Tuesday, June 19: Meiji Shrine

My free day off consisted of hanging out and traveling with Steve and Carolynn. I don't remember if we had a specific plan on where to go, but I know we were all looking forward to seeing the Meiji Shrine in Shibuya. To be honest, I was just happy to be hanging out with my classmates in Japan! They were wonderful company and very funny! We were all just so excited to be in Japan the first time. Carolynn had a rough morning but I am glad that she was laughing all day after that. It was raining but I think that this made Yoyogi Park even more beautiful! (Yoyogi Park is next to the shrine). The event was very humorous because we could not find the shrine for-the-life-of-us when we got there but eventually stumbled upon it.

   The shrine seemed almost ominous to me, a magical history that I cannot seem to experience in the United States. I really enjoyed the shrine because of the story it told of Emperor Meiji. An American film called the Last Samurai with Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe was made based on the beginning of the modernization that Emperor Meiji took Japan through. The shrine tells the story of the move of the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo and the story of Japan's modernization. The film is one of my favorites and I personally relate to it on multiple levels. So, needless to say, I really enjoyed the visit. I really appreciate Japan for it's rich history and culture and I was very glad to experience this free day of roaming Tokyo.