Representatives of Prague College School of Business are visiting Japan for a ten-day trip that embraces visits to companies and academic institutions in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
Each day, Prague College students Romana Backova (BA (Hons) International Business Management) and Manuel Mayerhoffer (MSc International Management), are sending us reports on their activities. In this two-part series they introduce some of the sights, sounds and tastes as they experience them.
Days 1 and 2
Our flight to Japan via Vienna was quite alright, though flying more than 11 hours and a time shift of 7 hours resulted in a rather short night for all of us! In the morning, we all went out to explore the Ginza district where our hotel is located. Manuel tried breakfast sushi with crab soup at a local bar right next to the famous Tsukiji fish market...
... then at 10 am we met up with Hiromi Katayama from International Pacific University who are organizing our programme in Tokyo, who kindly joined us for the day.
Our first stop was Shiseido, the largest producer of cosmetics in Japan. One of their HR managers took two hours of his time to update us on the latest development and strategic orientation of the company, as well as showing us around at the HQ and offices at the Ginza district. Fun fact: Their employees can work barefoot (!) in open offices, especially popular with the product designers.
Next up Hiromi and our local guide Hiruki took us the JPX, Tokyo's stock exchange market and the third largest bourse in the world. One of their employees explained to us the basic trading transactions and products offered, before showing us around the premises. Lastly, we were taken on a tour through the Nikon museum, exhibiting hundreds of Nikon products including binoculars, cameras, and microscopes. Today we got an amazing insight into Japanese culture and their world of business and really appreciate the effort IPU put in to render all of this possible.
Day 3:
On Wednesday we visited Tokyo Management College located in Chiba-Ken, just outside of Tokyo. The College representatives and students prepared a tour of the campus and presentation for us. We got an insight on how the Japanese educational system works and were very grateful for their generosity and kindness.
We also met International students living in Japan and learning Japanese language from Tokyo International Business College. The students were from countries as far afield as Australia, France, New Zealand, and Mongolia. They told us a great deal about what it feels like living in Japan as a foreigner.
After the college visit, we headed to Asakusa, famous for its Buddhist temple - Sensō-ji. We had the opportunity to explore the temple and the area. Lastly, afterwards we visited Tokyo Skytree Tower as well as Tokyo Tower, which gave us an incredible view of the city.
Day 4:
Our local guide Hiruki took us to explore the Tsukiji fish market and explained the different kinds of food they offer there. We also had the opportunity to see a traditional blacksmith selling a broad variety of kitchen knives. In the pictures, you can also see the famous Shibuya crossing in the heart of Tokyo with all its huge LED screens, the equivalent of Times Square or Piccadilly Circus.
Day 5:
After checking out of the hotel, our guide Narumi took us to the train station in Tokyo, where we took the bullet train to Kyoto. Travelling on the train was extremely comfortable and it was great to get an impression of the countryside with its small villages, rice fields and dark green forests. After about two and a half hours we arrived in Kyoto and were picked kindly up by Daiju Ando, a representative from IPU Japan. After a lunch of the famous Soba noodles from Kyoto he took us on a trip to see Buddhist temples and shrines, as well as Kinkaku (the Golden Pavilion). The latter especially impressed us with its calm and peaceful atmosphere.
Later in the evening, we drove to Osaka and enjoyed a traditional Japanese dinner with savoury pancakes, fish and beef. IPU has been very kind to take us around different cities and an amazing programme of activities. Tomorrow we will be seeing more of Osaka and travel to IPU in Okayama in the evening.
Day 6:
On Sunday morning we headed out to Cupnoodles Museum in Osaka. We were not only able to see the history behind Japanese noodles, different types and kinds of noodles, but also create our own Cupnoodles. Afterwards we headed back to central Osaka, where we had lunch and explored the popular shopping area Shinsaibasi. The weather, due to high temperatures and humidity, made it a bit challenging. In the afternoon, our guide and IPU representative Mr Ando took us to the nearby city of Kobe. We visited Chinatown, famous for its street food and long shopping streets. Lastly, in the evening, we moved from Kobe to Okayama and checked into IPU dorms, where we will be staying for the next couple of days. Join us again for next week's blog!
