My Visit to Tokyo

My Visit to Tokyo

Sometimes amazing experiences and voyages into the unknown can teach us more than we can imagine. People are usually afraid to step into the unknown, but fright is the fierce enemy of knowledge. When I found out that I was awarded with a trip to Tokyo, the first emotions that pervaded my body were surprise, gratitude and above all, happiness. My first contact with Japanese culture was the research I engaged in before I wrote the essay that brought me JFTC Special Committee's award. But that contact was not even a drop in the ocean of beauty that I had an opportunity to experience in Japan.

From the moment I set foot on the ground of this amazing country, I felt something I have never felt so deeply. The air was full of peace and quiet and it gave the atmosphere of serenity. One of the things I will remember the people of Japan for is their hospitality which I felt immediately upon my arrival at Narita Airport. When you hear „welcome“ in Japan, it is no longer a word uttered along the way, because you can actually feel their welcoming. It was the first time I have actually learnt the meaning of the hospitality.

When I arrived to my hotel I decided I will not waste precious time I have been given and that I will discover Tokyo in the best way I can. I must say, they do not call Japan the country of the rising sun for no reason. The sunrises in Japan are one the most beautiful images a person can start the day with.

During my stay in Japan, I attended the ceremony organized by Japan Foreign Trade Council where I met other winners of the competition and people who actually awarded us. Also, I was honored to meet ambassadors of many countries, among which was the counselor of Embassy of BiH in Japan who expressed her delight for my award. At this ceremony, I saw how much the ideas we expressed in our essays were appreciated by JFTC and businessmen form great Japanese companies. I felt happy because my ideas will serve a certain purpose and will benefit the world in a certain way.

One of the most beautiful parts of my stay in Japan was the last day that I spent on sightseeing. The sightseeing was organized by JFTC and one of their members, Coco, took me to see some of the most important places in Tokyo. First of all, I realized how big the city was and how much time I would actually need to be able to see all of its lovely places. However, even that small part of Tokyo I was able to see resulted in so many impressions that will stay with me forever. The first place we went to see was Asakusa, probably the most colorful part of the city which was crowded with tourists. In this part of the city I visited some of Buddhist temples. It was my first experience of this kind, a meeting with something that can only be seen in this part of the world. It reminded me of how diverse this world is.

After Asakusa, we went on Sumida river cruise. I really enjoyed in this cruise because I was able to see more of Tokyo and learn more about Japanese culture, because the girl that took me to sightseeing was beautifully telling the stories about Japanese culture. The cruiser took us to Japanese gardens. Even though the best part of the year for visiting Japanese gardens is beginning of the spring, I enjoyed my visit. In the garden I visited a few tea houses in which I drank green tea and tasted something completely new. I tried Japanese flower cakes. As the tourist guide explained, the cakes you can eat in the tea house depend on the time of the year you come to the tea house. I was positively surprised by the number of reconstructed tea houses, because many of them were destroyed during World War II.

Near the garden, I experienced what they call the „futuristic“part of Tokyo with skyscrapers that soar into the air. I found myself in a mixture of styles. In one moment I was in the old part of the city and in the next moment I found myself in the modern part of Tokyo. But that was not the only moment in which I saw the blend of modernity and tradition. I saw men in suits holding briefcases visiting Buddhist temples and praying. Coco taught me how to pray in Buddhist temple and that was an amazing experience.

It would not be a true visit to Japan if I had not tried sushi! Their cuisine is much different from European but it does not take a lot of time to fall in love with those new tastes. I ended the day by watching the sunset with mountain Fuji in the background from one of Tokyo's skyscrapers. It was the kind of romantic images you see on postcards that completely overwhelm you.

Full of impressions, I headed to Narita Airport and I could not stop thinking how different I felt after this beautiful visit. I felt I had grown and changed as a person. I tried to capture most beautiful things by taking photographs, but the most beautiful memories will stay in my heart. What amused me the most are the values that Japanese people can transfer to other people. All those values I experienced there, even in tiny details, made me learn a lot. Japan is one successful country, and its devotion to tradition, inclination to development, Japanese gratitude and kindness are in heart of their success. This was my first visit to Japan, and it was a beautiful one, but I promised myself it will not be the last one. It was a great success to win the JFTC award and an honor to visit this country. It was my courage that made me write this essay, but nothing of this would have happened if it had not been for JFTC and the support of Japanese Embassy. This great success I share with those without of whose advises and support I would have never achieved this success, my parents and friends. Hereby, thank you for everything.

Lejla Hodžić