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Enjoying the Culture in Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and a Healing Trip in Georgia

Mariam Mamaladze, Center for Japanese Language, Non-degree Program Student

Toyama Campus, Toyama hills

I became interested in Japan because I loved “Norwegian Wood” by Haruki Murakami (1975, School of Letters, Arts and Sciences Ⅰ), Studio Ghibli movies, and I studied Japanese at a university in Georgia. I decided to study abroad because I was drawn to Waseda University, where Haruki Murakami also studied. I am currently studying Japanese language and culture.

Weekend getaways are special as they let me relax and enjoy various experiences

My most memorable trip was my first trip in Japan, a weekend trip to Hakone that I took in November 2022, at a friend’s suggestion. I rode the Odakyu Romancecar with three friends. I visited a hot spring for the first time there, and it was extremely pleasant and relaxing. Thinking about how Japanese people experience this from a young age, made me realize how there are so many different types of people, and I believe it was wonderful to interact with people of different ages.

I visited the Hakone Open Air Museum and it was fascinating to see the works of art in the midst of nature. It is amazing to be able to experience something extraordinary only two hours from Tokyo, by train.

Left: A photograph with friends on a Hakone pirate boat on Lake Ashi in Hakone. It links Togendai port to the Hakonemachi and Motohakone ports, about a 25 to 40 minute trip. “The wind was very strong.”
Right: At Sengokuhara Susuki Grass fields. It has been selected as one of Kanagawa’s 50 Best Scenic Spots and 100 Best Places to See Flowers in Kanagawa. The best time to visit is from late September to late November.

In March 2023, I traveled to Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara with other friends. The atmosphere in Kyoto and Nara was completely different from Tokyo. I could feel the atmosphere of the old capital in Kyoto and Nara. We had the most fun when we went to Yasaka Shrine and wore kimonos! I have always wanted to wear a kimono, So but my dream came true. Wearing a kimono made me feel as though I had gone back in time and became a different person. Being able to experience Japanese history and culture firsthand was special.

At Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto (I am on the far left). “Selecting the kimonos was very exciting. I also had fun interacting with the Japanese tourists who took our photograph.”

At Osaka Castle (I am in the front). We were not able to visit some places owing to the rain, however, we relaxed at the Solaniwa Onsen in Benten-cho and visited temples and other famous landmarks.

In Osaka, we visited the Osaka Castle and the teamLab Botanical Garden exhibit in Nagai Park. They had many sculptures and lamps on display, and we were able to see the interaction between dark and light at night. Receiving an opportunity to appreciate that in nature was brilliant.

The takoyaki was delicious! It was my first time eating it, and the aromatic flavors and sauces were overwhelming.

I would go back to any of these places again in a heartbeat. One trip is not sufficient!

In Georgia, we “travel” to “rest”

I believe that the idea of “travel” is different in Japan compared with Georgia. In Georgia, people often spend weekends relaxing at home; however in Japan, both children and adults, go out to visit places and enjoy going out even for short durations, such as day trips and overnight trips. In Georgia, people go on trips because they “want to rest.” Typically, people go to seaside towns with their family or friends and spend a week or so relaxing there. We enjoy swimming at the beach or simply relaxing and getting a tan. Both types of “trips” have their positives, hence, when I go back to Georgia, I will try to travel around to the tourist attractions for sightseeing.

Georgia is a small country, so you could travel the entire country in two weeks. Tbilisi, the capital, is a diverse city with a combination of Asia and the West, new and old. Actually, Georgia is the birthplace of wine. I highly recommend trying the 8,000-year-old Georgian wine there. The famous orange wine is fermented and aged for 3 to 6 months and is prepared by soaking the entire white grapes, including the skins and seeds, which provides it an astringent taste similar to red wine and is extremely delicious.

Left: In the capital city of Tbilisi: The old town, including the 1,600-year-old Narikala Fort, and the new town, with its beautiful streets and shopping locations, offer different atmospheres.
Right: A daily antique market held on the Dry Bridge over the Kula River, which flows through the city of Tbilisi.

