Accompanied by Professor Herbert Donovan
(Rikkyo University College of Business)
Tour Guide: Kyoko Fuji
12:00AM - 7:30AM: Spent the night at KEEP (Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project)
7:30AM - 8:00AM: Enjoyed a breakfast prepared by KEEP
8:00AM - 10:15AM: Traveled by bus to Nagano-Zenkoji
Catching a glimpse of Mount Fuji: Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan, standing in at 12,388 feet. The mountain's symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and is often depeicted in art and photos.
Nagano, Japan was the host of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. Sporting venues built for the games include the M-Wave speed-skating arena, Big Hat arena, and the Aqua Wing arena.
In Zenkoji's pitch black tunnel below the Main Hall, all people are considered completely equal. The SMBA group groped the walls in complete darkness, searching for the "key to paradise". In this corridor, worshipers try to touch a metal key hanging on the wall, in order to gain enlightenment. The key represents the Key to the Western Paradise of the Amida Buddha. Lunch at Zenkoji was free time, in which we were able to choose a place to eat, and for many, that choice included Soba Noodles.
We were able to explore one of Japan’s finest historic castles. Matsumoto castle was completed in the late 16th century and maintains its original wooden interiors and external stonework. One of the most memorable aspects of this castle was the very steep, narrow staircases, where some of us scraped our shins. This design was deliberate, which made it more difficult for someone to quickly ascend the floors, providing security against infiltrators. There are also many spots inside the castle with low ceilings. The samurai must have been generally smaller than the visitor’s to the castle today. Also, we had to take off our shoes in order to enter the castle.
6:30PM – 8:30PM : Returned to KEEP & Dinner at KEEP
8:30PM – 9:30PM : Lecture: Environmental Education at KEEP
Instructor: Mr. Masatoshi “Masa” Ishikawa (Park Ranger)
“Masa” provided us with some background information on KEEP and explained the various Environmental Education Programs. The programs tend to target school children and families, although many companies are becoming interested in the programs. The programs include: forestry management, dairy farm experience, dormouse museum, and rice farming. KEEP aims to use their experience to educate others and “Masa” stressed that collaboration is key. They are always searching for the best possible collaboration.
No comments:
Post a Comment