IAESTE Japan 1995by Ilkka Vallinkoski |
During July and August 1995, I worked as an IAESTE trainee at KDD R&D Laboratories in Kamifukuoka, Saitama prefecture - some 30 km from downtown Tokyo.
After eight weeks of hard work and fun IAESTE activities, I spent another two weeks vacationing and traveling around the rest of Japan, finally flying back home from Osaka.
My first time alone in another country, first time of working abroad, first time outside Europe. What can I say -
the kind of experience you'll never forget! There won't be another one quite like it for me. Greetings and thanks to all the fun and friendly people I met along the way!
IAESTE events and people
KDD trainees in Hakone
My second weekend in Japan: The lovely Mrs. Mochizuki from work took all the KDD R&D trainees to Hakone prefecture for a fun weekend. There can't be many better ways to get accustomed to Japanese culture!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Akasaka gathering
We met in a pretty Japanese garden, went shopping in Akasaka and then on to the Edo-Tokyo National Museum.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Asakusa fireworks
Traditional hanabi in downtown Tokyo, Asakusa: the biggest fireworks event in Japan. We walked the route with ONE MILLION other people! Nothing has ever felt crowded anymore after taking the subway that night.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Days '95 in Kanazawa
Main event of IAESTE Japan: a four-day trip to Kanawaza prefecture on the Japan Sea coast. A trip no one will forget! (But also damn expensive and too much bus time...) It was a lot of fun to meet all the trainees from Kyoto area too.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Mount Fuji
The Japanese have a saying: If you haven't climbed Mount Fuji, you have to do it. But if you do it more than once, you're stupid. I agree! We started the walk up from 2500m and went all the way to 3776m. But the postcards and movies sure don't tell the whole truth... It was damn cold, packed with Japanese tourists - some of them were lying around half dead being fed oxygen - and the loose stones made it all the more difficult to get up. But we made it! Top of the world, ma! (Tip to first-timers: Take your own water. The higher you go, the more you have to pay for water - up to 800 yen / 7 Euros for a half-liter bottle in 1995.)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Farewell party
Time to say goodbye... thanks for the memories guys and girls. They can never take this away from us! Drop me a line and let me know how you are doing out there!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Yokohama
We had dinner in Yokohama one evening with the IAESTE people and later Reina took me there again at a more peaceful time.
 |
 |
 |
Miscellaneous
People and places related to my IAESTE assignment.
 |
 |
Typical Japanese stuff
Phenomena and items that I ran across many, many times...
 |
 |
 |
 |
Tokyo cityscapes
Shibuya
The first test after getting off the plane and finding the train to Tokyo was to find the IAESTE headquarters in Shibuya. Most of us made it!
 |
 |
Shinjuku
Shinjuku subway station is one of the most crowded and busiest places in the world. Our first bar weekend was here - a lot of gaijin guys and girls away from home, in this amazing energy rush of people and neon lights. (I seem to have spent most of my time wandering around this part of town.)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Miscellaneous views
Other parts of town
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Yoyogi Park
You'll find your dancing Elvises and dozens of weird bands here ten meters from the next band every Sunday.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
On the Road
Miscellaneous
I also visited a crater lake and a spa in the middle of a town square in Gunma prefecture. After that, I took the shinkansen bullet train to Osaka (quite a fun city!) and left my bags there to wait for the plane home. Meanwhile I checked out a few other cities on Honshu and Kyushu.
 |
 |
Kyoto
After having already seen a whole bunch of temples and shrines, I didn't get too excited about Kyoto although I did check out the mandatory Golden Temple (Kinkakuji) and the world-famous Rock Garden. The most fun part was the night life.
 |
 |
Hiroshima
Truly a city of peace - you won't be the same person after visiting the Peace Museum. Somehow very different from other Japanese cities: you've got lots of wide open spaces, people don't seem to be in quite that much hurry, and there's even a tram! Quite a vibrant city nevertheless.
 |
 |
 |
Miyajima
The island just off Hiroshima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine Bay, a stunningly beautiful view of a shrine gate floating in the water. The island is also filled with tame deer chasing potential peanut holders.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Nagasaki
A warm and lively European-style city in a calm bay surrounded by mountains. No trace of the atomic holocaust except for the simple monuments and war museum.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Kagoshima
One thing separates this city from almost all other cities: There's an active volcano just across the bay a few kilometers away!
 |
 |
Miyazaki
Southern summer city with palm trees and beaches. I thought about surfing here but there was not enough time and I would have needed a car.
 |
 |
 |
Osaka seaquarium
The world's largest sea aquarium: the main tank is 9 meters deep and you can walk around it all the way down! The glass is 30 cm thick. I blame this aquarium for my sorry souvenirs: I was supposed to spend the rest of my last day in Japan shopping but I just lost track of time.
 |
 |
 |
 |
