Day 13

Today was our big exam. I opted to take it later in the day, giving me some time to study and relax. This means that I missed out on the trip to Hiroshima. While this was not an easy decision to make, I wound up taking the exam later not really for the additional studying time but because I know my own boundaries, and I feared that a trip to Hiroshima, which is a two hour train ride away, would have just been too much.

Now that the exam is done and my last blog entry is currently being written, the studying portion of "study abroad" is over. Along those same lines, the abroad part will end tomorrow, when I fly to Tokyo and from Tokyo to Detroit. I will arrive in Detroit at roughly the same time that I departed from Tokyo due to the time difference, meaning I will technically be time traveling! Once I am back in Detroit, the abroad portion will end as well.


So I thought that I would use this last blog to reflect on my experience abroad. I would like to begin by saying that I would encourage anyone to go on a study abroad, or to travel in general. No matter where you live, I guarantee you that the world is much bigger, and exploring it is one of life's greatest joys. I may never return to Japan, and I have tried to make the most out of every opportunity and not waste a second here.

My next reflection has to do with the country of Japan itself. I have been abroad before in some European countries, and Japan is different in several aspects. There are the more humorous aspects that I have already pointed out, like the fact that I have hit my head on all kinds of low hanging objects, including doors, pipes, and the top of the shower. But in all seriousness, I would dare to say that the people in Japan are much more friendly than those I encountered in Europe. While the language barrier was a inhibiting factor, they always seemed eager and willing to help. Several times when we were trying to navigate around Tokyo, a friendly Japanese person who spoke English would help us out without even being asked.

The people in Japan also seem to be very humble. They still bow as a greeting, and while there is a Japanese word for "you're welcome," they never use it. Instead, after you thank them, they respond by thanking and bowing to you. They are undoubtedly a more polite society than America.

My perspective has also been changed by visiting Japan. In the future, I will be more conscious of other people's language barriers in America. When I went to Europe, so many people spoke English and I knew enough Spanish that language barriers were not an issue. Here in Japan, they definitely have been. At times it was comical, like when we sat in a taxi for 5 minutes and went back and forth with the driver, who it turns out was actually just telling us we could leave. Other times it was very frustrating to not be able to order off of a restaurant menu or communicate anything that I wanted to.

(Sometimes language barriers are comical)

I have also learned the value of practical experience. While I could have learned the same material by sitting in a classroom for a semester, and I might even know a few more terms or definitions, nothing can replace practical experience. Being exposed to the processes and actually touring a plant makes the content in the books come to life, and in my opinion is a much better way to learn than by simply reading. The knowledge I have learned in Japan will continue to serve me both in college and throughout my career, and it was an experience I would recommend to anyone else.

And now it is time to say "sayonara" to Japan. The trip has been a whirlwind, and it will take time to digest everything that I have seen and done, which I am sure will not be helped by the jet lag on the return trip. It has been a great trip, and hopefully some day I can return here to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Day 12

Today began with an early morning, catching taxis at 7:00 to reach the train station. We arrived at the train station a few minutes early, so we had the opportunity to witness some of the bullet trains come screeching through the station. It doesn't seem like you are moving so fast when you are on them, but when you are in the station, they are an awesome sight to behold. We caught the train to Kobe, which is famous for its beef. We were not there to sample any of this delicacy, but to finish up our last two plant tours for the entire program.

Our first tour involved a stop at Kobe Customs, the agency that monitors all imports that come into Kobe port, which is one of the larger ports in Japan. In fact, it was once the largest port in Japan until an earthquake caused structural damages. During the rebuilding process, many shipping companies transferred to the nearby port of Osaka, and have not switched back since due to the costs associated with such a switch.

(Kobe Port- Notice the overcast skies)

Inside, there was a museum highlighting parts of Kobe Customs process. Some interesting pieces included how they differentiate between actual high end products like Luis Vutton purses and fake copies of these goods. They said they experience high volumes of these fake goods, because they are produced in China and imported to Japan, where the customer might even know that the goods are fake but still purchase them for the brand name. Seeing how smugglers have attempted to get goods past customs was also very interesting. From kitchen tables filled with meth to macadamia nuts filled with cocaine, there did not seem to be any lack of creativity.

