Coming to a Close

I can’t believe our trip to Japan is almost over! This has been one of the fastest and most eventful weeks I have had, and I want to reflect on my favorite things we did.

During this past week we’ve gone to many different places like the Todaji temple in Nara, Osaka castle in Osaka, a fish market in Akashi, and an onsen at Arima. We even got to wear yukatas and eat takoyaki with our pen pals at the university! Yesterday was particularly exciting because we went to several different temples and shrines in the Kyoto area like the Golden Pavilion temple, Kiyomizu-dera, and Fushimi Inari-taisha. These were some of my favorite sights to see, and I feel like they really represented the beautiful country.

Today we are visiting Hiroshima. I am excited to learn more about the history of the area and am humbled to visit such a historical location. As we visit the memorial park, I hope to understand the culture a little bit better before we depart.

It is bitter sweet that this trip is coming to an end, but I know that I will come back to Japan to show my family the culture and beauty of this wonderful country! 

—- Jenn

All part of JA-Plan; our adventure days 1-8

We have made it to Japan! 

It has been a whirlwind 7 days in the beautiful country of Japan. Here are our experiences thus far: 

Day 1- We survived a 10 hour flight from San Fransisco to Osaka. Then we took quick ferry ride over to Kobe where we checked into our hotel. Exhausted, we went straight to bed to recharge for the adventures to come. 

Flying over Japan

Day 2- This was our first day visiting the  KGU campus.We took a tour of the beautiful KGU campus  and were welcomed with an amazing lunch hosted by KGU faculty and students.  

After the lunch the KGU students took us sightseeing in Sannomiya and had a delicious Ramen lunch. Afterwards we returned to and enjoyed the Kobe Hanabi (fireworks festival), the fireworks in Japan were unlike anything we have seen before.  Absolutely amazing!

Day 3 - We went sightseeing in Nara with KGU students and visited the Todaji Temple.  We were surprised to learn that there are many deer that live in the city.  There are vendors in the park that sell deer cookies and the deer have learned to bow for food from the park visitors.  The Todaji Temple was beautiful! Unfortunately we were too claustrophobic to make it through the pillar hole for good luck, but some of our classmates did!

Day 4 - We spent the first half of the day shopping in Osaka at places such as Sanrio and the Pokemon Center.  Students and faculty of Osaka University met us at the Pokemon Center and treated us to Okonomiyaki for lunch. It was delicious!  Afterwards we visited the Osaka Castle and had Kushikatsu dinner, it was really great to be able to try so many different foods on this day.  We also got to visit Dotonbouri where we stocked up on souvenirs and gifts for our friends and family back home.

Day 5 - This was our first day of lectures at KGU.  We went over some case studies and we thought the material was presented in a way that made the information easier to retain.  We were able to see on the screen the effects that medications would have on a patient's ECG.  Later we visited the fish market in Akashi where we sampled a lot of fresh seafood.  We each bought some dried octopus to take home, it was very similar to other dried meat, like beef jerky.  Next stop was Himenji Castle, . Our last stop of the day was sake tasting at Nihonshu Kokoromi, we tried about 10-12 of the hundreds of types of sake available.

 

Day 6- KGU Lecture day 2 on Japanese Herbal Medicine, Kampo. We had the unique opportunity to make our own Kampo decoction and sample the finished product. After having lunch on campus, we visited an established Kampo pharmacy in Osaka, there we were allowed to look through and smell some of the herbs in the apothecary cabinet.  

Day 7- KGU Lecture day 3. We learned about the Japanese Healthcare system and KGU's Pharmacy school curriculum. It was interesting to see the differences between how the healthcare system in Japan versus the U.S.  Later we had the opportunity to tour a community pharmacy, a hospital pharmacy, and the ICU pharmacy.  We also were shown the "doctor cars", these are similar to an ambulance except that a doctor and nurse will travel in the car and start treating the patient at the site of the emergency.  🚨 At the end of the day, we headed back to KGU where the students and faculty held a Takoyaki party, where we helped make our own Takoyakis. But the best part is when they dressed us in Yukata's, we embraced the Japanese culture and celebrated after with some fireworks at a near by park by the bay.

Day 8- This was an open day where many of us split into different groups to go on our own adventures.  Our group decided to go to the Arima Onsen (hot springs) as going to an onsen has been described to us as a quintessential experience of Japanese culture.  Heading into the onsen we were apprehensive and self conscious about being in a public bath, but as soon as we were in the hot water all of our tension melted away.  Prior to the onsen we had Kobe Beef for lunch, there really are not words to describe how delectable it was, definitely worth the high price!

