The end of the journey

Everyone said 「行ってらっしゃい！」when we leave, makes me feel like it was just another ordinary day we head out to class.

This once in a lifetime journey finally came to an end. I had mixed feelings in the very last week when we were about to have the presentation and the final test. On one side I hope I can get rid of all the work, while one the other hand I wish time will go slower because I know I will be missing everything. My roommate, Rina, is a very thoughtful and cute girl and something we had in common is that both of us crave for sweets! We went out for a pancake date and a dessert buffet with some other Japanese girls in the dorm. I also went to 猫カフェwith Madoka and Akari, we spend hours there taking photos with cats. On another day, we went to an Izakaya and had drinks and everybody seems to be closer after than night. I recognize some people in our group back in Calgary since we have been in the same Japanese class yet we did not have the chance to know each other. In this month, we were separated into groups for excursions which also help us to build tight relationship.

Looking back at this past month, I have achieved my goal to speak as much Japanese as possible with Japanese RAs and RPs as well as can communicate in a fairly natural tone and word choice with friends. This program had been a little bit overwhelming for the first two weeks, where the guidelines were unclear and some of our members were experiencing homesick and accidents. I was placed in J2B with most of my classmates in JPNS303. I noticed some of the grammar points we have already learnt but we cannot use confidently in daily conversations. 藤本先生 and 西川先生are very supportive, they offered assistance whenever we need. I am hoping to maintain the relationship with my host family too. They took me to places like 箱根、新横浜、栗鼠園. I appreciate the love they spoiled me with, I will definite visit them next time I travel to Tokyo.

I departed to Switzerland the day after the program and I decided to send the postcards I bought along my trip to Japanese friends and Taeno family! I hope I can share the view I saw with them 🙂

Vincent Vuong: My Last Experience

This will be my final blog post. I cannot believe how quickly this month has come and gone. Japan is truly a wonderful country, and I am thankful that I have the opportunity to travel the country as I write this post, even though the program is now over. During my travels thus far, I have visited cities other than Tokyo and Kawasaki. I visited both Kyoto and Osaka, both large tourist cities much like Tokyo. However, each had their own qualities that made them different from each other.

Kyoto was packed with tourists from all over the world. I could hear languages such as Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Vietnamese, and of course Japanese. The city felt different from Tokyo; it felt older. The city felt rooted in its own history, there were shrines, and temples everywhere; with people flooding in to see the next attraction. It makes sense though, as Kyoto was the previous capital of Japan. During the day, the most memorable place that we visited was the Inari Shrine. It felt more like a prayer ground than just a shrine, because it was staggeringly big. The shrine had visitors climb to the top, and passing through smaller shrines and gates. The bright orange of the gates with the deep dark greens of the surrounding nature created a beautiful contrast that was absolutely breathtaking. There was one downside of the trip, and that was the numerous amounts of people present at the shrine. As a photographer, it was difficult for me to take pictures that wanted. It also made navigating the area difficult as well. I would recommend going there earlier in the morning, or later in the evening if you don’t want to deal with too many people.

Osaka was completely different from Kyoto. Landscape wise, it felt more similar to Tokyo, yet different at the same time. If there is anything different, I would say that there are more people driving cars in Osaka than there are Tokyo. The city, while big was less dense than Japan’s capital. This allowed for wider city views, rather than the tall skyscrapers of Tokyo. Though Osaka was not without its dense areas. We visited the Dotonburi, an famous area of the city that is separated by a canal. At night, there are lights cascading from buildings everywhere. The lights then reflect on the water and makes the entire area shimmer. It was a stunning, photo-worthy view. Like Kyoto’s Inari Shrine, there were a lot of tourists present, all fighting to get their perfect picture of the Dotonburi. However, it was more manageable than Kyoto which I appreciated.

Being able to travel to other cities in Japan, made me appreciate the country more. Not just the country, but its individual cities as well. Each city has its own unique identity that makes it special, and I want to discover more. Thank you for reading our blog, and I hope that you enjoyed both our group, and individual experiences. Until next time!