Photographs: Mariam Mamaladze

◎ Tbilisi, Georgia ◎

Georgia is a republic in the South Caucasus. Its capital is Tbilisi. It covers an area of approximately 70,000 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 3.98 million people. The official language is Georgian. It is divided into Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It shares borders with Russia in the north, Azerbaijan in the southeast, Armenia and Turkey in the south, and the Black Sea in the west. It has a time difference of -5 hours from Japan. There are no direct flights there from Japan, and it takes about 14-15 hours by air via the Middle East. Tbilisi, the capital, covers an area of about 720 square kilometers and has a population of about 1.1 million people. Summers in Georgia are hot and winters are relatively cold.

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Enjoy food in Hokkaido and Akita and visit Korea’s new sightseeing spots!

Shin Hyowon , Master’s Course,1st Year, Graduate School of Political Science

At Toyama hills

I studied Japanese as a minor in high school, and wanted to become a reporter or special correspondent who delivers the news who delivers news about Japan (in Korean). I enrolled in the School of International Liberal Studies because I was interested in studying diverse fields with people from different countries, and I wanted to study abroad for a year. My plan to study abroad fell apart due to the COVID-19 pandemic,but as I learned more and more, I began to enjoy data science, and went on to my current graduate school, where I can study journalism and data analysis.

Local food culture is one way to learn about Japan

I love to eat, and am interested in food culture. Japan has so many regions, and I like to travel in search of food unique to each region.

Hokkaido was the best! In August 2022, I visited Sapporo, Asahikawa, and Otaru with three of my friends. During that trip, the Sakaimachi shopping street that we visited in Otaru was so much fun, even just simply walking around. It had so many stores along both sides of the narrow street, and was bustling with activity. We also went sightseeing by boat on the Otaru Canal. It was a unique experience that you cannot typically get on a trip to Otaru.

Otaru Canal was formed by reclaiming land along the coast and it is approximately 1,140 meters long. At dusk, they light gas lamps along the paths and the buildings are illuminated. The view of the city, from the stone warehouses to the historic buildings along the canal, was so wonderful that I would like to ride again at a different time of the day.

Food: the jingisukan (A Hokkaidou specialty dish named after Ghengis Khan) was delicious! We eat lamb in Korea too, but we eat it with a spicy sauce, so this was the first time that I ate it grilled as is. It was so tender and full of umami, and did not have any gamey smell. I actually went back to eat it again during my trip.

Left: Jingisukan lamb, I had at Taisetsu Beer House, a 5-minute walk from JR Asahikawa Station. The restaurant was in a former warehouse from the Meiji period which is now a registered cultural property.
Right: “There are seafood bowls in Korea, but they are different!” Sakaimachi Street is about an 11-minute walk from JR Otaru Station. The 900-meter shopping street has historical buildings, and it is lined with many stores, including specialty glass shops and restaurants.

I also have fond memories of Akita, which I visited during my senior year of high school before I enrolled at university. There was a 10-day training trip to Japan, and I stayed at a homestay in Akita. My hometown of Daegu is the warmest area in Korea and it does not receive much snow, so I was also amazed by the snow. They taught me how to make mochi (rice cakes) and how to do a traditional dance with a Sadge hat.

Left: Around the homestay house.
Right: Yubeshi sweet rice cakes, an Akita specialty; sliced and eaten. The taste and shape vary with the region. I enjoyed preparing and eating yubeshi mixed with white and black sesame seeds.

I don’t really do a lot of research before I go on a trip. I just ask locals about details such as famous spots and tasty food options, after I reach the destination. I would be disappointed if I was unable to experience something I had looked up in advance. However, I didn’t know about the discount system for buying round-trip train tickets; therefore, I may have lost money (laughs).

Increasing tourist attractions in Korea

Since Republic of Korea is a small country, about a quarter of Japan’s land area, and you can reach anywhere in a 3-4 hour drive, people usually travel by car. Every weekend, I used to travel to different places. Public transportation is also cheaper than in Japan; therefore, it is convenient in that sense.

