Today we had the opportunity to meet the Parliamentary Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yasushi Hosaka and were able to ask him questions about the political climate in Japan. He told us about the progress that Japanese women have made in government. He talked about how in comparison to Japan the United States has many more women in government and how Japan has lagged behind other nations in incorporating women more equally in government. We were also able to discuss the role of immigrant farm workers and how Japan supports its increasing immigrant population through social programs. He encouraged us to be leaders within our communities and to form deeper connections with those whom we have met throughout the duration of the program.
After meeting with the Vice-Minister, we visited the Tokyo National Museum where we were able to view the many buildings that the museum complex sits on. I was surprised by the many different buildings that were all a part of the museum and the different genres of artifacts and information housed in each building. Due to time constraints, I was only able to visit parts of the Honkan (Japanese Gallery), Museum Garden and Teahouses, Heiseikan (Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibitions and the Toyokan (Asian Gallery). Museums are my favorite recreational activity as I am in awe of how much history can be stored in a huge building, so the Tokyo National Museum with its multiple buildings with multiple levels is one of my favorite parts of the trip. I was surprised by how many other Asian cultures were represented throughout the museum, but this makes sense since there is spiritual overlap with the different countries in the region.
Throughout the duration of this trip I have felt a continual sense of longing as I have felt for many activities I have felt that I want to spend more time with the places that we’ve been to in Japan. The Tokyo National Museum is high on the list of places that I would like to revisit as I would like to have time to explore it more deeply. From the Katanas and Tachi that I was able to view, I want to understand the nuances of Japanese Swordsmanship more deeply and how these instruments developed to be so detailed. This museum was a great starting point for introducing myself and others to the elements of Japanese culture that are not as discoverable from our “America First” viewpoint. From the beginning of my time in Japan, there is one thing that has remained consistent and that is the detail that is involved in almost everything.
From my perspective, attention to detail has been involved in almost every aspect of Japanese life and this is something that I deeply appreciate. In Japan, there has been so much respect shown to everything within the country, and I believe this culture of respect contributes to the overall spirit of the country. Respect for the land is what I admire the most about Japan as historical sites are remembered and the environment is kept as clean as possible. This respect comes at the cost of strict rules and expectations in society, in comparison to Western standards, but I believe that it is necessary and that there is something to be learned from this lifestyle.
Genelle Marshall-Singleton
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