The Learning Experience of a Garbage Bin

It is easy to forget, when you are preparing and planning for the trip to Japan, that this is a study abroad program. Afterwards, once I could reflect on my experience, I realized we all learned so many new things, not only from sitting in a classroom. Whether we were lost in Tokyo or lost in translation, we all accumulated so many life lessons that will stay with us for a long time.

In the classroom, it was interesting to see how the focus of the language class was different compared to Calgary. The University of Calgary’s Japanese classes emphasize strongly on grammar. However, the classes offered in Japan took advantage of the immersion setting and insisted mostly on oral communication skills, like listening comprehension and speaking. Unsurprisingly, both complimented each other by consolidating the learnings of one in the other. While I was familiar with some of the grammar used in my J2B level, I was not comfortable using it when I talked before Senshu. Furthermore, they taught many grammar points that were incredibly useful when speaking. For example, I don’t think I will forget the “〜によって違う” form, because I used it so often when talking it now makes intrinsic sense to use.

I also learned many things about the Japanese language outside the classroom. To me, Japanese is like a set of Russian nesting dolls: to build a more complex sentence, you need to fit clause within clause. For example, the grammar for describing a noun, expressing a thought, a recommendation… You must think ahead of time how your sentence will be built, and that was always a problem for me. I would begin a sentence, and by the time I was at the end, I would forget the grammar needed to end it. Practicing Japanese in an immersion setting has reminded me of a key idea when learning a language: accepting mistakes. It is important to have proper grammar when speaking, but worrying too much about grammar can mean you never speak at all. Relax your standards about the grammar and syntax of your sentence, and even if you do make a mistake, you’ll notice and correct it next time you use it. Your partner will, in all likelihood, still understand your intended sentence.

The Japanese Language is like a Set of Matryoshka     (From Amazon.com)

Finally, I was able to better understand Japanese culture through this immersion experience. When in a foreign country, I believe it is important to shift your viewpoint from finding differences, from comparing “them” and “us”, to studying their approach to a problem they experience. For example, something I found surprising while visiting Japan was the lack of garbage bins in the streets. In the 1990s, Japan was faced with a series of terrorist attacks from an extremist group called the Aum Shinrikyō. In fear of the terrorist planting bombs in the public garbage bins, they were removed and never reinstalled. Nonetheless, was puzzled by the continued absence of garbage bins. As I stayed longer in Japan, I realized they didn’t need public garbage bins anyways. Japanese don’t eat while walking, meaning any wrappers or food waste is usually disposed of at the restaurant or convenience store. Vending machines were always paired with a bottle recycling bin, and since they usually were vending machines every few blocks, you never needed to carry your bottle around for very long. This make me realize how even something as ordinary as a garbage bin can reflect an aspect of the Japanese culture, and how in each minute difference hides a learning experience.

While we did learn new grammar and vocabulary during our trip, it ultimately taught us how to think differently. It taught us to diversify our sources of learning, and to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of each one. It taught us to let go of the fear of failure, because without it you cannot move forward. It taught us to respect and appreciate the differences and similarities of the various cultures, without establishing a hierarchy. Most importantly of all, it taught the importance of approaching a problem through different angles.

This was Chloe L, and this was my final blog post.

〜さよなら〜

 

 

Sterling – Journey’s End

After travelling and studying in Japan for the last month, I found I was constantly in awe. Japan has a way of bringing out the old in a new way, and during my time in Japan, there was a constant marvel at the little differences that make it so unique. The abundance of toilet bidets, the homely local shops and ramen locations, and the cheapness of tasty, high quality food at convenience store, it all combined to form an experience unlike any other country that I’ve visited before.