Upon leaving Kobe Port, we traveled to Takara for our last company visit. Takara was a 2 part tour: we visited their warehouse, which focused on logistics and warehousing, and their distillery, which focused on production. As you can guess, Takara makes alcoholic beverages of all sorts, and in fact the distillery that we visited is the largest producer of sake in all of Asia. I have visited a similar process in Milwaukee, and I was trying to compare the two distilleries in my mind. It seemed that the Japanese was both more automated and diverse in stock keeping units, although I would have to visit the Milwaukee site again to be certain.

(The production line, notice, no workers in sight in this picture)

After the tour ended, we hopped on the Shinkansen (Japanese for bullet train) to head back to JCMU. We had the option to stay in Kyoto and visit some sites, but everyone decided to pass in favor of studying for the exam, which is tomorrow. We were offered the option to take the exam early to have a chance to go to Hiroshima, or to take it at the original time. I will let you know tomorrow which one I chose, but for now I must return to studying.

(Part of the group putting in some time with the books)

Day 11

When I woke up today, I was surprised to see that while the sky was overcast, it actually was not raining. After a quick breakfast, we got on our bicycles to ride to the train station. I'm sure that we were quite a comical sight to all of the locals. I know I would have laughed.

(The bicycle convoy)

When we arrived at the train station, we parked our bikes in a "parking ramp" for bicycles. I found this place quite interesting, and it shows the importance of bikes in Japan. When we returned to them at the days end, the ramp was full of bicycles.

(The Bike Park)

Upon arriving at the station, we hopped on the bullet train to Kyoto, a popular tourist destination and one of Japan's oldest cities. Kyoto was considered for a atomic bomb site during World War 2, but was spared because of its rich history, some of which we visited today.

Our first destination in Kyoto was Nijo castle. Kyoto was once the capital of Japan, and the emperor's palace was located there. However, the emperor had very little actual power, and was a figurehead for Japan while the country was run by the Shogun, or the leading Samurai general. From time to time, the Shogun would visit the emperor, to keep up "friendly relations" or unofficially, to ensure that the emperor was compliant and unlikely to rebel. When the Shogun visited the emperor, he would stay at Nijo castle.
(The entrance to Nijo castle)

The inside of the castle was filled with tatami mats (traditional bamboo mats) and beautiful art work, made by the Shogun's personal family of artists. While people may not think of the Japan participating in the feudal system, this castle is comparable to castles in Europe of the same era, and was built during a time when peace ruled the land. The samurai system is almost exactly like the feudal system, and samurai were more often scholars and clerks than the sword wielding figures we picture them as today.

After leaving the castle, we went to a popular shopping district in Kyoto, where I bought almost all of my souvenirs. In buying souvenirs, I was looking for something that could only be bought in Japan or was at least commonly associated with Japan. Unfortunately, many Japanese stores carry items that seem like they could have come from any store in America. One of my fellow group members wanted to buy a baseball hat from a Japanese baseball team, since it is one of the more popular sports here. While we found plenty of baseball hats, they were all for American teams, like the Yankees or Dodgers. American culture is evident in other ways as well.














(Me and the very American Colonel Sanders)

My small group was composed of all men, so we finished our shopping much quicker than some of the other groups. Our return back was similar to an episode of the Amazing Race, as we had to find the bus stop, catch a bus, and then a train, all by using only a map and some instructions. The bus we caught was very crowded, and to make matters worse, I could not even stand up because the ceiling was so low.

(Ouch!)

We made it back successfully, and did not get lost at all, which was quite a feat. On the way back, the promised Japanese rainy season returned, and we got a little wet. Jeremy (my roommate) and I made spaghetti, and it was both delicious and cheap. Now it is time to study for the exam that is coming up in less than 2 days.

Day 10

Today began the intensive studying part of the “study abroad.” We started the day by getting orientated to our new environment here at JCMU, which is not that big in all reality. Orientation involved the same basic elements that one can find at any college, only it was harder to suffer through this one because we are staying here for less than a week, as opposed to a semester.

The rainy season is really living up to its name here. It was raining steadily when I got up at 8:00, and continued to do so until around 5:00 this afternoon. This rain threw a kink in everyone’s plans, as we had been hoping to go and buy groceries, since no food is provided at JCMU. I ate a breakfast of corn flakes, and since we were not able to go back out for lunch, I had cornflakes for lunch as well.

(The breakfast and lunch of champions)

In the early part of the day, I did not do much. It was raining outside, and I took some time to enjoy myself and just take a step back from our hurried pace. Before my class at 4:00, I did manage to exercise in JCMU’s small exercise room. It was nice to work out again, even though the room appeared as though it had not been used in months.

