For their first few days in Tokyo, SJMC Japan students worked on a variety of assignments such as Instagram content and daily blog posts. While their work will continue in Hiroshima and Kyoto in the coming week, students took their last full day in Tokyo to explore, relax and have fun.
Two groups of students woke up eager to spend a magical day in Tokyo Disneyland!
One of those groups arrived 30 minutes after park opening; although the lines seemed long, that proved to be misleading as the lines dwindled quickly, and they were in the park in no time.
“I’m really excited to see how it works,” said digital media innovation junior Ellen Nash on her way to her first ever visit to a Disney theme park anywhere. “I’m a really big amusement park fan, so the rides are also a plus.”
The group faced some troubles with long wait times for certain rides, while other rides were closed for park maintenance. There was also a parade soon to be happening, where many people were sitting on the ground for hours waiting for it to start.
Students then rode the Western River Railroad which features a train that goes back in time to the Wild West and even further to the Jurassic Period. Next up was the Haunted Mansion and Gadget’s Go Coaster. After the rides, the students decided to shop around the park before heading back to the city for even more shopping.
Other students strayed away from theme park rides and took a more therapeutic approach to their free day. Digital media innovation junior Kennedy Jacquet sought treatment at Foula Massage Tokyo spa in Shibuya to ease her jet-lag tension.
“The peaceful atmosphere and relaxing experience helped me unwind and recharge,” Jacquet said. “I was first greeted with green tea and slippers. Taking off shoes indoors is a long-standing Japanese custom rooted in cleanliness, which was also reflected by the atmosphere of the spa. My masseuse then performed a massage on me, ending with a stretch session and mochi to send me off.”
Some students seeking a relaxing break used their morning to get haircuts at foreigner-friendly Japanese hair salons. Two students went to SOZO Hair&Make Tokyo, while another received treatment at Luck Tokyo just across the street.
Digital media innovation senior Mia Saucedo booked a morning appointment at SOZO, looking for a haircut that feels more elevated than the average American cut.
“I wanted to get a haircut in Tokyo because of the fashion scene and culture of hair and physical representation in Japan,” Saucedo said. “I feel like people here are a lot more upscale.”
Electronic media junior Camren Nichols also joined Saucedo at the hair salon, receiving a much-needed massage after a busy week.
“I almost fell asleep,” Nichols said. “It was really great, and surprisingly a good price for how much they did.”
Meanwhile on the other side of the city, Professor Gilbert D. Martinez used his free day to visit his friend Toshi Ogura in Shibuya and attended a Nōh theater performance. The performance, named “Hanago,” follows a woman yearning for love and mixes traditional Nōh performance with masks and modern dance.
The past few days in Tokyo have been quite the learning experience for the SJMC Japan students, who heard from experienced journalist Mayu Yoshida in a virtual on Wednesday and from Yuriy Humber and Rada Kuznetsovo with Yuri Group, an energy research and consulting firm based in Tokyo.
Additionally, students visited several Buddhism temples and Shinto shrines on just the first few days of the program. Many students have learned how to properly pray at these culturally significant locations and have bowed their heads to the gods.
After four days of early mornings, learning, activities and free time, students have received their rest and are ready to get back to more activities.
As students finish packing their bags in anticipation of riding the shinkansen (bullet train) to Hiroshima on Sunday, they’re also looking forward to visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Hiroshima Castle and Miyajima Island, SJMC Japan students are ready to learn about more Japanese history and culture.
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