My Japan Adventure

The news I would be accompanying my student Victor who’d won the Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Competition for youth to Tokyo in Japan was received with mixed feelings. Of course I was proud that a student I’d trained in Creative Writing came 1st out of over 30,000 contestants from 157 countries and for one reason I was elated that I would be traveling to Tokyo, the most advanced city in the world. For another odd reasons I knew very little about Japan besides their Samurais, the country’s many UNESCO heritage sites and Japanese manufactured automobiles which flood my country roads. Other things about Japan remained a black hole I couldn’t unravel.

Our host the Goi Peace Foundation got Victor and I tickets to travel on the world best airline, Emirates and our 24 hours trip was a blur. Our arrival to Japan at the Narita International Airport was interesting, the immigration officers were polite and meticulous. Also, the GPF already dispatched an amazing lady called Meiko Sakai to meet us at the airport. Meiko, I later discover was a romantic who loved nature, birds and art. Our trip to our hotel was smooth and one of the most striking thing about Japan was its cold weather. Temperature was 16 degrees, the coldest I’ve ever felt—that was the coldest an air conditioner could get in my country. Our hotel room which was entirely minimalist was on the 13th floor.

I met the GPF youth correspondent Mr Tatsuru and Mrs Saitomi down at the lobby. Tatsuru was the sweetest person I ever met. Despite it was late, Victor was fettered with snacks.

Japan, the 8th Wonder of the World!

I fell in love with Japan on first sight. One is immediately fascinated by the quiet, scintillating beauty, cleanliness, and impeccable hospitality of Tokyo. From the gleaming lights of its shiny cities, the soothing weather, the happy people, and their energy, everything about Japan spurred me. Although I’ve been to other countries, Japan was my first true love, and I was entirely overwhelmed. Tokyo was a city with soul. It people had smiles on their faces, the youths are polite, the elderlies are even more friendly. I would turn, stare and moan at how a country could be so organized, friendly and peaceful.
I was serenaded with the occasional mutters of: “Konishiwa,” and “Arigato-gozimas.” I was entirely flabbergasted by their politeness, their sophistication, their technology, and the food. Japanese food would forever remain on my taste bud, from their obsession with healthy drinks, I rediscovered healthy eating. And the Japanese adore their food, there was always a new restaurant been constructed, always a different food to try, and I wondered if there was an end to what to eat in Japan.

Japan is a country of moderation and excess. Excess in the good things, and one of such is the Sky-tree of Tokyo, an amazing engineering feat that rivals the Eiffel Tower in Paris. From the Sky-tree you can see the entire view of Tokyo. The bullet trains in Tokyo was far better than the one we saw in Dubai while on our way.
When it comes to moderation: Phones have to be in silent mode. I didn’t hear a single ring tone or car honk, and there was no noise pollution in Japan unlike the one I was used to in Nigeria, even my 14 year old student blurted: ‘this is a wonderful country, I don’t want to ever go back home.’
I think for an extremely successful country like Japan, I realize prayers and night vigils don’t build cities, silent hardwork does.

Japan is probably the most secure country in the world, there was so much peace and quiet, that I thought I’d lose my mind. From point A to B, everywhere was calm and incredibly organized. There are cameras connected to lobbies which alerts taxis and buses that people required buses to their destination. There are plans for disabled people, the transportation system is flawless, and the bullet trains are as fast as jets.

There is a clash of ancient and modern buildings; you could drive around an area with thousands of skyscrapers and discovered a vast Shinto shrine in its heart. I even said a prayer to Budhha during my visit to the Shinto Temple, and I totally believed if the Japanese believed in Buddha, then the world needs to believe in someone who inspired such calmness, civility and decency in a people. I mean, one of my greatest take away in Japan was, there were no poor people in Japan, you just don’t see the difference between the cleaners and the billionaires. I happen to sit and chat with Hiro Mikyaki one of the top entrepreneurs in Tokyo, and he wore a faded shirt, jeans and tired looking boots. It was as if he’d attended the Goi Peace Award Program after he’d finished working in a garage. This emphasis the simplicity of these amazing people. There are few car owners in Japan, I mean why would I ever want to own a car when the latest Toyota, Honda and several other automobiles I’ve never heard about are used as taxis. Japan is an egalitarian society.

