Midterm Review

So far, the Intrax Intern Abroad group is around the middle of our internship. Most of the students are used to the life in Tokyo and have started to appreciate the unique places such as the fish market.

The fish market here in Tokyo is the biggest in the world. Here, they sell Tuna how most meat markets sell beef-you can order the part of the Tuna you want and they will cut it for you. Of course every part has a different price just as  like beef. So picture thousands of frozen Tuna fish being carried into the Market. People fighting everywhere  for the freshest and biggest and best cuts.

They also have thousands of different fish and seafood. All the fish and seafood that you can think of is here. It is a far cry from Red Lobster!

I thought I knew something about fish before coming here…

I thought I knew something about fish before coming here…but those huge white bulges are Tuna! If you are ever in Japan, this is a place to visit for sure.

The group from Intrax also visited the Osaka Castle. This place has a very special significance to Japan’s economy. The Japanese don’t want to admit it, but Osaka is still the economic capital of Japan in an indirect way. This means that currently, all the businesses might be located in Tokyo, but the biggest ones originated in Osaka and therefore owe respect to this castle. We had a guided tour around the castle and as we listened to the story we saw the historical walls and fortification, notorious for being impenetrable. The white house would be surprised with the amount of security that this castle had hundreds of years ago.  As this was the site where the treasury was housed.This bridge like looking thing is in fact a wall that is 23 feet thick.

The Osaka Castle was built by the most wealthy Japanese family before the Meiji period. It controlled trade between Tokyo, Korea, and the rest of Asia. It was conquered by the Tokugawa Family just before Japan opened its ports to the West.

In General, Osaka is different  from the rest of Japan. People are business oriented here, though you can’t tell by their actions are very opposite than most places considered economic centers. For example, I was surprised to see them barter and haggle prices even in formal stores. Or, for example, in brand stores one can observe lines of old ladies waiting to talk to the manager to get a discout! Smart ladies!!!!

Something that will always stick with me is walking through these magic places like Osaka Castle, where one travels back to the old times when the shogun and the geishas lived in Kyoto.  Then, all of a sudden, one returns to the big city and realizes that all those times are now just in the text books. But the legacy is still very strong, even in modern Tokyo.

Im writing all this in my blog just to say that just as those guys kept their castle and their traditions one needs to keep his own identity wherever he goes. Although there is always room for improvement. So Who are you?

We are the modern kind of what the samurai used to be: A warrior.  Now there is the economic and business wars. However different, I think that the basics of the samurai apply to one’s job. Discipline, Respect, Dedication.

Keep Posted!