Hello Tokyo!

東京へようこそ! Welcome to Tokyo!

Our 38 Global Navigators have all made it safely to the vibrant capital of Japan to learn the ins and outs of the anime and manga industry!

After a successful arrival at Haneda Airport, students took the bus to the hostel where they’ll be living, learning, and making lifelong memories for the next three weeks. Despite the jet lag, everyone was already eager to make new friends, get to know their roommates, and explore the area together.

The next morning, we got up bright and early for the breakfast buffet before heading down for orientation. Here we got to meet our awesome Program Coordinator, Assistants, and Leaders who will be helping support the Global Navigators every step of their journey as well as their teacher and teaching assistants.

After an amazing curry lunch, we made our way to the local train station to learn how to work the transportation system, and then headed off to Shibuya—the center of youth life here in Japan. Our Global Navigators had a great time exploring the shops such as Tower Records and the Pokemon Store, making their way across Shibuya Scramble Crossing, and checking out the local ramen restaurants.

Then, the next day, we had our first big group activity at Honjo Life Safety Learning Center. Since natural disasters have a significant impact on Japanese life and history, our Global Navigators got to learn how to protect themselves during an earthquake, escape a dark, smoke-filled room, and experience what it’s like to stand in the middle of a typhoon! Hopefully they won’t have to use these survival skills, but they’re certainly well-prepared now to handle the extreme.

Following our completion of the safety course, Global Navigators got to wind down at Tokyo Character Street, an underground shopping area known for its myriad of stores themed after famous franchises such as Pokemon and Peanuts. We had a great time exploring the area from visiting the Kirby Cafe to testing our luck at Tokyo Gashapon Street.

Finally, students had their first official day of class with O’Brien Sensei. They learned about the course and brainstormed ideas for their final projects which can be anything from a creative work to an in-depth research paper. We’re all excited to see what these brilliant minds will come up with at the end of their journey!

It’s only been a couple days, but everyone is already in high spirits and raring to learn. Let’s keep up the energy and make this a successful program together!