan for its nightlife as well as amazing street food among many other traits. We started off the day by getting the usual breakfast and then having a class meeting where we talked about the trip we were going to go on and the reputation that Osaka has as a city. After the meeting we then walked over to the train station and then took a series of trains in order to get to Osaka. Once we arrived, we went to the Umeda Sky Building which gave a sprawling view of Osaka as a city and was a marvel of architecture, having three buildings holding up one central platform that acted as a viewing area. After getting our fill of heights for the day, we took a lunch break where some friends went with me to have some takoyaki, which was the best takoyaki that I have had so far in Japan, especially with the way that it was seasoned. After lunch we regrouped and then went to Osaka castle which I have seen in a few forms of media like in Shogun where the Osaka castle was a major point of interest throughout the entire series. After Osaka castle we went to one of the busiest streets in Osaka where I had a number of street foods including Okonomiyaki and cream puffs. All of the food was delicious and after eating a number of these delectable foods I went around shopping in Osaka in small stores looking at anime goods and video games.
As we have discussed in previous days about Japan’s zoning system, it is drastically different from America’s because it allows for any kind of commercial building to be constructed within residential zones with no issue. The readings showed that the same applies to Osaka as well and its skyscrapers and districts. Osaka is filled with stores that are below apartment complexes and feels like a very lived in and bustling city. Osaka is also viewed as having more out there design choices for advertising, signage, and speech because it was a commercial district many years ago. We also discussed how residents of Osaka are often viewed as more straightforward than other Japanese citizens which can be very jarring if traveling from one major Japanese city to the other.
May 24th - Kinkaku-ji Temple
Throughout the whole trip we have experienced a lot of hustle and bustle and a lot of quiet moments, but today I believe we have had some of the most of both ends of the spectrum today. We started off the day by waking up early and going to have our usual class meeting. Afterwards, we took a bus to Kinkaku-ji temple, which is one of the most popular temples in Japan. It is a temple that is known for its envelopment in gold and overall more gaudy look compared to the other temples we have seen as a class. It was one of the busiest locations we have been to as a class, with their being one of the largest amount of tourists that I have seen in one place since the first shrine that we went to on the Tokyo leg. After Kinkaku-ji, we went and visited what westerners incorrectly call zen gardens at Daitoku-ji Temple, which was some of the most quiet and relaxing time I have had on the trip so far. The design of the area was so precise and serene that it gave such a satisfying feeling just looking at it. After Daitoku-ji, we split up for lunch and I went and had some Japanese style barbecue where we had seven courses and it was very fulfilling. Shortly after, I went back home to recoup and then I went off to archery class that I had scheduled today. It was very different from the past experiences that I have had with archery, with Japan’s style of archery being much more precise and ceremonial. I then went and had dinner with friends to end off the evening which was delicious.
For the readings that we had today, learning about Japan’s medieval period was something that I had not heard much about nor discussed much about with others. Therefore, I was interested to learn about the daimyo’s history as a role and the factional warfare that would dominate Japan. Kinkaku-ji, which was constructed by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, is one of the symbols that he constructed within his lifetime as a symbol of power and prestige as well as foster more religious devotion around the country. Seeing the structure itself in person, it gives the impression to me that it was made as a magnificent sight in order to gain praise around the nation as a symbol of power.
May 21st - Independent Excursion
On May 21st, I had one of the most entertaining days on the entire study abroad trip, where I got to go to an hour and a half class on Japan’s ninjas and learn about their techniques and briefly go over their history during their prime. As for what I did, we started off the class by doing a traditional bowing to show respect to our instructor. Then, we learned about the hand signs that ninjas made before embarking on their missions. These hand signs acted as sort of a meditation and prayer that the mission will be successful and to ensure ones’ own safety. After getting our minds and bodies calm and in the headspace for stealth, we started by learning how to walk like a ninja. This walking technique keeps your upper body completely still while scowling lifting your legs one at a time in a crane pose before slowly stepping toes first getting the smallest amount of surface area to make contact in order to limit the amount of noise generates. Once we learned how to walk like a ninja, we learned about the smaller sword that ninjas have with many functions. These functions include a tip that can be used as a throwing weapon, the sword can be used as a small stool, the sheath can be used as an observation tool and even as a pseudo whip like weapon. All of these uses packed into a regular looking sword and its sheath amazed me, as almost every purpose seems to have been accounted for to ensure that a ninja can infiltrate any building that will be necessary for their mission. After learning about the sword and all of its uses, we then learned how to throw ninja stars accurately at a target. Throwing ninja stars was a lot like throwing a dart, just you have to make sure to add some extra spin so that it is able to stick onto its target. Lastly, we covered how to shoot blow darts by using blow dart tubes and deep breaths. Surprisingly, these blow darts were the easiest thing to get the hang of for the whole class because of their relative accuracy and ease of being able to shoot them with little breath.
