Day 3: Tokyo Orientation, Education Speaker, Sightseeing

Our day started with an orientation on the city of Tokyo. We received a brief introduction to the subway and train system. The location of the hotel is right by Shinjuku Station, which is considered to be the busiest train station in the world, serving 3.22 million people per day. We were also given precautions as to earthquake safety, personal safety and places in the city to avoid after dark.

After our orientation we had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Tsutomu Kimura, President of the National Institute for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, give a speech on Educational reform in Japan. Some interesting facts about the Japanese educational system: there is nearly a 0% illiteracy rate in all of Japan; 50% of people get some form of higher education; the Japanese education system is a national system, unlike that of the United States; and there is an increasing push for emphasizing creativity, diversity, and flexibility.

After Dr. Kimura’s speech, we hit the buses for a trip to the national Diet, which is the equivalent to our Capital Building. For information regarding the Japanese government, visit: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2136.html

After the visit to the Diet, we stopped by the Asakusa Shrine. The shrine is Shinto and dates back to the year 628. There are a lot of cool buildings and plenty of people there to worship or just to see an important part of Japanese religious history.

The day ended with a fancy opening reception/banquet. I found out that instead of saying “Cheers!” when making a toast, the Japanese say “Kompai!” I also found out that raw fish really doesn’t taste that bad.