To elaborate on the food, Japan’s selection and fresh food was incredible: Onigiri was a simple 100 yen, while full meal bento boxes could be bought at the school for 400 yen. Initially, I had intended to purchase most of my food at a supermarket and prepare the food myself, but upon seeing the selection, availability, and price of pre-prepared food in Japan, I opted to eat-out much more often. It gave me an opportunity to try as many foods as possible, while stile being budget considerate. Overall, a great combination in my opinion.

However, Japan had far more to offer than only food. Sightseeing and exploring Japan truly made all of the cultural and language classes come to life for me. I found it truly pushed me to expand my adjectives, to try to express my amazement at the landscape and city-scape of Japan. Huge buildings, temples, colorful museums, giant budda’s, green pathways, crowded streets, my eyes were constantly open to ensure I did not miss anything. This was all topped off by the fact that most of it was easily accessible by train or by walking.

That brings us to anything key highlight of Japan: the transportation. Trains were the major transportation source during the trip, as I probably spent close to 200 dollars on my pasmo card, travelling between different locations, and sightseeing with other students on the trip. Buses were also available; however, I believe the only time I didn’t use the train or walk was when we arrived from the airport on the first day and took the bus to the university. Occasionally, I experienced the “manin-densha”, or a very crowded train. While indeed crowded, any inconvenience was easily forgivable when compared to the convivence and speed of the train systems. Furthermore, the trains ran on an incredibly tight schedule, arriving on the minute as expected. It meant that finding the right train could be as simple as knowing what minute it pulled into the station, it was that accurate.

As for senshu university, it was the most welcoming experience I have experienced up till now. Hearing “Okaeri” as we returned from classes, which were taught completely in Japanese, made the dormitory feel like home. I always enjoyed the conversations in the dinging halls, and residents often set aside time to talk or hang-out, forming strong friendships between the exchange students during our time in the dormitory. Classrooms were welcoming as well; teachers sought how to help their students on an individual and group basis, listening closely to any feedback, and always giving assistance. I believe my Japanese was able to improve as much as it did, due to the constant and engaging feedback from the professors and students at the dormitory.

If I were to choose a most notable memory, it would be Yokohama: the combination of sea, food, and new friendships, the day excursion was incredible. Riki, my roommate, was amazing as well. I found myself crying at I wrote his farewell card – we had a great time as roommates. Going forward, I intend to stay in constant with the friends we gained, hopefully to meet again in either Canada or Japan, or wherever our travels take us.

 

Water (‘what are’) You Drinking?

Japan is an island country surrounded by seawater. Because the country is covered with rich rivers and lakes, it is rich in water resources. In addition, there are many mountains in Japan, tons of green resources, and countless rivers and ground water throughout the country. Water resources and green resources are very closely related to the quality of water in Japan.

Japan has a special “Waterway Law”, which includes 51 water quality standards, 27 water quality management objectives and 30-40 water quality testing regulations. There are over 200 actual testing items, and the detection frequency varies from daily to every year and the report will be regularly posted on the website. Japan’s tap water quality  have a more stringent standard than mineral water. Tap water must meet the 51 standards stipulated in the Waterway Act, and the mineral water is subject to the Food Sanitation Law where only 18 standards are applied. Japan value drinking water safety because of the painful lessons that they have experienced on water pollution in 1956, Japan.  During this period of rapid industrial growth, the industrial wastewater without treatment, caused a flooding incident that shocked the world. In Japan, polluting drinking water is one of the crime types stipulated in the criminal law.

Frequent earthquakes are a major challenge for the Japanese water supply system. For this reason, in recent years, the renewal of the water supply pipeline in Japan has made earthquake resistance a major goal, requiring the tap water pipeline to still be able to supply water normally within a certain scale of earthquake. As of 2014, 36% of Japan’s water pipelines are earthquake-resistant.

In order to promote tap water treated with ultra-high-purity water purification technology, the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Water Supplies start bottling water and is sold at a slightly lower price than ordinary mineral water, attempting to change the impression that tap water does not taste good.

