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| The Fancy Oriental Lounge Dining Area |
Our last day in Japan! The day was bittersweet. We were ready to go home but there was a part of us that didn't want to leave. We woke up early around 6:30 am because we wanted to enoy as much as we could before our flight home. We dressed and went to a famous breakfast place called the Oriental Lounge. The breakfast really lived up to the hype. Our preferences are below:
- Rohan: Green Tea, Orange Juice, Steamed Rice, Miso Soup, Japanese Omelet, Japanese Pickles and Fruit
- Malachi: Green Tea, Grapefruit Juice, Steamed Rice, Miso Soup, Tofu, Japanese Pickles and Fruit
- Sirvaad: Herbal Infusion, Orange Juice, Caspian Sea Yogurt with Fruit, Muffin, Poached Eggs Florentine with Creamy Spinach and Bacon
- Nolan: Tea, Grapefruit Juice, Caspian Sea Yogurt with Fruit, Muffin, Scrambled Eggs “Arnold Bennett” Smoked Haddock, Hollandaise and Mornay Sauce
- Tristen: Tea, Orange Juice, Caspian Sea Yogurt with Fruit, Muffin, Scrambled Eggs “Arnold Bennett” Smoked Haddock, Hollandaise and Mornay Sauce
Breakfast finished around 7:30 am We had to be at the airport around 12:30 pm. Therefore, we took a cab to the National Museum of Tokyo. The cab took around 20 minutes and we were at the museum.
National Museum of Tokyo / History
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| Ninnaji |
The National Tokyo Museum was opened in 1872 and construction began on March 10th of 1869. The National Museum of Tokyo has exhibits that explain the history of Tokyo and Japan. We walked to the left of the help desk and entered the first exhibit, which pertained to the Ninnaji Temple and Omuro. Ninnaji was the head temple for the Omuro branch on the Shingon sect. It was founded by the assistant of Emperor Uda in the year 888. Today the temple is a World Heritage Site and is known as one of the most "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto". The exhibit was awesome and allowed us to view treasures of Ninnaji and Buddhist sculptures. Once again, as we were walking around, Nolan tripped and spilled his water on one of the exhibits. Luckily the pieces were behind some glass. We can not take Nolan anywhere!
Unfortunately, we realized we couldn't see all the exhibits since it was an hour long ride to the airport, and we still had to return to the hotel for our luggage. Hopefully I will return one day to finish the tour, I thought to myself. We decided to see two more exhibits, the 140th anniversary of the Shimbun, and the two buddhas from Japan and Korea. The 140th Anniversity of the Shumbun was amazing as we learned even more about the Japanesse culture. The Shumbun is the most respected daily newspaper in Japan. The exhibit featured journals, papers, and a mock layout of the original editing facility. The second exhibit displayed the buddhas from Japan and Korea. Buddhist deities portrayed with one leg crossed over the other and a hand held up to the cheek are called “pensive Bodhisattvas", in reference to the state of deep contemplation that this pose represents. This type of image originated in India, the birthplace of Buddhism, and was later transmitted to China, Korea, and Japan. Many sculptures of this type were created in Japan and Korea throughout the 6th to 8th centuries, including ones that are now considered masterpieces of ancient Buddhist sculpture.
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| Buddhist Sculptures |
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| Tokyo-Kansi International Airport |
Eventually, we exited the musuem through the main entrance. We traveled back to the hotel and checked out. The train took us to the airport, and we arrived there around 12:30 pm (just as planned). We went through security and sat down at our seats by 1:15 pm. Our plane departed at 2:30 pm so Nolan and I decided to walk around and admire the architecture. The Tokyo-Kansi International Airport was stunning. The designers created a modern airport feel while simultaneously incorporating the ancient Buddhist designs, wood, metal, and glass into one building. We enjoyed our walk and bought some food for the plane ride. Passagers were beginning to board as we return to the waiting area. Once onboard we all fell fast asleep.
Our flight landed in Portland around 11:00 pm. Actually we all slept through the entire flight. That is the best type of flight in my opinion. Fall asleep in one part of the world and wake up in another! We survived customs and traveled to our next gate. I am feeling bittersweet at this moment. All great journeys come to an end. Soon I will be greeted by my parents at RDU and experiencing the comforts of home. However, I am also saying good-bye to a country I have found enriching and educational. Maybe I will be fortunate enough to return to Japan one day.
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| Portland International Airport |
Written By Tristen
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