July 10, 2014
International Students visit the Imperial grounds
On Wednesday July 9th the International Department went on a day excursion to visit the imperial grounds in central Tokyo.
Although we could not visit the new palace, the public grounds and gardens were accessible, and the students enjoyed learning about the history of the area, from its formation by the shogun Tokugawa in the Edo period, to the changes brought about by the Meiji Restoration era, through to its modern-day appearance.
The students were also told about the famous "Ako incident": a deadly feud between a lord and court official that turned into a celebrated tale of loyalty and revenge, and was the inspiration behind the recent Keanu Reeves film "47 Ronin". The scene of the confrontation that started it all is commemorated with a stone marker.
After the grounds, we also walked to the nearby Nippon Budokan, the spiritual hub for Traditional Japanese martial arts, and the controversial Yasukuni shrine, where we saw preparations for the coming summer festivals taking place.
source: http://www.historvius.com - Photos of the shrine are under tight control.
Although the weather was again disappointing, everyone was in high spirits and enjoyed taking some time from school to learn more about the city.
Peter Williams
International Department Coordinator