Comparing with Calgary, Japan’s stringent water regulation policies are matched by Calgary’s equally stringent policies. Firstly, Calgary draws its water source from two major river supplies, being an inland city distant from oceanic sources. These locations include the Elbow River Watershed, and Bow River Watershed. These are fed into the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant and Glenmore Water Treatment Plant, which run year-round, producing 950 megaliters (that’s 950 million liters of treated water) for the 1+ million residents in the city of Calgary.

The plants in Calgary go through several processes, including: clarification, disinfection, filtration, and distribution to the residents in Calgary. In addition to these extensive processes, the Laboratory for the city of Calgary’s water treatment plants also runs 365 days a year, 7 days a week. Water quality tests are conducted upwards of 150,000 times per year. Major concerns for water quality include: dirt, sediment, and organic substances. These occur naturally in Calgary’s watershed reservoirs, as they are sourced by rainstorms and snow melts (again, Calgary in an inland city, thus river sources are its major supply of water). Regulation of water clarification and treatment in Calgary either meets or exceeds federal health Canada guidelines and provincial standards set by Alberta. These include: microbiological, chemical, radiological, aesthetic, and operational guidelines.

However, this is not to say Calgary has not faced its’ own challenges with water supply for residents. A fairly recent issue was Calgary’s decision to remove fluoride from its public water supply. This was in effort to direct costs and funds towards elderly and children’s health, despite fluoride being considered preventative for teeth decay. However, while this decision was considered by many to not be a positive, it was (and is) implemented in effort of directing resources more effectively to those (ie: elderly, poor, and young children) needing additional financial support for medical purposes.

Thus, in conclusion, Calgary and Japan share their stringent regulation of water quality for their residents. While Calgary doesn’t face the same frequency (or at least recency) of major earthquakes, it does however have occasional administrative challenges, such as when Calgary’s fluoride supply was removed from public water. Water is a precious, essential environmental resource, which both Canada and Japan strive to provide their residents, in accordance to the demand and difficulties of their respective locations and health quality regulations.

(Bow River)

References:

1. City of Calgary. (2018). Water treatment online tour: creating high-quality drinking water for over one million Calgarians. Retrieved from http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/Water/Pages/Water-and-wastewater-systems/Water-treatment/Water-treatment-tour/Water-treatment-tour.aspx
2. CBC News. (2011, Feb). Calgary removing fluoride from water supply. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-removing-fluoride-from-water-supply-1.1022279
3. Government of Canada. (2016, Aug). Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/water-quality/drinking-water/canadian-drinking-water-guidelines.html
4. Government of Canada. (2018, Feb). Get prepared: regional hazards (Alberta). Retrieved from https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/hzd/rgnl/ab-en.aspx
5. Miki, M. (2016, Oct). Drinking form the tap: Tokyo’s high-quality water supply. Retried from https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b06301/?pnum=2

 

Japanese Cars CARe

This is our last week in Japan, and I am sad to say that this is almost goodbye. In this past month, I have made so many precious with my friends there. As I travel more and more, I have noticed many things that are different from what we would see in Canada. For today’s topic, we are going to discuss Japan usage of automobiles differs from Calgary. (Vincent)

 

While I was talking with my conversation partner, he asked me if have a driver’s license. He then asked me how much it was, and how long it took me to obtain the license. After telling him it only takes around two years, he questioned me about the price of obtaining the license, and whether or not I had to go to driving school. Curious, I asked him if obtaining a license in Japan was difficult, he chuckled and proceeded to tell me. (Vincent)

Getting a driver’s license in Japan is extremely long and extremely costly. Obtaining their learners requires up to 30 hours of road training, with no more than 2 hours of practice per day. Although it is not required, most Japanese take classes with a driving school. If they attend a prefecture designated driving school, also called driver’s license camps, they only need to complete a written examination. However, graduates from unaccredited driver’s school must complete both the written examination, and the practical examination. Most hope-to-be drivers prefer the first option in order to avoid the extra examination. (Chloe)

