Emanuel Ringers: DAY 7 (KYOTO > HIROSHIMA) August 9, 2024 (repost from KCR/ER1 Japan Tour 2024)

Good morning blog! Despite it being a travel day, we still managed to squeeze in a fun activity. We started the day by bringing our suitcases and carryons down to the lobby where they were held while we went to the Samurai Museum.

The suitcases were loaded onto a van and driven to Hamamatsu. We will see them in three days. (Godspeed!)

At the museum, we had a very interesting lesson on the history of the Samurai. Including but not limited to: Japanese battles with the Mongolians, the revolutions the Samurai endured to gain power in Japan, and the downfall of the Samurai; where their main form of weapon (the katana) became illegal. Fun fact: after carrying a katana became illegal, many samurai became police officers in order to maintain their beloved sword, as they were only allowed to be carried by the officers. Additionally, since Ninjas and Samurai went hand-in-hand, once the Samurai fell, so did the Ninjas. After their fall, Ninjas joined militaries and started the first group of spies in the Japanese militia. Our guide was very funny and made the lesson much more interesting

After the history, we got to have some fun of our own. We were taught how to throw a Shuriken, also known as a throwing star or ninja star. Once we got the hang of it, we had a friendly competition to see who could throw the best bullseye. I am immensely sad to say that while Chloe and David put up a good fight, Scott had the overall best shot. Afterwards, we were able to try on traditional samurai outfits. It was fun to watch our friends get into character and really feel the power of their clothes.

Afterwards, we were able to look around the street that the museum was on. It was an old stone path that had some shops along the way. However, we needed to quickly return to Kyoto Station, so that journey was short lived. We collected our carryons from the hotel and brought them with us back to Kyoto Station. We then bought lunch and snacks to keep us occupied on our journey along two bullet trains. The first one we were all together, but the second one was too crowded, so we were split across three separate cars. During this 2 hour long voyage, we were able to play video games, read books, listen to music, and (cough cough) write the blog (😉). After getting off the trains, we found our hotel, got checked in, and were given free time until curfew. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the more interesting cultural parts of Japan. First, there is a significant amount of etiquette involved in every interaction. It plays an essential role in social settings. For example, at the local convenience stores, which are called “konbinis”, bowing is utilized as a sign of acknowledgement and respect. Many doors here are smaller, specifically in certain shops, with the intent of encouraging the person entering to bow as a sign of humility. Recycling and trash are also important considerations. There are very few trash cans out in the cities— a stark difference from New York City! And yet, there is not a lot of litter. Here, it is very common to take your trash home. But don’t worry! If you are in a quick pinch, a local konbini will always have a can. Furthermore, we recycle a lot more here into many different categories. There’s a difference between combustible and non combustible waste! For example, it would be improper to throw a plastic cup into a paper cup waste bin.

Finally, etiquette on the trains and subways is of the utmost importance. You can’t hear a pin drop while the New York Ringers are on the train. However, even on a crowded rush hour train, silence is palpable. It is extremely fascinating to see how social norms carry on through generations and how they present themselves in Japan.