My recent 3-week trip to Tokyo combined three of my favorite
things: science, yoga, and international travel. I was thrilled to be invited out to the Earth-Life Science
Institute (ELSI) at Tokyo Tech to follow up on a research project with
which I had been involved during my masters in Hawaii. I was a little intimidated to be flown
so far at someone else’s expense for the sole purpose of contributing my
‘expertise,’ especially since I don't really feel like much of an expert in
anything. However, it was an
extremely interesting project, and how could I say no to a new stamp in my
passport?
A friend in India once told me that Japan is the antithesis
of India, which couldn’t be more right.
It’s quiet to India’s constant noise, orderly instead of chaotic, and
clean; oh so clean! It was so
immediately apparent just how ‘perfect’ (at least on the surface) Japan is… it
seemed every sight was exceedingly beautiful, every sound harmonious, and every
taste delicious. The babies don’t
cry, the dogs don’t bark. The blossoming
sakura trees (which I was fortunate enough to see) seem to punctuate the
experience, as if every view were a painting.
Not surprisingly, any society with such pervasive order and
politeness also comes with an underlying rigidity. It presents a seductive front to tourists like me while
suffocating those who must live within its strict confines. Anyone who deviates
from the expected is ostracized or left behind. For example, in an effort to assimilate, Korean and Chinese
immigrants will actually change their names to Japanese names. One Tokyo native described to me a
sense of heaviness she feels while in Japan, a weight that is lifted when she
travels to other parts of the world.
That said, as an outsider, Japan is a dream to visit.
 |
| A tasty, caffeinated dream. |
I spent my first two weeks working with researchers I had
met previously in Hawaii. The
institute itself is relatively new and has brought together international
scientists from all disciplines to work on solving the problems of the origin
of life on Earth. It was thrilling
to be immersed in such a stimulating intellectual atmosphere. During various lunches and tea times throughout
my stay, I engaged in discussions ranging from ancient Japanese ceramic
techniques to the effects of an earthquake as experienced by an underwater
diver. My research was incredibly
productive, but more than that I felt completely reassured that science is
exactly what I want to be doing with my life.
I added a third week to my stay so I’d have a chance to
explore, and I was so happy to find out that my time overlapped serendipitously
with one of my favorite yoga teachers and friends. With him and his wonderful girlfriend (both practiced Tokyo
travelers), I got to see a whole new side of Tokyo, from Palestinian food to an
authentic Tempura dining experience. They are truly two of the most insightful
and intuitive people I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. We indulged in hours of thought
provoking discussion over some of the best coffee Tokyo has to offer.
 |
| ... and it has some damn good coffee |
Tokyo was an incredible adventure, and I’m happy to report
that I was invited back for a workshop this summer, so I’ll likely be spending
two more weeks in Tokyo and an additional 3 weeks in Kobe in July and
August. I’m looking
forward to returning to Japan for the parks, the decadent cream puffs, the
delicate and refined green tea, but most of all for a new adventure.