Once you finally get your license, you can finally drive a car in Japan! However, it is not without its downsides. For example, parking spots in Japan are not readily available, especially in densely populated cities such as Tokyo. Free parking in cities are rare, and once capacity is full, drivers will have to search for privately owned lots that can cost up to 30 dollars or more for a day. These costly tight spaces act as a deterrent for people, to prevent them from driving. This also contributes to the large amount of taxis that I see in Tokyo. (Chloe & Vincent)

 

Most cars must also undergo a car inspection every two years to make sure they are properly maintained and not a danger to the public, costing around $1000. This is a stark contrast to the cars that we see in Calgary, where you might see some people driving cars that are on the brink of breaking down. Not just mechanically, but the bodies of cars are completely rusted. There are some cars that have literal holes in them. Frankly I am glad that Japan takes the extra precautions to make sure that its citizens are safe. (Chloe & Vincent)

 

As the discussion around climate change grows louder and more urgent, we must look at more sustainable or low emission means of transportation. Cars produce up to one third of the total air pollution in the United States, and up to 3.7 million premature deaths are attributed to ambient air pollution. Luckily for Japan, their rail network is extensive, and the transition away from cars will be easier than for Canada. (Chloe)

 

Bright ideas for conserving energy

 

During our time in Japan, energy consumption and renewal has been a recurrent topic in the dorm and city. Various signs and routines encourage people to limit energy consumption. For example, automatic light-switches turn off at 10PM to encourage people to sleep, signs remind people to turn off the lights and air conditioning when leaving their rooms, and clothes-lines are preferred over drying machines for laundry. In the dormitory, large windows allow for naturally lighting throughout the common areas. At the University of Calgary, dorm lights are not automatic, and can be left on overnight. Additionally, washers and driers are frequently used, instead of clotheslines. Communal kitchens are also available at any time for cooking.

Many signs exist to remind residents to conserve energy

In the city of Kawasaki, there are fewer street lights and people usually turn off their porch lights. In contrast, Canada has brighter and more frequent street lights, and many people leave their porch light on overnight. While this may appear minor, it adds up when dealing with energy management.

These casual observations have piqued our curiosity about electricity production in Japan and Canada. A little research reveals many contrasts between the two countries. 65% of Canada’s energy comes from renewable sources, and hydroelectricity on its own produces 58% of Canada’s energy. While the three most populous provinces (Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia) rely mostly on hydroelectricity, the province of Alberta relies heavily on non-renewable resources, like fossil fuels. However, in contrast to Japan, Canada is self-sufficient in terms of its energy production. As Japan does not have many energy resources, it must import fossil fuels to meet domestic demands. According to the International Energy Agency, 95% of Japan’s energy comes from imported material. Up until 2012, nuclear power plants supplied around 30% of the energy demands. However, the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi power plant disaster brought such fear and uncertainty about the safety of nuclear power plants, the government ordered the closure of all nuclear power plants in 2012. As of today, only a select few nuclear power plants are still producing energy. This aggravated Japan’s dependency on the world market for fossil fuels, as the percentage of fossil fuel produced energy rose from 80.9% in 2010 to 93.6% in 2015.

Canadians do consume more energy than the Japanese: while the average energy use per capita per year was 14930 kWh for Canadians, Japanese used on average half that value, at 7,371 kWh. Based on personal experience, it does seem that Canadians are more liberal about their electricity usage than Japanese. However, Canada is much colder than Japan. According to Natural Resources Canada, 63% of a household’s energy use is used for space heating. While Japan consumes less energy per capita, it has less access to energy resources. On the other hand, Canada is more liberal in its energy uses, but has access to more renewable energy. Thus, Japan has sought to make changes on a household level, to address energy availability and demands, in a different manner than Canada.

