Fushimi Inari-taisha and Todai-ji Shrines

Today was another exciting and culturally diverse day in which my group went ‘shrining’ and hit up all of the local shrines in Kyoto and Nara.  The first shrine we toured was in Kyoto and called Fushimi Inari-taisha.  This shrine was dedicated to a fox (kitsune) who is a messenger of the shrine.  The terrain was very steep and full of stairs and torii.  Making the hike to the top wasn’t easy but we made it very far and learned a variety of shrine customs along the way.  For instance, we learned the purifying ritual of cleansing your hands with clean water before entering a central shrine.  We also learned that’s it’s extremely important to take off your shoes and use provided slippers when entering certain shrines in order to preserve the architecture.  Learning these things made me feel much more connected to Japanese culture and how to act accordingly in a foreign country. 

The second shrine we toured was in Nara and contained the world’s largest Buddha statue!  It was interesting to tour it and learn how the temple itself helped deliver Buddhism across Japan.  The reason the statues were built is to help connect the students with the six schools of Buddhism.  Supposedly many people would bring gifts and donations to give to the main statue in order to show their thanks and praise.  Though the shrine is now mainly used as a tourism spot, we learned that many modern day Buddhist practices and ceremonies are still carried out there today.  It’s astounding to think that such an old building that was originally designed as an extension to the Buddhist schools would have such a diverse amount of visitors today.  

Overall, I was very happy that I had an opportunity to visit these shrines because it exposed me to Japanese culture and worship.  It also taught me a lot of Japan’s main historical points and both shrines were extremely unique in the fact that they were used for a variety of different practices.  I look forward to seeing more of Japan’s culture in the future!

Kobe University

Today my group made our second university trip to tour Kobe University!  In comparison to Keio University which we toured earlier, Kobe is very small, and is a public university for those wishing to specialize in foreign studies and language learning.  However, after conversing with the university’s president, we learned that attending a public university as opposed to a private university is much more valuable on a resume in Japan.  Public universities require higher academics in students in order to be accepted and often hold more networking opportunities than private universities.  In addition to that, public universities are immune to the bribes that some private universities receive.

Welcome to Kobe!

Though Kobe had a very small campus as compared to Michigan State, it had a very warm atmosphere and very friendly students.  While conversing with the students, I found that the majority that I talked to all worked part time jobs and were extremely diligent in their studies, some knowing more than three languages.  Some had just arrived months ago and were already using near fluent English.  Other students mentioned that they spent their free time on the weekend attending cram school.  You can tell by the students kindness and rigid work schedules why Kobe is one of the top universities in Japan!

After a brief campus tour, we stopped by a nearby shrine for some photo shoots.  Here is Dan Losh and I with our good friend American-san in the background:

Afterwards, we went out to eat at a vegetarian restaurant and enjoyed vegetable pizza, tenpura, cheese fondue and strawberry shortcake for dessert with two of our tour guides.  It was truly a fun day that presented a variety of cultural experiences.  It’s been a week since I’ve come to Japan and I never want to leave!

Osaka-jo Castle

It’s astounding to think that one of the oldest castles ever built could withstand fierce wars and harsh weather and still be standing and fully functioning today.  Today my group had the opportunity to tour Osaka-jo castle, one of the oldest and most famous castles in Japan, now modified into a 5 floor museum!  As we climbed over moats and made our way to the entrance, we got to witness the castle’s beautiful white walls and feudal-styled decorations.  Inside the castle were interactive videos and many figurines depicting the battles that took place in ancient Japan.  It was interesting to learn about the battle of Sekigahara and how the castle managed to stay standing even though their forces were outnumbered 2 to 1.  That just adds to the Osaka-jo’s prestige!

The impregnable fortress!

Field trip time!

Another interesting aspect we took notice of was that the majority of visitors to the castle were all elementary schoolers and very young children.  One thing I’ve noticed from touring Japan is the emphasis they put on knowing and valuing historical events.  I think it’s wonderful that they have the chance to tour Osaka-jo and learn about its history because it’s one of the most important landmarks that unified Japan.  I now have much more respect for Japan’s building architecture and am happy to see that this castle is still in great shape today!

First Day in Osaka

After a restless day full of travel on trains, subways, buses, and the shinkansen, my group finally reached another key destination of our trip; Osaka!  Compared to Tokyo, Osaka is much more rural and has a more relaxed atmosphere, though it is still very busy and always alive.  People in Osaka are also more direct than the people in Tokyo.  While traveling through a downtown shopping area, a man approached our group and asked where we were from and how we were enjoying Japan.  Just like in the United States and in other parts of the world, Japan’s different regions have different dialects and ways of conduct that are not unlike the ones we are familiar with.

 

After arriving at our new hotel and unpacking, my group decided to go and hit up the local arcades since we had all been craving them.  On the way there, a bunch of us decided to eat at a rotating sushi restaurant.  I had seen these types of restaurants featured in anime before, but never had I dreamed that I would one day experience one for myself!  I really liked how you had the option to see the food for yourself before you could order it, and could put in any request with just the simple press of a button.  I tried egg and cucumber sushi which were both refreshing and delicious.  I also sampled a parfait at a local cafe, which was out of this world.  So happy that the food is just as good as all of the fun I’m having here!

Surrounded by deliciousness!

After a wonderful meal, we all proceeded to a 3 floor arcade.  The first floor was mostly crane machines with figures, plushes, and other irresistible merchandise meant to lure people in.  After several frustrating attempts, we proceeded to the second floor which was full of  shooting games and simple arcade games.  But the third floor was truly the best.  It contained DDR, Gundam, and popular fighting games such as Persona 4 Arena and BlazBlue.  I watched my two buddies Dan Losh and Dan Craun duke it out in BlazBlue while I started up a classic arcade match in P4A.  It was great to experience our favorite games in a whole entire new atmosphere and try out some of the latest arcade titles.  So far our experience in Osaka has been a relaxing change to Tokyo, and this is definitely a place we’ll frequent if we have time!