After showering and working out, it was time to hit the books. I won’t bore you with the details, but the class was very useful. It gave me a good idea of what to expect on the final exam, which is in a few short days.

After class, my stomach was rumbling. After all, two bowls of cornflakes with two bananas are not nearly enough to eat in one day. I had decided during the class that I would go and get groceries after class, even if it meant getting soaked along the way. Thankfully, the rain had let up, and I was able to make it to the store without getting wet.

We went to the mall on our bicycles. That is one of the best ways to get around in Japan, and the shopping outlet was about a ten minute bike ride. We will be riding these bicycles tomorrow to the train station.

Upon arrival, we originally walked into a hardware store. I was starving, and I was not happy to see that there were no groceries in this store. It took us about twenty minutes mixed with some broken Japanese to make our way to the actual grocery store.

Although I did not take my camera with me to the store, it looked exactly like a big superstore at home. Many of the aisles and end caps were labeled in English, so it was fairly easy to find what I wanted. It seems like many of the signs in Japan are written in English, showing its dominance as the second language of choice around the world.

Buying the groceries was a good deal. I wound up getting food for the next 4 days for the price of two meals at a nearby restaurant. My mother would be so proud of me! I even bought some fruit and vegetables, including the green beans pictured below, which are called anemone, and one of my favorite dishes that are native to Japan.

(My green beans)

Tomorrow we are visiting Kyoto, and I have quite a few problem sets and readings to do before the exam, so that’s all for now!

Day 9

Today began with an early morning, as we got up at 5:30 to make it to the temple in time for the ceremony that we were to witness. It was hard to get up so early after such a long day of travel the night before, but we all managed.

Watching the ceremony was like nothing that I have ever experienced before. The service, if you will, is much different than that of most Western religions. The priests lead the entire worship, without any participation from us (the spectators) or the practicing Buddhists in attendance. Later we found out that although we went on Sunday, these rituals are held every morning. The worship began with a half hour chant by the priests. It was all in Japanese, but when we asked for a translation later from Dr. Londo (a MSU professor who is interpreting for us among other things), he said that he really couldn’t understand it and that many of the Japanese in the temple probably did not understand it either. We were able to gather that the chanting had to do with praising both Buddha and the founder of the temple.

After the chanting, the ritual continued with a monk speaking about the history of the temple, which was translated for us later over breakfast. At this point, my legs began to fall asleep, since everyone had to sit Indian-style. This is done out of respect for Buddha, because facing the priests with your feet is disrespectful. I was able to make it through the history part without too much trouble though.

After the history of the temple was told, my legs hoped that we might be done. Instead, a message was shared. After the fact, we were told that the message had to do with speaking the truth and remaining positive despite tough times. The message lasted long enough for my legs to succumb to sleep.

After the ceremony ended, we were allowed to take a brief look around the temple. The contents of the temple were very interesting to me. In Japanese culture and Buddhism alike, there is a greater emphasis placed on remembering one’s ancestors, and the temple reflects that. Visitors can bring gifts to their departed loved ones, such as fruit, sake (Japanese rice wine), or burn incense. Loved ones are often remembered at the temple instead of their actual grave sites. Individual homes have altars where these offerings can be made to their ancestors.

After the ceremony, we had a traditional breakfast and ate it while sitting on the floor. We had planned to explore more cultural sites on the mountain, but the weather was extremely uncooperative, with high winds and pouring rain all morning. We waited for an hour to see what would happen with the weather, and then we decided to journey back to the Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU), where we will be staying for the remainder of the trip.

(Breakfast on the floor)

The traveling to JCMU involved backtracking through many of the steps that we took yesterday. I will spare you the details, but it made for another long day, and I am glad that we aren’t flying out tomorrow or that would be altogether too much traveling in three days.

(Front of a Bullet Train)

When we arrived at JCMU, we checked into our new rooms. They are very similar to what one would expect in a college dorm room, and will be a fine place to live until we leave in a few days. Now that I have regular internet access, I should be updating my blog daily.

(My humble abode)

Day 8

This morning was a sad day, as we left our hotel in Tokyo for the last time. I have thoroughly enjoyed being in Tokyo, and I was sorry to leave it behind. One could spend weeks there and not see everything.

However, it is now time to explore other parts of Japan. Rural customs and culture still exist outside of the towering modern cities of Japan. For the first time in program history, our group is being allowed to stay in a Buddhist temple on top of a mountain. This is a great privilege, and our group is not taking it lightly.

