The Second Blog Post: The Surprises up to Now

I arrived in Japan on the 8th and so far I have enjoyed my brief stay here in Kyoto. When applying for this program, I had signed up with the intent of being surprised by visiting a country that is very different from mine. So I am delighted to say that ever since I have set foot on Japanese soil, I have been nothing but surprised! Everything from the plethora of vending machines seamlessly located in every block to the washrooms has really opened my eyes in one way or another. It is also notable to mention that it is also very hot here with highs of 90 plus degrees and lows of 75 have really taken the wind out of myself and my fellow classmates as we walked along the backdrop of Kyoto. So the heat has been a surprise, albeit not a pleasant one. But not even the heat can stop the class from enjoying visiting friends at Ritsumeikan, enjoying the Golden Pavilion, and meditating at the Zen garden within Ryoan-Ji! Within the short period of time, the class has seen so much and has been met with nothing but surprises.

However while these several aspects of the visit have surprised us, there is one surprise that really stuck out compared to the rest. That one surprise was finding out from Professor Nakatsuji's lecture that the United States had censored information on Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bombs were initially dropped. Additionally, it is also surprising to find out that the US, after the dropping of the bombs, had censored the story of 47 samurai in Japan since it was a story about revenge. I was not aware of these facts and it is because these new things learned that makes me even more happier to be in Japan. 

The class is only three days in and already we have learned quite a bit from our brief stay. It wont be long until everyone is fully adjusted somewhat to the climate, culture and the time difference. Much more is to come, especially with Osaka and Tokyo coming up soon!