When discussing the ninja, it is essential to present the point that their primary purpose is espionage, and that everything in their tool kit is meant to get them in to gather information then get out with the least amount of blood spilled possible. There are exceptions of course, but generally ninjas are primarily meant to avoid conflict, remain undetected, and stay alive to report back to their lord. As Zoughari states in his book, “the ninja was, and remains, in the fullest sense of the word, a specialist a veritable combat expert, fluent in the handling of a variety of weapons, a remarkable scout, tracker, acrobat, and illusionist” (Zoughari, 20). While it is easy to imagine these figures in your head as figures clad in black with an unlimited arsenal of gadgets, ninjutsu in reality was much more grounded. To address the clothing, the idea of ninjas being clad in black is actually a recent depiction, as real ninjas would dress much more mundane-like as to blend in more with the social surroundings of their mission (Zoughari, 21). Ninjutsu instead was an art where secrecy was key, so having weapons hidden in mundane objects was the most useful because ninjas would often work as a commoner while on long term missions for their lord, so they must dress this part and rely more on their training than any specific clothing or tools. Attending the class and learning more about ninjas in the book that I found helped me identity truth from fiction on the art of ninjutsu in Japanese history and how these legendary figures actually lived to get a better mental picture of them.
Source: Zoughari, Kacem. Ninja: Ancient Shadow Warriors of Japan (The Secret History of Ninjutsu). Tuttle Publishing. 2018. Pg. 20-21
May 23rd - Free Day
For the last day of this trip, I wanted to have a very picturesque day by taking photos that I have been meaning to take for a number of weeks now. In particular, I have wanted to do a photoshoot in a kimono and the Inari shrine that we visited a few days ago gave me the perfect opportunity to go back and get some very aesthetic pictures there while wearing that traditional outfit. After being able to sleep in for a while before starting the day, I had the usual breakfast bento and then went with Jonah to the shrine where the kimono rental place was right next door. I was able to rent the kimono for a reasonable price and began to scale a number of the steps that were there to get a very picturesque spot without bothering the crowds of people too much. Going up the shrine stairs again, I realized just how many people were out taking photos there just like me because of the large number of gates there that allowed for great picture spots. Once I finished the photoshoot I went and returned the kimono and went to an Indian restaurant that was close to the hotel. It was some of the best food that I have had in Japan so far and it was buffet style so I left feeling so full and fulfilled by the end. After lunch I returned to the hotel and did some reading to end the day. While it was not a very action packed day, today allowed me to fulfill a number of goals that I set for myself for this trip which I was very grateful for.
May 22nd - Imperial Palace
Picking back up with our class activities for the day, we would spend today going to the Imperial Palace and another museum where they display a number of landscape paintings. I started off the day by getting my usual bento breakfast and going through my usual morning routine as well. After breakfast, we met up as a class and then headed off to Kyoto’s Imperial Palace. I went into the exploration of the palace expecting a more simple version of the lavish palaces I have seen throughout history. The palace met these expectations and gave me a perspective of how the emperor of Japan would spend his days while governing the land. After we visited the palace we took a train to Kyoto’s National museum, where there were a number of landscape paintings, with some of them being over a thousand years old. The museum was strict on its rules and so I do not have many pictures to share of these exhibits, but they were inspired. After the museum I went with some friends to have some Japanese style American food which was alright, but it was better being able to share the food with friends. Lunch fueled me up for the next part of the day which I spent doing some chores like doing my laundry and shaving for the next part of the day. I then went with Jonah to the Nishiki Market where we had a fish bowl for dinner and did some shopping. I was even able to win a figure from a crane machine with only two tried which was really fun.
As for the art piece that specially caught my interest when browsing the museum, the piece I am choosing to present is a series of wall scroll paintings called Landscape of the Four Seasons. It was on the third floor and was made up of four different wall scrolls. What spoke to me about the pieces was the such intricate detail of the landscape as a whole, not leaving too much up to interpretation as far as the setting of the greater whole. I would appreciate this greater draw distance when looking at other paintings and I would see that the background would intentionally be left simplistic to leave a sort of shrouded effect for greater distance. Throughout the changing of seasons there was a very thick layer of mist that gave a nice show of scale throughout, especially when placed next to the numerous rocky cliffs that gave the painting the raw feeling of nature.