We have two more days left in beautiful Japan. We will visit Kyoto and Hiroshima in the next couple of days, then our time will come to an end and we will have to head back to Arizona. We look forward to updating you on our next adventure! Stayed Tuned! 

-Atefeh, Beth, and Ivette 

Free Day

Today we had our free, or open campus, day.  We had a couple different groups go off and do their own things today including going to an onsen in Arima, take a day trip to Kyoto, and go to KGU to speak with prospective students.  My group decided to go to Universal Studios in Osaka.  It was a very long and tiring day, but the rides and attractions were a lot of fun.  Our favorite ride that we went on today was probably the Hollywood Dream roller coaster. 

Yesterday, we had some time to enjoy takoyaki with our friends at KGU as well as celebrate with them in yukata.  Later in the night we went to a park and set off some fireworks and sparklers.  I can't express my thanks to the students and faculty of KGU enough for all the thought and work that they have put into making our stay here very pleasant, fun, and educational.

Tomorrow we go to Kyoto as a group and the day after we will be taking the shinkansen, or bullet train, to Hiroshima.  I am greatly looking forward to these two day trips and experiencing everything else that Japan has in store for us as we wrap up our trip!

One week in Japan

Today marks one whole week that we have been in Japan. It has gone by quickly, and we have done so many things! So far, I have walked a total of 126,438 steps (55.5 miles), and have climbed 111 floors/flights of stairs. With 2 full days of sight seeing to go, these numbers will continue to climb (pun intended).

Yesterday (after 2 lectures and lunch at IKEA) we visited a hospital and a community pharmacy where we learned how each operates. One major difference between Japan and the US is the law allowing a pharmacist to fill only 40 prescriptions a day. Because of this, most pharmacies have several pharmacists working at a time (the one we visited had 5 pharmacists working). They also do not have technicians like we do in the states, so the pharmacist does everything in the prescription filling process; however, they are equipped with advanced counting machines which are able to count, package, and label tablets or powders with the push of a button.

After our site visits, we met with some students and faculty at Kobe Gakuin University where they hosted a takoyaki party for us. There were several different kinds of takoyaki to sample including cheese, corn, kimchi, sausage, original octopus, and even chocolate. All students in our group also tried on Japanese Yukata. After the festivities, we visited a local park and set off fireworks and sparklers with a beautiful city-light backdrop.

All of that in one day helps to illustrate one very busy (but fun!) week in Japan.

Andria

My days in Japan

What can I write? How can I express the beauty of what I've experienced and the memories that will haunt me forever until I return again? Japan is a country where I can feel the pride illuminate from every child and elder. When I first arrived I was struck with the humidity. You feel wet wherever you go. It really didn't bother me when I was standing in front of Osaka Castle, one of the landmarks that played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azucho-Momoyama period.  It didn't disturb me when I went to visit Himeji castle, the castle where we travelled back in time by trekking up 7 stories barefoot as the samurai once did. Nor did it phase me when I was bowing in front of Buddha at the Todaiji temple. And as someone who is new to the practice of Zen Buddhism, this was an experience I have not taken for granted. It was an experience I shall never forget.

I think the best part of discovering Japan was discovering myself. Have you ever fallen in love with a place? Falling in love with a place is so much more complex than falling in love with a human being. The people of Japan are polite and work with pride. Outwardly, there are smiles and "thank you's" that are lacking in the States. There is a sense of community and respect that I cherish.

This country is rich with history that is embraced instead of rewritten.

After just a few days, I understand why it is possible to live up to 100+ years in Japan. The food is fresh, the hearts are light and kind, and the architecture of the city and its transportation allows for walking 20,000+ steps a day seem as if it is the bare minimum.

I will be returning to Japan in the future.

Exploring Japan!

Hello everyone! It is the end of our sixth day in Japan and we have been BUSY. Between the lectures, pharmacy site visits, and sightseeing I have an impressive step count and fall asleep immediately each night.  I've enjoyed my time in Japan and want to thank the students and professors at KGU for being so welcoming.  It was great to have met my pen pal and connected with other students as I'm already sad to leave in a few days since I consider them great friends! My favorite city thus far is Nara as I thought the town and temple was beautiful, and the deer were lovely!  I loved how friendly they were and that they came up to us immediately.  I'm looking forward to visiting Kyoto and Hiroshima in the upcoming days as I have researched those cities online and found there are so many things to do there. I really enjoyed the pharmacy site visit to the hospital as I currently work in a hospital in the United States and wanted to compare the environments.  I found many similarities and differences, but the most surprising part so far is the nonexistence of pharmacy technicians.  This role is crucial to pharmacies in the states and it is hard for me to think of a pharmacy functioning without this role.  To make up for the position, there are many pharmacists on staff and from my observations I believe they split up the work well.  The next few days will be a little slower so I will have more time to share my experiences in Japan!

