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In Tokyo, NP:J participants spend the last two
nights of the study tour at the Shiba Park Hotel. This is a shot of the front desk.
One of the students from Thomas Edison (all students
pictured here) received a telegram from his host family, sent via this stuffed animal.
Kawai! (Cute!)
The Trafalgar group is tired, but undaunted.
There is still more of Tokyo to explore.
The students and teachers from Wiley are happy
to see the return of one student's teddy bear.
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Trains, Tokyo, and Returning
Tuesday morning, June 19th, all NP:J participants bid a fond farewell
to their homestay families and host schools. For many, the homestay portion of the
study tour is the most enjoyable portion of the trip because, in the brief time period
of 8 days, they have become quite close to their newfound friends. As host families
drop off students and teachers at the school for their train trip to Tokyo, it is
not unusual for more than a few tears to be shed.
In some cases, host schools also host a farewell reception at their schools. This
gives the student body at large an opportunity to say goodbye to their new American
friends. For the past week, the American and Japanese students have attended classes
side-by-side. Following school, students have gotten to know each other better during
club activities.
Between the farewells from families and from schoolmates, Tuesday can be quite an
emotional and rewarding day.
Next stop? All aboard the trains that will bring the NP:J participants back together
as one group at our hotel in Tokyo, the Shiba Park.
The Shiba Park Hotel is named thus because it resides next to Shiba Koen, or Shiba
Park. Within a five-minute walk of the hotel, the students and teachers have one
of the best vantage points from which the sprawling Tokyo metropolis can be viewed-Tokyo
Tower. Tokyo Tower, while not nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower, is somewhat reminiscent
of its Parisian cousin. From its observation deck, one can spot the residence of
the emperor and many other Tokyo landmarks.
On Tuesday, most of the students stopped by the hotel to drop off their carry on
luggageñtheir remaining large piece of luggage was shipped from their homestays on
Sunday or Mondayñand quickly left the hotel to explore the city.
Tuesday and Wednesday, June 19th and 20th, each school group designed its own unique
itinerary for studying Japan's capital. It is hard to describe the immensity of Tokyo.
It is always in competition with Mexico City, vying for the distinction of being
the most populous urban center on the planet. Over 25 million people live in Tokyo,
and the city seems to stretch forever!
In addition to exploring cultural sites like Edo Museum, or the Imperial palace,
others opted for the more contemporary cultural offerings of places like the Roppongi
District, where Hard Rock Cafe Tokyo t-shirts seemed to be particularly popular.
Still others explored the peaceful and enormous grounds of the Meiji Shrine, or caught
a performance at the Kabuki-za, the national kabuki theatre.
Almost everyone was trying to make sure they purchased omiyage (gifts and
souvenirs) for friends and family before they returned to the United States. Therefore,
shopping was the order of at least part of the day on Wednesday. Two VERY popular
shopping districts scoured by the NP:J participants were Akihabara and Ginza. For
those of you who are unfamiliar with Tokyo, Akihabara is the electronics gizmo district,
and Ginza is Tokyoís answer to New York's Fifth Avenue, to Chicago's Magnificent
Mile, to Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive. Going to Akihabara is, for many a techno-geek,
gadgetry's Mecca. Ginza is a district for window shopping the world's finest Mikimoto
pearls and is not for the faint of heart and thin-of-wallet.
There is much to do in a world-class city like Tokyo, and our NP:J participants made
use of every precious minute. In fact, five school groups opted to wake up and gather
in the hotel lobby by 5 a.m. on Thursday, the last day of the study tour, to get
to Tsukiji, Tokyo's world-famous seafood auction district. Flash frozen tuna weighing
in at more than 100 kilos (that's 2.2 pounds per kilo) are in abundance, and people
with a hearty appetite can slurp down a bowl of fresh ramen (noodles). It is important
to slurp, though. It indicates that the food is oishii or delicious.
The buses departed from the Shiba Park Hotel in three waves, and everyone settled
in for the 60-90 minute bus ride to Narita International Airport. Luckily, the weather
was decent, no flights were seriously delayed, and everyone boarded their planes
bound for the United States of America.
Many may have felt a bit tired, but excited about their return home. Hopefully, all
have gained a deeper sense of themselves and an awareness of their culture and perhaps,
the beginnings of a deeper understanding of and appreciation for Japan.
Thank you to all who participated in the First Tour Group of New Perspectives: Japan
2001. The staff of The Laurasian Institution would like to give special recognition
to the teachers, families and friends in Japan and in the United States who all worked
extremely hard to make this program a success. Finally, a very special thank you
to The Freeman Foundation and to The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.
Without their ongoing support, this marvelous educational opportunity would not exist,
nor would it be accessible to as many.
Domo arigato gozaimashita, and
Sayonara!
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