If you are planning to travel somewhere other than Seoul, the port city of Busan is a greatchoice. The Haeundae Blueline Park train was built in 2020, for sightseeing and is expected to become a new tourist attraction. It runs along the coast and offers breathtaking views. In Korean cuisine, I recommend Gukbap and seafood bowls. Gukbap is a soup with rice, and meat or seafood-based soups are also available in various flavors depending on the restaurant and region. Koreans also eat sashimi,but seafood bowls are served with special gochujang (red pepper paste) that is different from Japanese seafood bowls, so you should definitely try it.

Left: The sea in Busan bustles with swimmers in the summer. The Gwangan Bridge, a landmark in Busan, is visible in the distance. The bridge is lit up at night, which creates a romantic atmosphere.
Right: The popular Sky Capsule in Haeundae. A monorail with four-passenger carriages has been built above the tracks of a sightseeing train.

Photographs: Shin Hyowon

◎ Busan, South Korea ◎

Seoul is the capital of South Korea. South Korea covers an area of approximately 100,000 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 51 million people. The official language is Korean. Across the Tsushima Strait, Busan and Tsushima are about 50 kilometers apart. Busan and Japan are in the same time zone. It takes about 2.5 hours to travel from Japan to Busan by air. There are six metropolitan cities other than Seoul: Busan is one, and it is also the second largest city in Korea. Busan Metropolitan City covers an area of approximately 760 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 3.4 million people. Of the major cities in Korea, Busan is closest to Japan.

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Interesting Sites in Niigata and Okinawa, and a China Trip with Stunning Views and History

An Shoyo, 4th-year, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Near Building 33 on the Toyama Campus

When I was choosing a university, I wanted to be a screenwriter. I watched the works of director Hirokazu Koreeda (a professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering), who depicts laughter and excitement well, and enjoyed Kankuro Kudo too. This made me want to study in Japan, and I chose Waseda. Around the time when I had to declare a major after my second year, I came across Professor Romi Hida’scourse History of Buddhist Art. In this course, I also learned about China, where I come from, and I felt my interest grow as my world expanded into what was previously unknown, and now I am continuing to study the history of oriental art.

Visit the places you want! Enjoy the challenge of traveling

Fuji Rock Festival Exit gate: Saw “Wednesday Campanella,” “Never Young Beach,” “Pile Cover,” “HYUKOH,” “KOHH,” “Susumu Hirasawa,” and other bands from Japan, Inner Mongolia, and South Korea.

My first trip in Japan was for the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL in 2019 hosted at the Naeba Ski Resort in Yuzawa, Niigata. However, when I decided to go, the surrounding hotels were already full, and I could not get a reservation. I discovered that many people stay in tents at the venue, and I really wanted to go, hence, I went for it and bought my first tent and sleeping bag. I took my luggage, traveled solo, using the Shinkansen and buses. I saw about six or seven bands each day, and since all the venues are located far away from each other, I was walking about 40,000 steps a day, which was lots of fun, but I was exhausted after (Laughs).

When it came to actually assembling the tent, I realized I did not have the tent posts. I forgot them on the bus on my way there! I asked the volunteers and the stall vendors at the venue for help; we searched for similar parts, and after adjusting lengths, I was finally able to assemble it. That experience unnerved me, wondering how I would overcome the challenge. I was relieved that I was somehow able to spend the night safely.

Left: “I painted my favorite bands and song titles in oil paint on my tent so I would be able to find it in the middle of all the tents.”
Right: The venue deep in the mountains. You can listen to your favorite music from morning till night.

In March 2022, I had another memorable experience, when I visited Okinawa with two friends. We had wanted to go swimming, but it was not the right season, so we toured museums instead. At the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum, we viewed exhibits of bells of various sizes and their histories, such as the old Shurijo Shoden Bell. I found that interesting because it is linked to Oriental art, which I am currently studying.

Then we visited Cape Zanpa, which is at the western end of the main island of Okinawa. However, the buses were infrequent and we had to wait for an hour, and after getting off the bus, we had to walk for two hours along an almost deserted road. I was worried that we may not make it, but it was fine because I was with friends, and the view of Cape Zanpa was spectacular, so it was absolutely worth it. For the trip back to the hotel, we got a cab. It is much more convenient to have a car in Okinawa.

