Student Reflections – June 23

From Kyoto to Nagoya: Rich History Meets Modern Industry

by Paola Beas and Sergio Calix

Today we went to Kiyomizudera, a Buddhist temple. It is a beautiful temple located on a hill. The scenery was spectacular. Trees surrounded us and the weather was foggy and mysterious. We were able to drink refreshing water at the temple that came straight from the mountaintop. The fresh waterfall was very interesting because it included a mixture of the ancient tradition and modern technology.  For example, in order to kill the bacteria on the communal cups they used ultraviolet lights to disinfect them. Drinking from this waterfall is supposed to increase your lifespan and it not only helped quench our thirst, but also it allowed us to travel back in time. We were able to experience something that Japanese Buddhist priests experienced over a thousand years ago.

Right after the temple visit, we headed to the Shinkansen (bullet train) and were on our way to Nagoya. Our experience on the train once again proved to be marvelous and efficient.

Upon arrival, a man from the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed us and guided us to our hotel, the Mont Blanc. We got ready to go to a reception for the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce. When we arrived they had nametags for each of us and greeted us very nicely. After a formal introduction the president of the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce gave a speech about international exchange and the importance of the sister city relationship between Los Angeles and Nagoya. He shared with us how Nagoya is a growing industrial city that has a grand history. Then Dr. Sanchez addressed the audience to convey our common interests in economic and cultural exchange and also to share our journey so far with everyone else. During the rest of the reception we mixed with Japanese students and business people from Nagoya. It was a great networking experience. They were really glad to have us there and we were glad to be there. The Nagoya Chamber of Commerce and Industry reception was very nice, and we hope to maintain the relationship between the sister cities of Nagoya and Los Angeles in the future.