SPC student sees new landscapes and familiar characters in Japan

Japan 2024, Study Abroad, Study Abroad in Japan
Discovering the real-life landmarks on which familiar fiction is based during study abroad in Japan.

– Gyfton Bjornberg-King , SPC Student, Japan Program, May 2019

The adventures through the land of the rising sun were amazing. The two weeks that I spent in Japan opened my eyes to the differences within the world. I truly found the experiences to be life altering. There have been so many things that I have read online and heard from others; however, I did not think that I would ever have the chance to see Japan.

I have seen several pictures of Mt. Fuji and Tokyo Tower, but until I was given this opportunity to actually see these locations, I thought I never would. I am forever grateful for this life experience.

One of the most amazing parts of the trip was the Tokyo Tower. I found the structure amazing for several reasons, including my own personal identification with the structure from certain previous experiences.

Tokyo Tower at night. Photo by Taro Tokyo, Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0].

One example of this personal identification is from a board game called King of Tokyo. The game has a picture of the Tokyo Tower that I see every time I play.  

I have also played a video game (Destroy All Humans 2) where Tokyo is one of the visited locations and you can fly around in a spaceship past Tokyo Tower.

These personal identifications made it almost surreal to view the structure with my own eyes and even more so when I found out that One Piece, the popular pirate anime and one of my favorites, had taken up a permanent theme park residence within Tokyo Tower.

Other than the awesome Tokyo Tower, we also visited the breathtaking Mt. Fuji where we were able to see the mountain from various places. We were able to view the porous stony side of the mountain itself, and saw it again from an amazing ferry ride, and from a shrine upon another mountaintop nearby.

Again, I would not have been able to see such amazing things if it weren’t for St. Petersburg College Foundation, the EF program, and everyone else who made this fanciful dream a reality. 

– Gyfton Bjornberg-King , SPC Student, Japan Program, May 2019

Thank you for sharing Gyfton!

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Cover image: Skyscrapers of Shinjuku (Tokyo). Photo by Morio, Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0].