I couldn’t exhaust my experience in Japan in words. The perfection of the GPF award night in the world class Nikkei Hall—the Hall is like having 1,000 Nigerian national Theaters in one building; or is it the mentally stimulating lectures, the amazing inputs by the wonderful Hiro and Masami Saionji who are a couple changing the world. I could use 100,000 words and still be at a loss. Japan is flawless, and it was so heartbreaking when we had to leave. We didn’t just leave empty handed, our host took us to the Showa Women University Junior and Senior High School where we were immersed into the Japanese educational system and culture. We tried the Japanese traditional tea, and listened to the students sing a song about birds and seasons. We explored the length and breath of the school, ogled it’s koi fish pond where those inked fishes swam languidly and colorful ducks drifted as well. It appears there is a natural or man-made lake in every Japanese Schools where students can relax and think.
It was heaven and I almost cried in anger for not been born Japanese.

The GPF International Essay Prize Award and the visit to Japan was life changing to my student and I. Hundreds of our students saw the videos and pictures and some vowed to school in Japan in the future.
Japan will forever remain with me, and I hope one day, I’d visit again to learn more about his amazing people and their culture. I’d finish my essay saying: Arigato-goizmashta to the wonderful GPF team and the lovely people of Japan. I hope more Nigerian youths can explore the many educational, cultural and tourist opportunities of this amazing Island.

Arrival

Inside Tokyo

Inside Tokyo
My student and the overall winner of the competition
Olutayo won over 20,000 contestants from 157 countries in the world

More

The award

More

More

Olutayo and the Japanese Minister of Education receiving the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Prize

In the classrooms

Inside a school in Tokyo

Wonderful!!!!

It's really nice. But what's that "ToTo washlet in the third picture.

Well done sir

I can imagine how profound and sharpening this will be to your student's life view

Great work by you both!

Beautifully written! You sir are truly an author and congrats to your student

How was the visa processing to Japan, can op share the process?

Wow!!!.. congratulations to you and Olutayo, and thanks for sharing

Come home and watch how bubus government kills your lovely dreams...your not the first my child...but congrats tho

congrats lalalastica frontpage

Elimon:
Come home and watch how bubus government kills your lovely dreams...your not the first my child...but congrats tho

Who cares about geniuses in Nigeria. the boy will become far more successful if hes banging some chick inside a toilet inside BB naija house.
What a trash country.

Frontpage Lala

lionness:
How was the visa processing to Japan, can op share the process?

its very easy...their visa is N14k, but you can't survive in Japan without scholarship or good money.
just get someone to send you an invite, and you are on your way...but your best bet is education, there are many japanese scholarships...
Japanese are known for quality and life style can ve very expensive over there...

I was in Japan recently....
Tho in my dream

Brandonx:
It's really nice. But what's that "ToTo washlet in the third picture.

Lol ToTo is a company name. They manufacture toilet equipments

Where are the:

How did you get your visa?
How's life over there?
jobs for Africans?
Where did you get your transcript?
Which city has the lowest standard of living?
Can i work and school there?

WIZGUY69:
Where are the:

How did you get your visa?
How's life over there?
jobs for Africans?
Where did you get your transcript?
Which city has the lowest standard of living?
Can i work and school there?

You can't work and school in Japan.
Whats all this non-sense with work and school self

what a great boy...OP u write so well,kudos

This is tremendously stunning OP l can relate to your anger, the first time l travelled to Singapore l felt like getting my parents arrested for giving birth to me in Nigeria lol, the Japanese Technology is mind-blowing.

WIZGUY69:
Where are the:

How did you get your visa?
How's life over there?
jobs for Africans?
Where did you get your transcript?
Which city has the lowest standard of living?
Can i work and school there?

Hahahahahahahaha hahahahaha
Them never come,although one don use style ask Sha.

You missed:
'Hello, can I send you a mail? I am already processing my visa'
Or
'i have heard so much of Japan and I'm considering it, can I ask you some urgent question? Here's my email reducequestionaskingandlearntousegoogle@google(dot)com

Wow .

Keep making us proud!!

Amazing

Petyprincess:
Keep making us proud!!

Thanks