What are the most memorable things of this program?

Sarah Eve R. Perlawan

In the past I only know Japan because of Japanese anime and Japanese food but I understand it better when I started studying Noh Theater, a traditional Japanese theater form. In Noh theater we were taught that in order to perfect it we need to do it like how the Japanese Noh master is doing. We need to be very disciplined in everything. Because of these training and practices, I became more and more interested about Japan and its culture. I wanted to see the beautiful Japan that I only read from the books and heard from the stories of my professor and my schoolmates. I wanted to meet and interact with the Japanese people and observe their characters and actions. I wanted to see if they really exhibit the discipline and sensitivity to others which they are famous for. Lastly, I wanted to go to Japan and learn of the good things which I can share to my fellow Filipinos. These are the reasons why I joined the Global Studies Tour in YNU 2013.

I enjoyed my whole stay in Japan. I like everything about Japan especially the cleanliness of the surroundings and the high tech transportation system but my most memorable experience in Japan is the Tokyo Tour. I have read the story of Hachiko and watch the hollywood movie about him so it's been one of my dreams to personally see the Statue of Hachiko in Shibuya Station. I really admire Hachiko's character especially his loyalty to his owner and this made me reflect about my own life as a human. I'm really happy when I saw Hachiko's statue in Shibuya Station.

Sara Jamel S. Bangayan

I decided to join the tour because I was chosen to be part of it. I was actually surprised that I got chosen because I could finally go to Japan. It was one of the best experiences I had.

The most memorable day that I have during the tour was the Tokyo trip because all of the places we visited were the places I have been dreaming of visiting for a long time (especially Akihabara). I had a lot of fun during that day even though it was tiring. We were able to bond and know each other more during that day, which I really liked. And, there are a handful of good lessons I learned in this program, especially on manners and politeness. I realized that we, Filipinos, are selfish because we just think about our own convenience. We didn't care if we inconvenience others.