Hasu Transitoire (The Transient Lotus)

Today we visited Yasukuni Jinja, a shrine that serves as a memorial for those killed in war. It mostly applies to WWII, but they also intend it for historical people all the way back to the time of the samurai. It is actually a rather well known place and is often in the news, both domestic and international, because the emperor visits it and the US does not like that because they think it is honoring the soldiers and events of WWII. After visiting, my thoughts are mixed. There is a very serious and somber, yet peaceful and beautiful, air at Yasukuni. It is a beautiful enclosed area with trees, ponds, and amazing wooden structures, in the middle of Tokyo’s hustle and bustle. We were given the unique opportunity to go into the main shrine, which the public cannot. We took our shoes off (as always) and filed in a small room with a horse-trough looking thing that you must purify your hands and mouth with before visiting the shrine (this is part of the Shinto importance of purity – it is q...

July 29 A few days since my last post. Let’s see…yesterday, what did I do? I spent the morning in my RT group working on our Global Citizenship project. Our group really has a great dynamic. I go in tired and grumpy about so much work-type stuff each time, yet leave feeling refreshed and excited. I think our communication is key. We all seem to have the same ideas on education and how important diverse perspectives are therein. After a really long morning of working on that stuff, we were supposed to have “Field Day” (come on, how summer campy can this get?) but the gods smiled down upon me and Tokyo poured rain for most of the rest of the day. Instead of more guided group activities, we had a whole afternoon and evening of free time! I hit the town in Shinjuku, another dense Times Square on crack type neighborhood, and Maureen “Mo” (a cute little cross country runner from South Carolina) put on dresses and jumped on the train. We were actually on the train when we realized that a) we ...

July 28, 2007 Yet another sweltering day in Tokyo. They say Kyoto and Hiroshima will be worse, but I really don’t know how. That said, I am enjoying how moisturized my skin feels. The air just hangs so heavy it is difficult not to sweat at all times (except when there is air conditioning). Today, thank god, was a “casual” day. We performed our group “skits” – have I mentioned how much this feels like a summer camp at times? – and then an RT meeting before heading to the adjacent Yoyogi park to play capture the flag. The park itself was much larger than I expected, and full of all sorts of people drumming, playing casual sports, and exercising. Our “game” was fun, especially when I sprinted and saved our prisoners and we won the first round. The downside was 1) the cicadas that truly are ear piercing at times and 2) the invisible bugs that kept biting yet left good sized bug bites. After a much needed shower, we actually had a chance to leave the Olympic Center and explore Tokyo, which ...

July 27 Today was one of the busiest days I think I have ever had. I woke at 6:30 to get ready in formal business attire and head to the Tokyo Prince Hotel for our Joint Orientation and the official opening of the JASC. What that entailed was about seven speeches on the history and future of JASC followed by a toast with Japanese beer (at noon!) and then another spread of really good food and two hours of formal “mingling” with older Japanese men who seemed important. Despite only being in Tokyo for one day, I have already learned so much about the culture. It is an amazing place, that is certain, but I have had some difficulties being a) a woman and b) studying Japanese Buddhism. In particular I am referring to when I met with one man, to whom I gave a meishi (business card) yet from whom I received nothing, who asked where I was from and what I was studying – the typical first questions. When he learned that not only could I speak a bit of Japanese but that I was interested in Japane...

July 26, 2007 I made it to Japan! After a rather delightful airplane ride on Japan Airlines, which seems to be the Cadillac of them all. The plane was enormous, with two levels (of course the upper level was a first class lounge). The first class and business class areas looked so lovely and comfy, with foldout beds and tons of space. I was in the back, but I still had good room, an individual TV, and the nicest Japanese stewardesses! The 11 hour flight went by quite fast, and we were, surprisingly, served decent Japanese food. Once we landed in Tokyo, we breezed through immigration and customs and then loaded onto a bus toward the city (the Narita airport is about 60 km from the city center). My first impression leaving the airport is that it is beautiful. Lush, green everywhere. Although the cars drive on the opposite side of the road, there were very similar cars to those we have in the U.S. Lots of SUV’s even! We arrived at the Olympic training Center in Shibuya, where we are stayi...

Tonight marks my last in Chicago. I have been staying with my fellow Japan America Student Conference Amedeles (American Delegates) at the North Central College Campus in Naperville, which I must say is quite a lovely place. We have been welcomed with a barbeque with the school's president and they have been quite kind to us all. I just arrived back at the dorms (yeah, talk about a time warp - it has not been that bad actually, the facilities and food much nicer than my alma mater Colorado State) from the Consul General's home in Evansville, another suburb of Chicago. Consul General Shinoda's house was extraordinary! It was a huge mansion decorated with the finest Japanese art. A Consul General functions much like an Ambassador, and Consul General Shinoda is a particularly distinguished one, in charge of ten states. Needless to say, it was a huge honor for him to invite us. There were several speeches, in which the Consul, one of the heads of Mitsubishi, and the Executive D...

Today is one of my last days in Seattle. I just arrived back from a wild weekend in NYC seeing String Cheese with a bunch of friends. I suppose the 4 night concert run made it easy for some sneak attack bug to get into my system...going to Philly and then having an awful flying experience thereafter probably did not help either. Needless to say, I rang in my birthday in the Seattle airport with grotesquely puffy and red eyes covered by huge sunglasses arguing with the Delta people who lost our bags. It was as joyous as it sounds. I am now at home making final preparations for our departure to CA for one last SCI show and then an early morning flight to Chicago to begin the Japan America Student Conference. My eyes are a bit better, though not, in my opinion, suited for my birthday party tonight. Dan made me breakfast in bed and is treating me like a princess. I am now a quarter century old.