Today at around noon in Tokyo, Japan, I took the last final exam of my foreseeable college career. It was a bit strange getting sentimental as I wrote about American international relations in East Asia, but I did nonetheless. This week has been full of paper-writing and test-taking, but I’ve still been keenly aware of the little time I have left to be with my friends and TUJ peers – and be in this program in general. So, in between studying, I’ve crammed outings for sightseeing and quality time, including trips to war museums by Yasukuni Shrine, Ueno markets, and a long-awaited return trip to Ikebukuro’s Sky Circus.
For those who have been following along, I’ve been meaning to come back to Ikebukuro ever since my last visit to Sky Circus. The first time, I took advantage of almost all the interactive observatory had to offer, excluding one thing: a window with a transcription reading, “Let’s meet here at night, because something happens in this window.” I finally made the trip back, but not until my very last night in Tokyo, planned last-minute. The mystery window turned out to be a compatibility tester, which two of our friends tried out in good nature. It was then that we realized that Sky Circus is a popular location for young couples on dates. It was an interesting little observation on local life that wouldn’t have been possible with a little context and a second look.
Today also marks my last day as a Temple student in the Kanagawa dorms. With two close friends I’ve made on this trip, fellow students Richel and Seamus, I have a trip to Osaka, Kyoto and Gifu planned. Directly after my last final, I headed to a bridge and park area off the stop before Musashi-Kosugi, called Shin-Maruko. Each day to and from class, I’ve watched this bridge go by. Much like with my return to Sky Circus, I’ve been telling myself I’d visit, but had no concrete plans. A last-minute, final group get-together – almost the entire Summer Study Abroad group living at the dorms – is what eventually got me there. As TUJ student Greg said in a small speech, this trip has brought together people from very different places and very different backgrounds – and very fast. For a group of people who I’ve only known for two months, saying goodbye was heartbreaking. We, unfortunately, had to rush to the dorms to move out and make it to the airport. In the end, we may have lingered just a bit too long trying to delay our sad farewells, and missed our 8:25 PM flight. Terminal 3 of Narita Airport is where I sit now, awaiting the next soonest at 9:45 AM. Of anywhere, however, I’m glad that it’s this incredible city of Tokyo that I’ve become stranded in.
What’s next, after Japan? I return home, hopefully soon to find a place and career back in New York. I’m still not entirely sure what that entails. If my time in Tokyo has shown me anything, it’s that it is okay observing and discovering as you go. This city is fluid, containing both traditional and modern, peace and robustness. Appreciating and applying this is its own precious skill I feel I’ve acquired, thanks to my time with this wonderful city, my wonderful friends, and TUJ.