Sources:

Japan: Balances for 2015. International Energy Agency. Retrieved May 21, 2018, from http://www.iea.org/statistics/statisticssearch/report/?country=JAPAN&product=balances&year=2015

Electricity facts- Natural Resources Canada. (2018, April 17). Retrieved from https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/facts/electricity/20068#L6

 

Big Ocean, Big Buddha

 

So far Japan has been great. It has been just over a week since we have landed, and I do not want to count the days that we have left. On Saturday May 19^th, our study group went on a trip to the Kamakura, and Enoshima area. Since Jody is extensively covering her adventures in Kamakura, I will be talking about my experience in Enoshima (江の島) that I shared with my friends, and conversation partner. The theme for my post is nature, and how Japan uses its environment into a form of income for tourists, and citizens alike. I would also like to point out that all pictures in this post have been provided by their respective writers, and owned by us.

Enoshima was unlike anything I have ever seen before, being an island, water was the theme of the trip. Everywhere I walked, I could see the ocean sparkle from the sun’s rays, and as the sun came down later that day, it was a truly a sight to behold (pictured below).

 

Being from Calgary, the biggest body of water than I am used to seeing is the Bow River, and that is paltry compared to what I saw in Enoshima. The picture below is the view of Enoshima after I climbed up to the top of the observation deck of the Enoshima Tower.

 

I tied my best to capture the beauty in the picture above, this is a sight that has to bee seen with one’s own eyes. Even though the tower was not very high up, a camera could not do it justice. The mixture of man and nature was astounding, and I solemnly wish that Calgary could have something even as half as good as Enoshima. Please come to Enoshima! I will now pass it on to Jody, who talk about Kamakura! – Vincent

I believe that many friends who have seen Slam Dunk will know this place called 鎌倉高校前駅. kamakura is a coastal city in Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It still retains many historical sites such as the Buddha, ancient temples and shrines. It is also the third ancient capital, just below Kyoto and Nara.

Here, we will be introducing some nature attractions of Kamakura . It takes only about 12 minutes by bus from Kamakura Station to get to the “Hakoku-ji Temple”. It is also known as “Bamboo Temple”. There are more than 2,000 bamboo groves in the main hall. It has a beautiful bamboo forest that offers people a sense of cleansing. After purchasing the entrance ticket with matcha tasting, you can begin to appreciate the beautiful scenery while drinking green tea and listening to the wind. Together, created an extraordinary atmosphere. The entire garden is well maintained and tourists kept their voices down to enjoy the moment of peace.

Next, we will be introducing the symbol of Kamakura, the big Buddha. Buddha is a bronze statue, it is not solid but hollow instead. What makes this even more intriguing are the small doors on the side. And in the back, there were space for internal maintenance. Several reinforcements had been made or else it would have been decayed for a long time. The interior part could be seen by people. However, in general, people will not capture the interior of the Buddha in order to show their respect. Therefore, most picture available in public, Buddha ‘s appearance is peaceful. Kamakura era is the second period of Chinese architectural style. The various skills that Japan learned from China were no longer blindly imitated, but instead, formed its own style and continued to further development. -Jody

 

As Easy as Riding a Bicycle

By Chloe and Jody

Bicycles are very popular in Japan because they are so convenient. Cars are not a popular choice due to the associated costs. Gas is extremely expensive, and the cost of getting a license is equally high. Furthermore, driving is very inconvenient: roads are often quite narrow, many highways in Japan are toll roads, and inner city traffic is nightmarish at best.  Having seen the size of the parking spots, I do not envy Japanese drivers. Thus, it’s easy to see why Japanese people use bikes to get around, unlike Calgarians who are used to driving cars.

Biking is a great way to get around the city and were were surprised by how incorporated they are in the city! In general, bicycles are easy to gain access to, which allows for an incredibly easy riding experience. For example, many tourists will explore the town with bicycles. In addition, lots of bicycle parking spots are available and Japanese people knows how to make use of the space provided. Near train stations, you can even find multilevel bicycle parking lots! Baby chairs can also be placed in front or at the back of the bicycle to make it easier for parents to get around with their children. Surprisingly enough, riders don’t usually wear helmets, nor do they put locks on their bikes.