Left: The road to Cape Zanpa, on which we walked for two hours.
Right: Spectacular view of Cape Zanpa. The 30-meter-high cliff stretches for about 2 kilometers. “I was surprised to see on the map that Zhejiang Province (Hangzhou), where my parents live, is very close.”

West Lake, a World Heritage Site, and Hangzhou, to Enjoy Nature and History to the Fullest

These days, “special soldier travel” or “military travel” is popular among the youth of China. These are trips that scale down the costs of lodging and transportation to visit several tourist sites. The Fuji Rock Festival I visited was somewhat similar to these trips (laughs).

I am from Hangzhou City in Zhejiang Province, south of Shanghai, where Xi （West） Lake, which was registered as a World Heritage site in 2011, is a popular spot. it is famous for the love story “The Legend of the White Snake,” about a snake and a human,which is set there. And you should definitely visit Feilai Peak by the lake if you want to see the many Buddhist statues carved into the rock face and the view of tea gardens spreading out at the foot of the peak.

Left: Tea gardens at Feilai Peak. Lingyin Tmple,on the slopes of the “flying peak” is over 1,600 years old. There are several caves and over 340 Buddha statues carved into the cliffs along the river.
Right: West Lake photographed in January 2019. Depending on the location and time of day, you can see different scenes. Since ancient times there are numerous stories and ink paintings about this lake.

In Japan, delicious sweets and specialties are sold as souvenirs wherever you go, but it is not common in China. Transport in China is inexpensive, and even a full day’s use of a cab does not cost much, so you should visit as many places as you can.

Photographs: An Shoyo

◎ The People’s Republic of China (China), Zhejiang Province ◎

Beijing is the capital of China. It has an area of about 9.63 million square kilometers and a population of approximately 1.4 billion people. The official language is Chinese (Mandarin). It has 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two special administrative regions. Zhejiang Province is one of China’s provinces with an area of about 100,000 square kilometers and a population of about 64 million people. It is located in the central part of East China and faces the East China Sea. The provincial capital is Hangzhou. It has a time difference of -1 hour from Japan. Direct flights from Japan take about 3-4 hours.

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Please read before your trip! 【From the Student Affairs Section】

You are probably planning many activities during your long vacation, not to mention travel. You are certainly responsible for your own activities, however, please keep the following points in mind.

Use caution and care when drinking alcohol!

Drinking alcohol under the age of 20 is prohibited by law. Do not drink in large quantities, force yourself to drink, or drink to excess voluntarily.Any accident caused by drinking is not covered by the Waseda University Student Compensation System (injury compensation).

【新歓コンパの掟】早大の飲酒ルールとペナルティーを知らないと後悔します

※This article is Japanese only.

Be careful when driving vehicles (two-wheeler as well as four-wheeler)

Please be careful when driving a vehicle (two-wheeler as well as four-wheeler). Accidents are particularly likely to occur when someone is not used to driving, therefore, exercise caution.

Purchase optional insurance appropriate to your activity

Purchase insurance to cover medical expenses for injuries and illnesses while traveling. In particular, medical expenses may be expensive overseas because the medical system differs from that in Japan (Reference:（参考：Waseda University Campus Insurance Center,Incorporated）。

Ensure that you check when traveling abroad!

Check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page on overseas safety for the latest hazard information. Additionally, check the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s quarantine station website for information on infectious disease outbreaks in your destination country and the measures required in that area. You may want to register with “たびレジ(Tabireji),“which allows you to receive emergency information regarding your destination.

Do not forget to submit the “Training Camp/Expedition Notification Form” for your group!

When you organize a training camp or an expedition, please submit the “Training Camp/Expedition Notification” to the Student Life Section of the Student Affairs Section at least one week before your departure (one month before overseas expeditions). Working hours during the summer vacation will be announced on July 21 (Friday) on the Student Affairs Section website.

*This article is a translation from the Japanese edition of Waseda Weekly published on July 10, 2023. The content is current at the time of Japanese publication.