The ANA flight arrived in Tokyo about 20 to 30 minutes early, and the students cleared immigration and customs. They took the Narita Express, the train to and from the airport, for about one hour into the city, arriving at Tokyo Station.
The group is staying at the Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi, a new hotel next to Tokyo Station.
Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi:
http://www.jrhotelgroup.com/eng/hotel/eng155.htm
Students were able to rest before their dinner reservation at 7:30. Prior to dinner, they looked around the train station at nearby restaurants and shops. The hotel and train station are near Ginza, the famous shopping district, and the Imperial Palace.
Train station and area:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3037.html
The students walked to dinner, which was held at a restaurant near the station. The Yabukyu Restaurant is more than 100 years old and has a specialty in soba, which often refers to a style of thin buckwheat noodles. Soba also means buckwheat in Japanese, so the restaurant offered special dishes including soba as a main ingredient.
They dined in a private room with four tables and were served a multi-course traditional Japanese meal.
Students and faculty returned to the hotel around 10 p.m. (8 a.m. Bloomington time), or about 24 hours after they left the Indianapolis airport.
Sunday: Students are free in the morning to rest from the travel. The group will meet at 11 a.m. in the hotel lobby to visit Asakusa, one of the most popular tourist sites in Tokyo, known for its large red lantern that has appeared in many paintings. They will take a river cruise and visit the Rainbow Bridge. Dinner will be in the Odaiba area at Tokyo Bay.
Update: Here are the highlights of the week in Japan:
The group is staying at the Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi, a new hotel next to Tokyo Station.
Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi:
http://www.jrhotelgroup.com/eng/hotel/eng155.htm
Students were able to rest before their dinner reservation at 7:30. Prior to dinner, they looked around the train station at nearby restaurants and shops. The hotel and train station are near Ginza, the famous shopping district, and the Imperial Palace.
Train station and area:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3037.html
The students walked to dinner, which was held at a restaurant near the station. The Yabukyu Restaurant is more than 100 years old and has a specialty in soba, which often refers to a style of thin buckwheat noodles. Soba also means buckwheat in Japanese, so the restaurant offered special dishes including soba as a main ingredient.
They dined in a private room with four tables and were served a multi-course traditional Japanese meal.
Students and faculty returned to the hotel around 10 p.m. (8 a.m. Bloomington time), or about 24 hours after they left the Indianapolis airport.
Sunday: Students are free in the morning to rest from the travel. The group will meet at 11 a.m. in the hotel lobby to visit Asakusa, one of the most popular tourist sites in Tokyo, known for its large red lantern that has appeared in many paintings. They will take a river cruise and visit the Rainbow Bridge. Dinner will be in the Odaiba area at Tokyo Bay.
Update: Here are the highlights of the week in Japan:
- Visit the Tsukiji fish market — the largest fish market in the world (Mon 3/10)
- Visit the Ashahi Shimbun — one of the world’s largest newspapers (Mon 3/10)
- Visit Nissan’s world headquarters — and meet with Vice President-Communications Simon Sproule and his team (Tue a.m. 3/11)
- Visit Nissan’s plant in Oppama, Japan (Tue p.m. 3/11)
- Take train three hours to Nikko — historical and cultural area (Wed 3/12)
- Dinner with Shuri Fukunaga of Burson-Marsteller — one of Japan’s top women in PR (Wed 3/12)
- Visit Bloomberg’s Tokyo offices; meet with Managing Director Peter Langan and his team (Thu a.m. 3/13)
- Visit U.S. Embassy-Tokyo. Meet with U.S. Ambassador Tom Schieffer and Press Attache David Marks (an IU grad) (Th p.m. 3/13)
- Meet with NEWSWEEK Asian Bureau Chief Christian Caryl (Th p.m. 3/13)
- Visit Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan for tour, panel discussion (Th p.m. 3/13)
- Visit Gavin Anderson’s (PR firm) Tokyo offices — and meet with Managing Director William Sposato (Fri 3/14)
- Meet with Mazda Corporate Communications team (Fri p.m. 3/14)
- Karaoke (Fri p.m. 3/14)
- Fly back to U.S. (Sat 3/15)
