Joyful Japan

Before the year ends, I want to highlight another trip that was just as amazing as Portugal.

Early March, I got to travel with the business department at my school to Japan. We got to visit the main cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto.

This trip was the first trip that I got to use as part of my electives for my graduate degree. It was also a bittersweet moment that this would be the last trip as an undergraduate. This was my fourth trip going with the business department. In total, I have been to six countries through the business department at Saint Peter's University.

From New York to Japan, it was a total of fourteen hours. This was the longest flight of my life. (lol) When my classmates and I arrived in Japan, we were so happy to have landed and stretch out our legs. We decided to take a bus to drop us off to our hotel in Tokyo. My roommate Renee and I dropped off our things in the room and decided to explore the nightlife of Tokyo. It reminded me a lot like New York City.

We ate okonomiyaki with all of our classmates; it was delicious. I also got to try sushi for the first time, it was delightful.

In this trip, I went to two different cities, Tokyo and Kyoto. When I arrived in Tokyo, I fell in love with the city. The reason being is because I used to watch anime and Japanese dramas when I was younger. Tokyo was used as the hub for many shows in Japanese.

I also got to see Japan's landmarks such as their unique vending machines, Tokyo Tower, many anime-themed stores, and many individuals wearing kimonos and yukatas.

In Kyoto, I was able to see a real-life geisha, attend a traditional tea ceremony, and tried an all-vegetarian bento box. As well as trying on a kimono, I got the moment to rent a kimono for a few hours and walk around the streets of Kyoto, before heading to our last dinner in Japan. Everyone on the trip said that I looked very nice in the kimono and they all wanted to take a photo with me. I felt like a celebrity, at that moment. This trip was much different in the sense that we had the freedom to explore as we wish. I decided to use our free day to go with some classmates to Disney Sea.

Tokyo and Kyoto are very distinct between one another. Tokyo is modern and is catered to international businesses. Tokyo is the city to conduct business and have a more diverse population. Kyoto is a city that is traditional and more established than Tokyo. Kyoto used to be the capital to Japan. During the reign of Emperor Meiji, his advisors advised him to modernize and defend Japan from outside threats. Thus, the move from Kyoto to Tokyo was established.

Some of the delicious Japanese cuisines I got to taste were sushi, ramen, and mochi. During the tea ceremony, I also got to try exquisite matcha. All of the foods that I got to taste throughout the trip were delightful.

The other places that we got to visit in Japan were the golden pavilion, the Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Tōdai-Ji, Meiji Shrine, Nara Park, Itsukushima Shrine, Harajuku, Nijō Castle, Kasuga-Taisha, and Roppongi. One of the highlights from the trip were dressing up in a kimono and taking the bullet train from Kyoto back to Tokyo to catch our flight to NYC.

Overall, this trip made me feel 幸せー shiawase (happy). :)