Sigma Colon, United States, in royal kimono
Byodoin Temple in Uji, Kyoto
WorldSmart students visit with the Superintendent of Education for the town of Kumiyama, Kyoto, Japan | | Kyoto, Japan!
By Neal Stephens, Mississippi, United States
Kyoto, capital of Japan before Tokyo, is known as the heart of ancient Japan and served as our third stop in Japan. Kyoto Prefecture has 2.6 million people and boasts tourism as one of its major industries. Believe it or not, sister states to Kyoto include Oklahoma, USA; Leningrad, Russia; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Yogyakarta, Indonesia.The number of shrines and temples in Kyoto is overwhelming, and I felt like I needed at least one week of free days to see everything. Class in Kyoto was held on the ninth floor in massive Kyoto Station, where we could see the entire city through the window in our room. I gave a presentation on Baseball Fans in Japan and the United States based on the cultural dimensions we were taught previously, and everyone submitted their papers on their topics of interest, as well. The first community service day of the week for me consisted of touring a sake and plum wine factory, participating in a traditional green tea ceremony, playing volleyball at a nursing home (which was again entertaining), and seeing a shrine for the first time. On the following day, we were taught Japanese calligraphy by students in a local elementary, who then played basketball with us. Read more...
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