Japan

Assalamualaikum,
I realised I haven't posted a blog entry about my trip to Japan during the holidays, and since I'm too lazy to do so, I shall just post the write up I submitted to my teacher.
Here goes nothing..

"Victoria School Art and Design trip to Tokyo, Japan, was an eye-opening experience in my learning journey as an artist. I learnt many important lessons in this trip to Japan. I also learnt many different aspects of the Japanese culture. On the first day, we had our first dosage of pure Japanese goodness by going to the Tsukiji Fish Market. This market is the central hub of all fish selling and buying, only the freshest are fetch a high price. Sushi shops around the area sell sushi that contain the freshest fish from the market. The Japanese really take pride in everything they do ensuring high quality in their products.

The real, memorable, highlights of the trip was the art museum visits. We went to many museums like the Hakone Open Air Museum and also the Design 21-21. I was exposed to all the artworks both local and international origin. Japanese art is very intriguinging and thought-provoking. For example, a Japanese artist named, Issey Miyake, used traditional artforms, such as origami, and also modern scientific approach to create his artworks. They are mainly clothes that can be folded to neat design patterns. The visit to a local high school was also beneficial. It encouraged global-mindedness along with the ability of communicating “heart-to-heart”. The soul has no language barrier. My group was able to break the ice with some entertainment we all know and love—magic tricks. Our buddies warmed up to us easily after a couple quick tricks, and we had fun. It was a day to remember as we met students our age in a land miles from home.

Other miscellaneous trips to Mount Fuji, Nakamise Street and Harajuku also exposed us to the many different Japanese lifestyles and cultures. The cold was also an experience I will never forget, as cold weather in Singapore is pretty rare. The only issue that bugged me was that there were some museums that were too big for us to embrace in it’s wholeness in time, and we were unable to experience all the different art works in said museum. Maybe in the future, we can time each visit according to the size and volume of each museum. However all in all, the trip was very beneficial in terms of my art education, yet satisfying because the mysteries of exploring new places intrigues our minds as teenagers from Victoria School."

Thank you very much.

Salam, Peace!