Before arriving at the temple we spent the entire day traveling. We took the bullet train across Japan. Being on the train was similar to being on an airplane, and it made me dread the long 13 hour flight back to the United States. I was glad that I had packed lightly, as we had to carry our suitcases up and down many sets of stairs. The travel made for a tiring day. The path that we followed was once a popular trade route in Japan, connecting major ports to inland cities by river.

After leaving the bullet train, we took some local trains to Koya-San, where the temple is located. To get up the mountain, we took a cable car, which gave us an excellent view of the beautiful mountainside. We had so much luggage that some of our members were almost left behind when trying to get on the cable car. At the top of the mountain, we took a bus to the temple.

The temple where we are staying is one of the most holy sites in Japan. Buddhism has several different sites where the deceased can experience heaven, and one of those sites is here. The temple is very serene, and lacks the hustle and bustle associated with Tokyo. The mountain air is fresh and clean compared with the smoggy haze that hangs over Tokyo, and tonight I can even see the stars.

(The temple entrance)

When we arrived at the temple, we took our shoes off and I have not put mine back on since. The mats are traditional bamboo mats, and we take our shoes off both to preserve them and out of respect for the temple. Tonight we are sleeping on the floor on mattresses, in classic Japanese fashion.

(My bed on the floor)

After eating a dinner in town, we came back to the temple and put on our traditional Japanese Yukata, two robes that one wears in place of all clothes. While they were optional, many of the guys put them on, and they are actually quite comfortable. The other piece of the cultural experience was the traditional Japanese bath. Before getting in the bath, we showered and cleaned ourselves completely. We then entered the bath, which is very similar to a hot tub. It was extremely relaxing, and helped easy away the aches and pains of a tired traveler. It also made me very sleepy, and since we have to get up early tomorrow for the ceremony, so I am going to bed.

(Me in my Yukata)

Day 7

Today began at 9:00 with a visit to Danchisoko, a warehouse. This warehouse rents space to 18 companies, including Kawasaki-Rikuso Transportation (KRT), a Third Party Logistics company (3PL) that deals mainly in specialized goods such as chocolate, wine, and cheese. One of the MSU alums that has been giving us tours works at KRT, so it was an honor to see how their business is conducted. As a 3PL, KRT focuses mainly on the question of “place” when it comes to producing any specific product. They also offer value added services to products, meaning that they will perform additional changes to the product such as wrapping or relabeling for the large companies such as Coca-Cola or Cadbury. KRT handles logistics for NBKK, a company we visited earlier, so it was interesting to see the supply chain from different angles.

(My feet are too big for all the quality control slippers we get)

After the tour of Danchisoko, we moved to a Shiseido warehouse. Shiseido makes many different products including makeup and hotel amenities, including the ones in our hotel. While many of the girls in our group were hoping for free makeup samples, they had to settle for free shampoo instead. Shiseido practices a Japanese concept called the 5”S” methodology, which is a system that encourages the use of sorting, straightening, sweeping, standardizing, and sustaining discipline. These impacts on the process were evident as we moved throughout the warehouse. The floors are cleaned every day! Don’t you wish you could use these principles in your life?

Unfortunately, the ex-pat reception that was scheduled for tonight has been removed from the schedule due to the overall busyness of everyone involved in the program. Instead, we decided to head to Shibuya, a popular shopping and night life district. When we arrived, the streets were packed with people. We found all kinds of shops in Shibuya, but I decided not to buy anything, as I am hoping to find some bargains in the open air markets we are visiting later. On our way home, the subway was so full that it was impossible to stand anywhere without touching at least three other people.

(If you look closely you can see all the people in the background)

One thing that I have noticed throughout our plant tours is that many plants and warehouses alike hire a lot of part-time laborers. In Japan, it is very hard for employers to fire their full-time workers. Also, the heavy unionization of workers requires that full time workers receive benefits and pensions as well. Firms exist that specialize in providing full time employees to companies that require them based on seasonal demand or demand spikes. Kuenhe+Nagel told us that if the part-time workforce is not available from these companies, they resort to placing want ads in the local newspaper. As Japan’s population begins to decline, I believe that finding manual labor will soon become a cultural problem, and the Japanese may be forced to outsource more manual tasks to areas with a large enough workforce such as China, India, or Malaysia.

(Manual Laborers in Isogo)