May 21st - Free Day
For my first free day of the Kyoto leg of the trip, I started the day by sleeping in and getting some rest followed by playing some games. I was able to do this because my day didn’t start until about 1pm where I had scheduled a ninja class here in Kyoto. After having breakfast I walked over to the ninja dojo and started the class. The class was a really great time where I learned how to walk like a ninja as well as be able to draw a katana properly, how to throw ninja stars, and how to shoot blow darts. I was able to learn more about the nuances required for the art of stealth that we have known to be embodied with the ninja. After the class was over I was able to take pictures in some fun poses as well. After ninja class I went and had some lunch, where I had some of the best fish I have had in my entire life. The fish was very affordable too and was a great local restaurant that I found. After lunch I went to the Nishiki Market to browse and have a nice look around at all of the delicious food and other stores around. I did some gacha to get some fun small souvenirs and did some figure shopping in the small stores around. Getting to do the ninja class was definitely the highlight of my day today, but today also gave me a taste of the smaller scale stores that Kyoto has to offer compared the juggernaut that is Tokyo’s mega city.
May 20th - Fushimi-Inari Shrine
For the first day in Kyoto, I am happy to say that I got a balance from everything that I have wanted from this leg of the trip. We started off the day wanting to go to the Manga Museum that was next door but it was closed at the time so I went with a small group of friends to get a cup of coffee while we waited for it to open. After that, we met back up at the museum and explored the various floors, but the first thing that I wanted to do was go and get my portrait taken from an artist who draws in the manga style, which was only 2,000 yen. After booking my reservation and giving her the reference image, I explored the rest of the museum and the history of manga as a whole. I ended up doing almost a full tour of the museum before we sat down for a show for kids in which I got to have some laughs as the entertainer was great while telling stories and making cheap puns. After leaving the manga museum, we split up for lunch in which I got my first hot dog in Japan and it was pretty good to be fair. After lunch, we met back up and went to the Fushimi-Inari shrine which is known for all of its gates funded by various groups in Japan, and also known for having a lot of steps to reach the top. We all ended up making it to the top despite the stairs’ efforts to tire us out. After visiting the shrine we went back to the manga museum to pick up our portraits and then we went out to dinner, where I went to another Mexican restaurant and had another burrito which was pretty good.
For the readings that we had today, today was not the first time that I have heard of Inari, as I have consumed different Japanese media that have referenced the figure before. However, what I didn’t know was the full background on the character, as I had just assumed it to be some kind of fox-looking deity, but instead learned that the fox is just associated with Inari often because the fox often acts as Inari’s messenger. Learning that other people often make the same mistake as I do, it made me feel more reassured on my ignorance on the topic but made me feel better that I can now understand more about the background.
May 19th - Travel to Kyoto
Today acted as a very pleasant transition to the Kyoto leg of our study abroad with being able to sit in a train for a longer period of time. On the train today I was able to do some reading from the book that I haven’t gotten the chance to read much on this trip. It was a nice long train ride and it is the first time that I have been on a bullet train. I have been dreaming on going on a bullet train ever since I was a kid reading books about mighty machines in the modern day and the bullet train was one of the first things that always amazed me as a kid. We were propelled to Kyoto at 176 miles per hour at one point and we got such a nice view of Fuji and I was able to relax in a train. One thing I admired about Japan is the reliance on the train system and the bullet train is a shining example of the full capability of the public transit system and their transition into the future. The future-proofing of the 60s is what would allow Japan to become one of the major powerhouses in the modern century. After that we had a nice curry lunch at the train station and then walked around Kyoto station which was one of the busiest stations that we have been to throughout the entire trip. After lunch, we went and took a train to get closer to our hotel. After checking into the hotel, I got settled in my room and I went out with some friends to Shake Shack, which is one of the first times I have gotten fast food in Japan.
As for the readings for today, I found Japan’s investment into the bullet train to be invaluable to the futuristic nature of it in the modern day. However, I think the protests against the bullet train infrastructure should not be completely disregarded because there is a significant financial and land cost for it that cannot be reversed easily. These protests do have merit, but I do believe that the positives outweigh the negatives in this scenario because it allows the country to stay way more connected than it would be otherwise, which is extremely valuable infrastructure that I believe every country should build up.
