Long weekend in Tokyo
The 23rd of November is a holiday in Japan when they are thankful for work. It is called Kinro Kansha no Hi. We did not have classes at the university from the 22nd (Thursday) so we decided to spend 3 days in the capital city with my friends. (Matt and Jake from America, Elin from Finland and Tallulah from England.) We had been planning the trip for a long time because it was everyone’s dream to go there. The five of us, after an hour flight, arrived at the city.
Our first stop was Shibuya, which is the one of the most well known districts in Tokyo. The popular shopping area gives home to several fashion centers, opportunities for pastime activities, and the to the famous Shibuya Crossing crossroad. Also, you can find the Shinjuku metro station here, which is one of the most busy transportation centers in the world. We started off the sightseeing by climbing a through a shopping center, where we could admire the whole Shibuya district from above. The sight was amazing!
But our first day did not end there. We visited the most famous fashion shops, and we could tell that the Japanese style of clothing is really different; mostly in regarding the youth’s fashion. They have a lot of styles of street fashion, but none of them are close to European ones. It was an interesting experience. The last stop here was a cat cafe, because all of us missed our pets.
We were trying to spend every minute exploring the city, so after we went to our accomodation we spent the whole evening in the most colorful district. Harajuku is also an important stop for those who are interested in fashion. I’ve noticed that people here are so much more creative and they show it by their way of fashion too. They have no rules for sex and age either. For dinner we had an opportunity to try the style of Japanese bbq called Yakiniku. This is a very popular social activity too, a great way of spending time with your friends while you are cooking your own meal the way you like it.
The second day of our trip we visited Asakusa district, which gives home for the most ancient buddhist temple called Sensoji. We walked down the Nakamise shopping street where we were immediately surrounded by people. And not without reason! The temple was finished in 645, but has been in today’s form is since 1642. It was built for the God of mercy, called Kanon. The big shrine is a popular tourist attraction and spiritual destination.
Our lunch was in a traditional restaurant where we made our own Okonomiyaki. These Japanese pancakes are cooked on a heater with sweet sauce and mayo. I choose an octopus one, but a lot of variation exists; it just depends on your creativity.
We spent the rest of the day in Akihabara. This district creates the image of Tokyo which lives in people’s minds, with its neon lights and noises. This is the center for the so-called otakus, those people who are adore Japanese visual culture like manga and anime. One of the most significant experiences for me was the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, where we finished our day and could admire whole of Tokyo in the nights light.
Our last day was in Yokohama. This district is on the seaside, and we had a walk on the beach too. The Pokémon Center was the main attraction here.
My semester in Japan has ended. It is really hard to find the perfect words for how I feel now, because I’m leaving the country. On one hand I am happy, but sad on the other. I was excited to see my family and loved-ones again, but was also sad to leave my new friends behind. I feel like in 4 months real friendships were created. It was an unforgettable experience spending this time in Japan. It helped me to learn about myself too. I need to thank everyone who helped me and believed in me, especially my family and my mentor Mrs Szilvi, who is my biggest supporter after my second mother. However first of all I am truly grateful for the Csányi Foundation because without its financial support I wouldn’t be able to write any of my lines. I want to recommend for everyone to grab the opportunity to study abroad. It was really worth the studying! Stecina Kata, PTE