Arigatou!

Japan is a great country to visit. On the first day, we received a very warm welcome from KGU students and professors. I met my penpal Erina and many other KGU students and we soon became friends. They introduced and accompanied us to go to many places. We got to try an array of Japanese foods such as ramen and Takoyaki.
I was surpirsed by the people and services I have experienced in Japan. The public transportation system is so convenient that we can go anywhere using trains. On the 4th day, I left my phone in a bathroom. If it was in Arizona, I most likely would have lost it. But thanks to Tomomi-san and the staff in the mall, I got my phone back.
Today we learned about kampo medicine and visited a kampo pharmacy. I took herbal formulations when I was little and I have always wanted to learn more about it. The lecture today gave us some basic knowledge about diagnosis and treatment in herbal medicine. It is very different from western medicine.
I am glad that I participated in this trip. I am looking forward to exploring more in Japan!

Pharmacy Time in Japan

Hi everyone! This is now the end of the 5th day in Japan and like I mentioned in my previous entry, we have been busy! We have started the Pharmacy-centric material and have had 3 lectures so far at the Kobe Gakuin University. The start of our school material has given us all a little break from the hustle and bustle of sightseeing. Our step counter has been a little less than the first part of the trip, but it has still been eventful.

First, I have to talk about the highlight of these past three days, Osaka and the Pokémon Center. Pokémon was a huge deal for me growing up. I loved the video games and the trading cards and still play the games and collect the cards to this day. So when we entered the Pokémon Center it was like the little kid inside me woke up and took me over. I had to see everything! They had authentic Japanese trading cards, Japan-exclusive video games, plushies, accessories, trinkets, tourist items, clothing, anything you could imagine they had. They even had a huge area off to the side with about 20 tables made specifically for trading card game battles. It was awesome! I could have spent all my money at that store, and very well almost did. That was my most expensive stop to date, with $60 spent on a plushy, a video game and a keychain. It was well spent, because I’ll probsbly never be back there again. The Pokémon center was totally worth the work it took to get to Japan.

After the Pokémon center we met up with students from Osaka University and tried a food called okonomiyaki, which is essentially a pancake with rice/noodles, meat and egg instead of pancake batter. It was delicious! We tried like 4-5 kinds of okonomiyaki, some with chicken, some with pork and some with seafood. After that we visited Osaka Castle, which was a huge castle that was rebuilt after it was destroyed in World War II. It was kind of sobering, because it was US air raids that destroyed it. It was a magnificent castle, with an awesome view of Osaka from the top. We also saw Himegi Castle, which was an original castle that was preserved, so preserved in fact that we had to take our shoes off to go in. After Himeji Castle we went to a really nice Sake bar and did a Sake tasting of about 10 different Sakes. I never knew how complicated Sake actually was! They’re so many different kinds and each kind can either be a dry Sake or a sweet one. They have a numeric scale that is used to judge if it is a dry or sweet one. By the end we all had a favorite and bought a bottle or two. We also had a little too much, but it’s vacation!

The next two days saw our first lectures at KGU, where we learned a little bit about the Pharmacy school curriculum and their technique when it comes to physical assessments of patients. The key differences between the US and Japan is that they start their Pharmacy program right out of high school and go for 6 years. The prerequisites that are required in the US (at least two years of undergraduate work) are part of their 6 year program. What was surprising was how similar our programs actually are. Most of our classes are the same, even down to the computer programs we use when taking the class. Students in Japan though have to learn about counting and filling prescriptions because Japan does not have Pharmacy Technicians like the US does.

The other major difference is the focus Japan has on herbal medicine compared to the US. In Japanese Pharmacy school, the students have to learn both the western style of medicine (diagnosis then treatment with medications) and the herbal style of medicine (Kampo).. They have to learn the major herbs, what they do, how to prepare the mixtures and how to diagnose using this style. I won’t get into the messy details of it, but essentially the Kampo style works by keeping the body in balance. If the body is out of balance, then something is wrong. We learned and even got to make and try Kakkon-to, which is the most common recipe for an early cold or stiff muscles. The recipes to make Kakkon-to are different based on how out of balance the patient is. They take into account the whole body and it’s symptoms instead of just local symptoms like western medicine. It’s a very different style of medicine that I do not fully understand. I probably didn’t even explain it correctly. Anyway, after learning about that we visited a herbal pharmacy and got to see first hand how they created their herbal remedies and dispensed them. It was quite an interesting experience.

