A Day Full of Excitement & Exploration!
- Nicholas "Nick" Taylor
- Mar 9
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 12
Today we went to Miraikan. Miraikan is the National Museum of emerging Science and
Innovation. It was fascinating to see robot dogs, interactive stuffed animals, and among
other things, there was an exhibit that let you simulate being in Japan's first launch into
space. As we finished our time at the museum, everyone eventually made their way to the
gift store! I got a few gifts for my brothers, and a few sweet treats for myself. After that, we
traveled to lunch in Tokyo.
For lunch we had Okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki can be compared to an omelet in the United States. It consists of shredded cabbage, American bacon, octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, konjac, mochi, or cheese. This was the first time I've had most
of the ingredients listed in this Japanese food.
After lunch, we headed over to Sophia University to meet with the Sophia Scholars for the
first time. Pomona/Pitzer, LMU, and Sophia Scholars all participated in ice breakers to get
to know each other more. Even though there were 30 LMU/Pomona Scholars and 9 Sophia
Scholars, we all got along really well. We were given a brief presentation from the Sophia
Scholars about campus, and each of them gave a brief slideshow presentation about
themselves.
While we were in the classroom, I noticed my friend Clarke, also a TISP Scholar, talking with
a few Sophia students that looked familiar. So, I walked up and asked if I’ve met them
before. Turns out I met them last year when they came to LMU as last year's Sophia
Scholars!! It was a great reunion, seeing Tamaki and Rei again at their school! After
introductions and icebreakers, the Sophia Scholars took us on a quick tour around their
campus.
We got a brief history lesson on how Sophia University is a Jesuit institution, much like
LMU! We also were taught about certain Jesuits in Sophia University’s history that made
Sophia University possible. We concluded the tour with a visit to the bookstore. I went
straight to the clothing isle and looked for a Sophia University Sweatshirt. I was surprised
they were only ¥2,700. Thats about $18 USD. I was so excited that I was able to get a
sweatshirt!!!
After we concluded our day at Sophia, the Sophia Scholars were able to take us out into Tokyo to give us their own college student ‘tour of Tokyo’.Among the Sophia Scholars, our guides were Shota and Nanako. They are both a part of Sophia University’s Kakehashi (Bridge) Project, TOMODACHI Inouye Scholars Program. They were both amazing guides and were very excited to take us around! I tried to find something to buy for the sake of being a tourist, but I couldn’t get myself to spend money. I instead took a bunch of pictures.
After Shota and Nanako took us around, we headed to the JR (Japan railway) Station. We
split up in groups to go find food. Clarke, E, Natalia, and I all went to a Ramen place. It was
soooo good. Ramen is now my favorite Japanese food :). After we ate, we said goodbye to
Shota and Nanako as they had to head home. To me and Clarke’s surprise, Tamaki and Rei
from last year's cohort met up with us to see us one last time. They ended up helping us
travel through the JR and guided us back to our hotel since we didn't know how to get back.
Today was an awesome day. It was full of newfound friendships, reconnecting with old
friends, laughter, exploration, and cultural exchange! It was one of my favorite parts of the
trip and I can’t wait to see the Sophia Scholars again next week when they visit Los
Angeles!
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