Youth training in Tokyo

Sorry took me some time to get this up. I was really busy ever since i came back on 14th Sept.
This is my 5th time to Japan. However, unlike the past 4 trips, this 5th trip is the most unique and most enriching trip. Coz for this trip, i'm not going to Japan for leisure, rather, I was there to attend the annual Soka Gakkai International Youth Training Course. I was really very fortunate to be given this opportunity to attend this course. (there were 8 of us from Singapore attending this training course) During these 7 days, we went to a number of places (Soka University, Yokohama, Kamakura). I must stress again not for leisure, but to attend meetings and interact with the Japanese members and leaders and learn from them. We also got to learn some history and revived our Mentor and Disciple spirit.

Seeing sunrise from the plane

A volcanic crater in the middle of the sea

1st meal in Tokyo: Lunch - Curry rice & udon with seaweed

And I must say, through the 7 days in Tokyo, I really really learnt a lot from the Japanese members, leaders and also the overseas leaders. At this training course, I met youth from all over the world. In fact, there were 250 Youth leaders from 55 countries attending the Soka Gakkai Youth Training course. It was not possible to interact with all 250 participants, however, I did and had the opportunity to converse and interact with quite a number of youth from various countries.

me & the Youth leaders from Ghana

me & Suet Har with the Youth Leaders from Malaysia

Some of you may be wondering what is Soka Gakkai International (SGI) about. The Soka Gakkai International is lay Buddhist Organisation. SGI members integrate Buddhist practice into our lives, following the Lotus Sutra base on the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin.

Min-On concert Hall (one of the buildings that President Ikeda founded in Shinanomachi area)

Posing in front of the Young Women's Division (YWD) Center

Inside the YWD center

Anyway, I don't think I will divulge much about the contents of the Training course. In this entry, I'll probably write more about some of the things I saw after the training course... hahaha... but not many.

On the 2nd last day, after the dinner, me and the Singapore youth team, went to Tokyo Metropolitan Building. hahaha.... one of my friend, remembered me telling him that my Japanese friends had tried to bring me up the building in  of my previous trips. However, we were not able to go up the building the past 2 times as the building was closed then. And my friend asked our guide, which was the building and it happened to be the building that was just a short distance of walk from our hotel! hahaha... u must be wondering what is so special about the building. Wellll..... if you're short on cash or you do not want to take the train to get up the Tokyo Tower in Roppongi, then Tokyo Metropolitan Building is the place! You can get up to the top of the building and view the Tokyo Skyline for free! The sight before us was really pretty. The whole of tokyo was lighted and you just see building everywhere.... pretty clustered.

Shinjuku, Tokyo in afternoon (taken from my Hotel room)

 Sun setting (taken from my hotel room)

Tokyo at night (taken form the Tokyo Metropolitan Building)

Another part of the clustered Tokyo

That night, my friend, Mitsue Kajioka came to the hotel to meet me! I was really very happy to see her and talk to her. In fact just 2 days before that night, I saw her on the stage in the Headquarter Leaders meeting helping out with the presenting of awards on the stage. I could not walk up to her and talk to her then after the meeting. We had a short catch up. I told her that I'll try to visit Japan perhaps next year before I head off for my studies. =D

Mitsue & me

The last day in Tokyo, we had the whole day free. Coz our flight was in the night. So we decided to do some shopping rather than sitting in the hotel. So my friends and I headed to Harajuku. Hahaha.... this is the place in Tokyo if you want to see some form of cosplay. However, the cosplayers will only emerge on the streets in late evening or at night. we were there in the late morning to afternoon. Hence, we did not see any cosplayers. But we did manage to buy quite a number stuffs. We also visited Kiddy Land. I believe some of you maybe surprised that I will visit such a place... hahaha.. too kiddish for me... well. I went there because my friends wanted to get stuffs for their kids or nieces, nephews or wives. For me? I just walked around and see 'cutesy' things.

Interior of Kiddy Land (the background is super pink)

Soon it was time for us to leave for our hotel. And our hands were laden with shopping goods. majority were for friends or family. And we were wondering how on earth were we going to pack the stuffs into our baggage.... yikes! Well.... this will have to see whose packing skills are of tip top standard. hahaha.....But luckily, I was able to 'squeezed' everything into my luggage.

We were really very lucky to be able to take SQ's A380 for the trip back to singapore. I mean for some of us, it was our maiden voyage on A380! So naturally for us it was something exciting... and we chose to sit on the upper deck. Being in the plane... hahaha... there was not much difference. In fact pretty similar to a Boeing 747. Only that for the window seats, there is a compartment for window seat passengers to put the bags rather than in the overhead compartment.

Well, the 7 days really passed by very quickly... and soon i was back in Singapore.... fighting the 'battles' in our respective areas. However, all that I've learnt in this trip, I've engraved them in my heart and will share and share the spirit and all that I've learnt with my juniors and friends. I've also reafirm my determination in some aspects and I'm very determined to see all my resolution to fruition.

I'll be posting somemore on my next trip soon. The next place I'll be heading to is Seattle, US. I'll be flying there next fri. Will be away for 16 days. I'll be attending a conference (that the huge one in my area of specialisation, uTAS) and extending for several more days to visit Montana's Glacier National Park and Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park. Stay tune then! =D