May 18th - Free Day
Today was the last free day that we have on the Tokyo leg of this trip and it feels very bittersweet to be moving on to Kyoto because I feel I have grown very attached to Tokyo while also at the same time having a feeling of wanting to move on and see new places for now since I have seen everything that I set out to see when planning the Tokyo portion. I have created a number of plans on the Tokyo leg and we have done so many things as a class so I didn’t need to see too much more today, as today I tried to focus on wrapping up things that I wanted to do or return to throughout the trip. To start the day, I brought my luggage downstairs to the hotel’s lobby to be transferred to Kyoto and then went with Logan to the sumo wrestling class that we had booked prior to this trip and took the train over there and I had such a fun time. I learned sumo wrestling techniques and even got to enter the ring with a professional sumo wrestler, truly a once in a lifetime experience for me. After that I went to the Rikiguien Gardens which I had been meaning to visit a few days ago but rearranged some plans and went there today and had a nice dose of nature. Afterwards I had lunch then took the train to Shinjuku and walked around for a while before walking into Shibuya for some last shopping. I then had dinner and had lamb at a steak restaurant in Japan for the first time and it was incredible and had really nice staff as well. Today was a nice farewell to Tokyo as I am ready to move on to Kyoto and have more adventures on this next portion.
May 17th - Fuji Television Museum
Today in Tokyo we went on our final excursion as a class in the area which felt very bittersweet. We started the day by visiting the Fuji Television museum which apparently was much more extensive as of a few years ago but recently it has turned into a much smaller affair by just having an observation deck and a number of gift shops below. The observation deck was a nice view overall but we quickly moved onto the next activity. Said next activity was having lunch which I was surprised to learn we would be barbecuing our own lunch. I have a little grilling experience so I was on grill duty for the day along with a friend of mine. Together we were able to cook a significant amount of food and it turned out pretty good all things considered and everyone was full which was nice to hear. After the stress of being the grillmaster, we walked around Odaiba more and saw a giant Gundam and crossed a few bridges getting our steps in for the day. It was a nice day outside so it felt good to walk around. Finally, we went to TeamLabs Planets, which I was excited to visit considering that I have been to TeamLabs Borderless and was moderately impressed with that. Planets was about the same for me however as there were a few nice rooms to visit but overall it was just nice to say that I went and did it. I ended my day by going to get a burger that I have wanted to get ever since I knew I was coming to Japan and it was alright, nothing too crazy and a little expensive.
As far as the readings for today, when I consider the commercialism in Japan, I picture places like Odaiba and how it is essentially constructed as an amusement park for tourists. While I do think this can be effective for the tourism industry, it can give a distorted view of Japan if viewed independently of the greater whole and context that is Tokyo. I believed that Akihabara was the most commercialized area of Japan but after exploring Odaiba I could see that this initial assumption was untrue and there are a number of places that give it its reputation. While there are most definitely tourist traps in the United States, it is interesting to see entire cities be constructed by the idea of the tourism that it can generate. This is most definitely because Japan gets a significant amount of its income from tourism and having dedicated cities like Odaiba can be helpful when trying to generate revenue.
May 16th - Mt. Takao
Changing it up from our usual tours on this trip, as a class we went on a hike today to Mt. Takao which is a hiking trail notable for having a temple and shrine present throughout. We started the day with breakfast as usual then took an hour and a half train ride to get to Mt. Takao. Instead of climbing up the entire way the class opted for taking the lift up part way up the mountain to avoid having to hike for as long as it would be starting from the bottom. Because of this, we were able to get a good boost as far as distance up the mountain and there were a number of shops selling dango, ice cream, and udon for the tires hikers on the mountain. Continuing on there were a various number of attractions along the way including a tree that has been around for over 450 years that supposedly gave luck to whomever rubbed it. There were also signs that there are possible wild monkeys in the area but sadly we did not find any around us. We were able to get to the summit and the view was a bit iffy when we got there because of the dense clouds all around. We all breaked for the day and then I got some lunch with a friend at an Italian restaurant at the base of the trail which was really good. We then took the long train ride back and then went back to the hotel to change before going out to dinner. For dinner we went to a local burger restaurant and I got an amazing avocado burger and chocolate shake.
For the readings that we had today, it primarily discussed Japanese deforesting methods throughout history and how past peoples were able to preserve these volatile forests. Through selective planting of trees and planting the types of trees most needed by commoners, people were able to get the most out of the land that they inhabited, only producing what is the most useful to them. Land ownership was also different from how it works in other countries with people only being able to use the resources on the land and not own the land itself which allowed for proper management to ensure that significant damage was not caused to the land for any personal gain. Compared to how other countries poorly managed their nature such as in European history, Japanese rules being more strict about preservation allowed the natural habitat to remain intact and for all to enjoy is very admirable.