I thought it would be nice to round out some of the recent posts about Euro-touring and GALA and give you all some insights on the wonderful experience I just completed at the first Japan Lead Week for GBS. Myself
Menu on Day 1 – not sure what anything is
and about 28 other 1st and 2nd year students visited the Pacific islands of Japan from the end of Feb. through mid-March this year. This was my first trip to Japan, and I was very excited to have it somewhat organized – I had heard from friends and family that it can be difficult figuring things out when in Japan – and this was fairly clear when it came to understanding what we were looking at on a menu from time to time! The thought of an organized trip with great friends was made more appealing as a result of these previous insights, and so on Feb. 26 I departed for Tokyo (with 2 other friends, we thought we could brave a few days on our own).
When we arrived in Tokyo, we found things like using the subway and train systems were pretty easy after some basic training and help from locals. There are some really wonderful things we had heard about Japan: that its clean, the people are super friendly, and that it is super efficient – all of which we discovered to be true. The Japanese
Hiroshima – Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims
were some of the most helpful and respectful people I have met in a while, and we felt that starting on day 2 (with our wonderful Japanese tour guides – students from Yokahama University) and every day following (as seen in the wonderful work of our organizers).
The Japan trip was extremely well organized, which was essential as we shuffled from Tokyo,
The Great Buddha in Kamakura
to Hiroshima, to Kyoto, and then Nagoya in 10 days or less. Our three Goizueta student organizers arranged not only sightseeing in these cities, but also company visits (in fine B-school fashio
n) to Seven Eleven, Advantage Partners, Mazda, Sony, Carlyle Group, and even Toyota. Some other trip highlights (my opinion) included: meeting the Mayor and having a guided tour of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, dining in style each and every night with 10-course meals and all the sake one could ask for, staying at a traditional Japanese-style hotel complete with donned Yukatas and Karyoke, eating tons of tempura and somehow feeling like it was healthy, and becoming a chop-stick master (we used them for nearly every meal).
If we ever thought we spent a lot of time with Goizuetians while in school, this trip proved we can spend even more time together and still feel the
Last Night in Tokyo
love. Honestly, this trip was, above all, a wonderful bonding and cultural experience in one of the most intriguing and enticing countries in the world. When I look b
ack on my
time at GBS, there is no doubt this experience will remain one of those lasting impressions – after I forget all the complaining about homework, and all the times I had to walk from Peavine in the freezing cold. As graduation nears, and I realize its inevitability, I am more and more glad to have had a wonderful international lead week experience while I was at GBS.
Read the full article: Konichiwa from Goiuzueta!