Japan

I cannot believe I was just in Japan! I also cannot believe that I will be in Shanghai, China tomorrow. Semester at Sea is really one of a kind. I spent time in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Himeji. Kyoto and Hiroshima were definitely my favorites. Through the experiences I had in Japan, I noticed what a respectful culture they have there. One of the most interesting things I noticed what how the conductor on the Shinkansen bullet train bowed to the entire train car when he entered and left. This is such a contrast to the trains at home where the conductor barrels through screaming “Tickets!” The seafood I ate this past week was some of the freshest I have ever had. While I couldn’t tell what a few things on my plate were at almost every place I dined, I ate everything without hesitation. My favorite meal was probably the “Hiroshima Okonamiyaki” I honestly can’t really even describe what it was, but my tour guide Yoshi described it as a “savory Japanese pancake”. My first night in Japan, I went to Osaka and got to check out the local markets, the large neon signs, and the huge LED screens. Day 2, I went on my Global Communication Technologies class trip with my Professor Dr. Pete, where we explored the high tech culture of Japan. That night, I hopped on a train to Kyoto where we went to small bar, made friends with a few locals and slept in a capsule hotel! The next day in Kyoto, we went to the Yasaka Shrine and got to see the lively market that lies at the base of the gates. It was hustling and bustling with people, shops and food stands. We finally then came back to sleep on the ship in Kobe, try some Kobe beef (which was incredible) and headed out on a Semester at Sea organized visit to Hiroshima and Himeji.

The most important experience I had in Japan was hands down visiting the Atomic Bomb memorial site and museum in Hiroshima. While I knew what had happened there, seeing the ramifications of the A-bomb, and understanding the atrocity that this even was first hand was hard. I wept my way through the museum, looking at trinkets left behind, that had become family treasures representing their loved ones who had passed. I thought about New York City, and how devastated I would be if the whole city were one day demolished. I also felt a heavy sense of guilt while walking through. As I read the exhibit descriptions I stopped to notice that Japanese people surrounded me. Once I noticed this, I felt my face get hot along with a wave of embarrassment. I wanted to tell each one of them how sorry I was. I have never in my life been a physical minority and this revelation and experience was one that was so humbling. At the conclusion of the museum there was a book where people could write notes describing the impact the exhibits had on them. There were notes in all different languages and about so many different things. I wrote a note that I think is very important and should be shared as much as possible. “Everyone in the world must work together to make sure a tragedy like this can never happen again.” A lot of thoughts went through my head that day, but the most important one was that something like this could never happen again. It took me some time to recover from what I saw in Hiroshima, but with hugs from the Life Long Learners that accompanied us on our trip, I was able to move on, and finish my day.

I ended my time in Japan by visiting the Himeji Castle, which is a “National treasure” and a UNESCO site, with its construction dating back to the 1300s. It was very cool to walk through the castle and think about what life must have been like living there back in that time period. Finally, we returned to our port in Kobe to re-board the ship. As I stood in line to get through customs, I felt a pang in my heart that I had to leave such an interesting and historically rich country. I know there is so much left ahead of me and I cannot even wrap my head around the fact that I will be in China in the morning. I am so grateful for these experiences I am gaining and cannot wait to keep them coming.