Bicycle parking lot near Senshu University

Despite the omniscience of bicycles in Japan, Tokyo does not have dedicated bike lanes, likely due to the lack of space. This is in contrast with Calgary, which doesn’t have many riders but has plenty of bike paths. The absence of dedicated lanes in Japan leads to cyclist/pedestrian/driver conflicts. For example, from Senshu University to the nearest train station, the narrow downhill road is shared by cars, bikes and pedestrians without clear sidewalks, which causes confusion and slowdowns for all commuters. Inconveniences occur especially on rainy days, when huge water puddles cause pedestrians to swerve to avoid them, and cars and bicycles to splash pedestrians walking to the train station.

When it comes to riding bicycles, there are a few bylaws we didn’t know existed, and others that we would have expected to exist, but don’t.

Put aside your anime aspirations of sitting on the bike rack while your crush pedals you around: in Japan, riding tandem on a single person bicycle is not allowed, and can lead to a fine of ¥20000! Forget going on a date after you pay that one.

The Girl who Leapt Through Time, 2006

Even though it is very tempting to do so when it starts to rain, riding while holding an umbrella can lead to a ¥50000 fine. Trying to hold both the handle bars and the umbrella, as well as avoid getting dragged around by wind resistance, is very dangerous and can lead to crashes.

Despite many bylaws to ensure a safe riding experience, Japan does not have bike helmet legislation for individuals above the age of 13, and even so, younger children don’t always wear their helmets.

The Japanese have an expression, “gaman spirit”, which can be translated into “Just get along with it”, or “What else can you do”. This is probably the way people can deal with the imperfections of the current bicycling culture in Japan.

Vincent and Sterling: Simple and Clean

So far, the beginning of our trip has been Fantastic. We have visited Akihabara, the Senso-ji in Asakusa, and have settled into our rooms in the International house at Senshu University. In regards to our topic (Environment), we have much to discuss! Firstly, the sorting and organization of Garbage in Kawasaki-shi (where Senshu University is located), is very different to many Canadian’s traditional garbage disposal routines. Everything is sorted according to small home appliances (ie: electronics), paper, plastic, PET bottles, combustible garbage, and food waste. So roughly 5+ categories for waste. (Sterling)

The kitchens in our school dorm have very clear instructions for disposing our waste

This method of waste removal is so different from what we experience in Calgary. Firstly, the students at the dorm (and the citizens of the town by extension) are very meticulous in sorting out their trash. Everything is made sure to be carefully separated. For example, regarding PET bottles (plastic bottles with caps), prior to disposing of the bottle, we must remove the cap first and place it in its own separate bin. The detail, and attention to care is a stark contrast to our experience in Calgary, where people seem to mindlessly throw anything into a bin and call it a day. (Vincent)

Perhaps it takes a bit of extra time to do, but it shows consideration for the environment and the people in Kawasaki-shi/other students at the dorm. Everything is very well kept, tidy, and ready for use whenever it is needed. As a dormitory, it is probably the one of cleanest I have seen. It is a pleasure to engage with the students at the dorm, and going the extra steps to help keep the dormitory, even the city, cleaner for the people here is certainly worth the extra effort and time. (Sterling)

I have noticed that the streets of Japan (Tokyo in particular) are pretty much the cleanest streets that I have ever seen. With how they get rid of their waste, it’s no wonder that their streets are so clean. It just goes to show that, a little more effort from everyone individually ensures a cleaner place to live for everyone as a collective society. This mentality of “for the people as whole” strikes me as the general thought process that the Japanese hold. (Vincent)

As for coming events, I am still really looking forward to the home-stay visit. I am also looking forward to seeing the Shibuya crossing, since it is renowned for being one of the busiest people crossings in Japan. がんばります！(Sterling)