2009 Japan Study Tour

The following is a list of companies we will be targeting for on site meetings and the cultural sites we will be visiting. Please keep in mind that companies may not be able to host us due to their schedules or space limitations. We welcome input on visits – let us know what interests you or where you have contacts.

As plans begin to solidify with each company, detail for that company will be added.

COMPANY VISITS:

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES:

TOKYO

• Kamakura (Video Tour): Kamakura (鎌倉市, Kamakura-shi) is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, about 50 km south-south-west of Tokyo. Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is sometimes considered a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the Kamakura Period. Kamakura has many historically significant Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Kotoku-in, with the monumental outdoor bronze state of Amida Buddha, is the most famous of the many temples we will visit.

• Asakusa: Asakusa is a district in Tokyo that is most famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several more temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals. For most of the twentieth century, Asakusa was the major entertainment district in Tokyo. It has now been surpassed by Shinjuku and other colorful areas of the city.

• Tsukiji Fish Market: Tsukiji Central Wholesale Market is a large market for fish, fruit and vegetables in central Tokyo. It is the most famous of over ten wholesale markets that handle the distribution of fish, fruit, vegetables, meat and flowers for metropolitan Tokyo. Tsukiji Market is best known as one of the world’s largest fish markets. We arrive early to see the live auction, observe the operations of the market, then have a traditional sushi or ramen breakfast with the locals. It doesn’t get fresher than this!

HIROSHIMA

• Peace Memorial Museum: The Peace Memorial Park was built to commemorate the dropping of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and to promote a peaceful world. It is located in the area around the atomic explosion’s epicenter, and houses the Peace Memorial Museum and many other a-bomb related monuments.

• Hiroshima Carp Baseball Game: The city of Hiroshima recently unveiled plans of a new baseball stadium to be built for the Carp. The facility is expected to open in time for the 2009 season, and it promises to be one of the best ballparks in Japan — or anywhere else, for that matter. it is likely that we will be able to catch them at this new stadium during our stay in Hiroshima. It’s a Japanese baseball tradition for fans to make thunderous noise continuously, using taiko drums and anything else that is loud. Japanese baseball makes for one crazy fun evening! Bring your red and white.

• Miyajima: Miyajima is noted as one of the nation’s “Scenic Trio” because of its breathtaking beauty and tranquil atmosphere. Miyajima is famous for its Itsukushima Jinja Shrine. Its red torii gate appears to be standing in the sea during high tide. There is hiking in the mountains and you will find numerous red-faced monkeys along the way.

• Himeji Castle: Himeji Castle, also known as the “White Crane”, is widely considered to be Japan’s most magnificent surviving feudal castle. The castle is designated both a national treasure and a UNESCO world heritage site. Himeji Castle is a popular stop for those traveling on the bullet train between Kyoto and Hiroshima.

KYOTO

• Shrines, Gardens, Geisha and Good Food: Natural scenery, temples, shrines, towns and homes intermingle with a poignant historical beauty. Whether it is Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), meeting maiko walking on the street or visiting Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple), so many aspects of characteristic Japanese culture continue to thrive in Kyoto. Over a period of 1200 years, dating from the decision to move the capital to Kyoto in 794, it nurtured a splendid, delicate and unique kind of culture, and over the course of history came to be considered the mother of culture within Japan. For this reason, Kyoto is often called “Japan’s heartland”, and it is said that it is impossible to know the real Japan without knowing Kyoto.
• Sumo (相撲, sumō) is a competitive contact sport where a wrestler (rikishi) attempts to force one another out of a circular ring (dohyo) or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally. The sumo tradition is very ancient, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt for purification, from the days sumo was used in the Shinto religion. Life as a rikishi is highly regimented, with rules laid down by the Sumo Association. Professional sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal “sumo training stables” known in Japanese as heya where all aspects of their daily lives—from meals to their manner of dress—are dictated by strict tradition.There are six Grand Sumo tournaments (or honbasho) each year: three at The Sumo Hall Tokyo (January, May, and September), and one each in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July) and Fukuoka (November). We will likely attend that one one in Osaka! Each day is structured so the highest-ranked contestants compete at the end of the day. Thus, wrestling will start in the morning with the jonokuchi wrestlers and end at around six o’clock in the evening with bouts involving the yokozuna, or the ōzeki in the case of the yokozuna’s absence. The wrestler who wins the most matches over the fifteen days wins the tournament championship (yūshō).