Written by Zabiollah & Andreas
Our day in Kyoto started with a very rich intercontinental breakfast buffet which was a nice change from the usual rice dish we were having in Osaka. The group then gathered and headed towards the first stop of the day which was Nijo Castle. This castle from 1603 was the residence of the first shogun in the Edo period (1603 – 1868). Here we had a really informative guided tour and saw the meanings of different symbols used in Japanese art that can be found in castles like this. We also learned about the history of the castle and main events that happened throughout the years. Then me (Andreas) and others found a really nice local Japanese cafe where we had some tasty sandwiches and chatted with the owner.
After the castle me (Zabi) went with a few others to continue our personal quest to test all spicy fried chicken from the “7/11” “konbini” (Japanese Grocery store). Which we masked by calling it our lunch.
Spoiler Alert: Fried Chicken will be reviewed in the following text, so fellow participants of the trip should abstain from reading until they form their own opinion.
I concluded henceforth that the “7/11” fried chicken is proportionally better than the “Familiy Mart” (another store), by having simply better quality meat. However the breading and spices, still have some ways to go to even get close to the “Lawson” mart.
After this we went to Kyoto University where first we learned more about how the universities here function. After which we got a tour through the labs by the students, I was able to learn a lot about the ins and outs of everything from “Stoichiometric Analysis hafnium nitride thin layer film” to “Spin Orbit Torque”.
And also a bit about their personal life, what their goals are, their hobbies etc. As an extrovert myself I am really happy to be able to finally converse easily with the people who live here.
Lastly, we ended the tour with a poster session where we could eat and drink together while discussing each other’s findings, a moment for me to learn more about the topics mentioned earlier.
Now that all ended, the students invited us to dinner and a few drinks. And of course who could oblige to that. That is where I will leave it, as I have to experience the rest of the eve.
All in all a great day.