Taking part at the Study tour of Japan for European Youth program has definitely been the greatest experience of my life. Allow me to express my deepest gratitude firstly to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the Embassy of Japan in Greece for giving me the opportunity to make a life dream come true. I would also like to thank our tour guides in Japan, Ms. Keiko, Mr. Yajima and Ms. Yoko for working so hard for us.
Japan is an amazing country with rich culture and a unique ability to combine modern western style with its history and tradition. No matter how long you decide to stay there you can always experience something new and interesting.
Tokyo
After a long trip we finally landed in Tokyo. During our ride from the Narita airport to the hotel I could not stop looking outside the window and trying to realize that I was actually in Japan. I've never been to a big city before so the tall buildings with the modern architecture and the roads were entirely new and impressive for me. In the evening we had a welcome party inside the hotel that gave us the chance to meet with the other European participants and also the representatives of the Greek Embassy in Japan.
Our program in Tokyo for the first two days included the hearing of three interesting lectures. The first was about the Japanese – European relations and the second about the Japanese economy. The third was about the Japanese political system and it was concluded with a visit to the Diet building.
Besides the lectures we also went to the Kabuki theatre. We enjoyed two theater plays that took us back to the time of Samurai and gave us a taste of the old Japan. Even if someone did not wish to follow the plot he could just sit back and enjoy the great costumes, the music and the amazing performance of the kabuki actors.
The next day we visited the Tokyo University of Foreign Affairs to meet with Japanese students and discuss with them. We were divided in three groups and every group had a different discussion subject. Afterwards the students of the ikebana and archery group prepared a demonstration for us.
In my opinion, the best part of the trip was the drum concert given for us by the Nagisa Taiko team. I could never believe that drums can produce so wonderful music and I admired the synchronization among the drummers, especially the little children. After the concert was over we had the opportunity to try beating the drums by ourselves and then we had a small party. The mother's of the children prepared dinner and we sang karaoke. It really felt like having a family party and I realized from the first day how friendly people the Japanese are.
 On the third day we visited the Meiji – Jingu temple, which is dedicated to the emperor Meiji and his wife. It was a wonderful building inside a forest, in the middle of Tokyo, that was planted by the donation and work of Tokyo residents. The Shinto priest talked to us about Shinto and the religious aspect of the Japanese society. Later we were lucky enough to attend a Shinto ceremony and see a wedding ceremony, newborn babies taken to the shrine for their first blessing and twenty year old girls in kimono's, that were there for the ceremony of becoming adults.
|
Our next stop was the Sogetsu Ikebana School, one of the most known schools of Ikebana. The teachers prepared a brief demonstration and made some wonderful flower arrangements for us. We even tried to make a group creation but the result was pretty funny.
Later at the Tokyo Panasonic Centre the employees gave us a tour inside the building and showed us some of the latest technology projects they are working on. We also saw a model of a future house with its full technology equipment, which was really impressive. At the end of the day we visited Odaiba to admire the view of Tokyo city and during our free time we tried to visit the most known parts of Tokyo, so we took the subway and visited Shibuya, Roponnji, and Akihabara. Later at the Tokyo Panasonic Centre the employees gave us a tour inside the building and showed us some of the latest technology projects they are working on. We also saw a model of a future house with its full technology equipment, which was really impressive.
At the end of the day we visited Odaiba to admire the view of Tokyo city and during our free time we tried to visit the most known parts of Tokyo, so we took the subway and visited Shibuya, Roponnji and Akihabara.
Hiroshima
 After Tokyo we flew to Hiroshima, from Hanada airport. After arriving I couldn't wait to see how the city looks like. After driving through amazing nature scenery we arrived at the centre of a modern, developed city.
First we had lunch and then it was time for us to meet our host family. Everybody seemed pretty excited and welcomed us warmly. Me and Ms. Ikeda drove to the boat station and took the boat for Miyajima Island. I have to confess that is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. The combination of the clear sea water, the green mountains, the Japanese style buildings and shrines makes it look like a small paradise on earth.
|
After the tour to the island we went back home, where we had a home cooked meal with the rest of the family. We talked and then they showed me the art of Origami and we did a small paper doll with kimono!
The next day Ms. Ikeda showed me her kimono and she was kind enough to let me wear it and she also showed me a simple tea ceremony. Afterwards we visited a kimono discount shop where I tried a kimono again.
|
 In the afternoon the group met again at the peace Memorial Park. We had free time to take a walk around and visit the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum. I had already seen videos and movies and I had read many things about the Atomic bombing but nothing can give you the true idea till you visit Hiroshima.
The only way to conceive the disaster that occurred in those days is by seeing the Dome, the real objects and the information material inside the museum. Nothing can touch you emotionally besides the hearing to the testimony of a person that experienced the atomic bombing and I feel very lucky I had the chance to hear a survivor telling his personal story. I admire the strength of those people to move on with their life and their passion for working for peace. Of course we could not leave Hiroshima without taking a walk around the city, visiting Hiroshima castle and trying the delicious Okonomi-yaki.
|
Kyoto
 Our visit to Hiroshima ended and we took the Shin-kansen (bullet train) to Kyoto. Our first visit was at the Nijo-jo Castle, the residence of the first Shogun. We admired its magic garden and saw some samurai dolls that travelled us back to the old Japan for a while. We also visited the Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-jii and Kiyomizu dera temples.
One of the most interesting experiences of the trip was our staying at a Japanese traditional hotel outside Kyoto.
There we wore our yukatas, relaxed in an outside bath, had Japanese style meals and slept on the floor. Some of the members of our group express their wish to attend to a tea ceremony and the owners of the hotel were kind enough to arrange one for us.
|
Nara - Osaka – Kobe
 We left Kyoto and drove to Osaka, with a between stop to Nara, the old capital of the country.
We went to the Horyu – ji temple, the oldest wooden structure in the world and to the Todai-ji temple, with the tallest statue of the sitting Buda and the deer park.
At Osaka we visited The Osaka–jo castle, that was firstly constructed by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, one of the most important historical figures of Japan, as he was the one to unite the country.
It is a really impressive building, where you can get a panoramic view of the city and take a tour at the inside museum.
The program included free time to Kobe, so after arriving there, we took the chance to walk to the city's port area and mix with locals. There we saw a wooden European ship as this was the arrival point of the first Europeans.
Next we continued our walk to the city's market and had lunch.
We spent our last afternoon in Osaka, were we visited the city's aquarium.
|
 In the evening we had free time so we just tried to enjoy our last moments in Japan. Nobody wanted to leave but we all had to get back to the hotel and pack for the journey back home. It was really hard separating from the European friends and our tour guides. I left Japan promising to myself that one day I will return.
After the trip I am convinced that Japan, Greece and Cyprus can cooperate on many levels. I am sure that they could exchange ideas about political, economical and technology matters.
What I wish though to see is cooperation on an educational basis and on environmental issues. I believe that the cooperation between universities is an important step to this direction. My personal wish is to see the creation of a team that will make the Hiroshima story known to the Greek people and prepare activities for schools. This way they will enforce the voice against nuclear weapons and the work of the Hiroshima survivors for world peace
|
|