Tomorrow we have two more lectures about the Japanese system and a more in depth look at their curriculum. I am very interested in how Japan’s healthcare works and how it im differs from the US, so tomorrow will be an interesting lecture. That’s it from me! Thanks for reading!

The First of Japan-mazing!

We've been so busy it's been difficult to update the blog. There is soooo much to share, but let's do it by piecemeal.

Waking up early for our flight wasn't too bad. The group from Tucson were able to make it there on time as were our Phoenix cohorts. This was the start of our adventures to the East.

After the 10 hours flight from SFO to KIX, we were all incredible stoked to be in Japan at long last. We got pictures with Mario, welcoming us to the KIX airport! Though.... Truthfully, we just wanted to put on the hat and take pictures and get a stretch for our stiff legs.

Later on that even, we settled in and dined at a sushi belt kinda joint. There was such yummy yellowtail.

A great way to end the night amongst friends and Japanese food!

Japan Mid-Trip

Japan has been amazing. We’ve enjoyed the hospitality and culture that we have experienced in our short time here. On Tuesday, August 7th we attended lectures at Kobe Gakuin University (KGU). One a practical lecture on medication administration and another in which we were able to work case studies. This allowed us students to use what we’ve learned and discus patient cases faculty from KGU.

It has been great getting to know our hosts (faculty and students) from Kobe-Gakuin and Osaka Universities and we have been showered with kindness and generosity from everyone we have met. We have also been able to develop valuable friendships with our own colleagues and faculty.

The weather is humid quite unlinke anything most of us have experienced before, but the amazing sights, culture, shopping, and food have made up for all the sweating!


We are excited to see what the second half of this trip holds.

Andria and David

First Day of Lectures

We had our first day of lectures at Kobe Gakuin University.  It was interesting to compare and contrast between our curriculum at the U of A and that of KGU.  There were a lot of similarities and a few differences.

We then went to Uonotana fish market in Akashi and were able to do some shopping and sight-seeing followed by a trip to the beautiful Himeji Castle.  The castle was amazing; the building was all original from when it was built ~400 years ago.

Tomorrow we have another lecture at KGU along with some visits to a couple kampo pharmacies (herbal pharmacies) in Osaka.  Looking forward to learning about and visiting these pharmacies and how they work!

First few days

Our first few days in Japan have gone by in a whirlwind. So much to see and do! 

The flight from San Fransisco took about 11 hours and for me went by quickly. I enjoyed the free movies available to every seat, took a nap, and listed to an audiobook. I wished the plane was less cramped but I suppose they all are these days. After arriving we relaxed at the hotel for the rest of the evening. 

Our first full day we walked to the Kobe Gakuin University (a pharmacy school). The KGU students were warm and welcoming. Gifting is a tradition in Japan. We exchanged gifts with our penpals, I received many Japanese snacks and beauty products. In Japan, people are very lively and animated, they certainly know how to have fun! We enjoyed lunch together with the students, then my penpals needed to leave to resume their studies. Some students are still having their finals this week! It was very kind of them to take time out of their studying to meet us. We then took the JR rail, our main form of transportation for the trip, to go sightseeing in Kobe: shopping, china town, and a shinto shrine. 

The next day was sightseeing in Nara, a town which considers deer to be spiritual. The deer have been protected for generations and have become quite tame. Visitors are able to feed the deer special cookies (not allowed to feed anything else), the deer come right up to you and will bow in Japanese fashion to get the cookie! It was amazing to see that all the deer bowing. In Nara we visited a buddhist temple and enjoyed some shopping. By the end of the day, we had taken the JR rail so many time we are beginning to learn our way around the rail system.

Yesterday was our visit to the Daimaru department store in Osaka, 16 floors of shopping. Inside there is a Sanrio store and the Pokemon Center. Many of the American students (and the Japanese students!) were VERY excited about Pokemon, it is very popular here. For lunch we were joined by faculty from the pharmacy program at Osaka University. We had a great time sharing food despite the American students still learning to use our chopsticks effectively. Next was a train ride to Osaka castle, rebuilt after WW2. It has been made into a museum showing many historically significant letters and samurai armor. Our final destination for the day was Dotonburi shopping center. Some students shopped, and some relaxed inside wherever we could find air conditioning (less common than I expected). Later we had dinner with the Osaka University faculty and tried many kinds of traditional Japanese food. There was much sake to go around! 

Whew! So much in a few days! :)

~Kris Shelledy

First Glimpse of Japan

We have arrived in Japan and have had three full days of adventures! It is very humid here, which many of us are not used to, but that has not stopped us from exploring!

On the first day, we toured Kobe Gakuin University and learned a little about their pharmacies and pharmacists and we are looking forward to learning more as we attend some lectures. We were also warmly welcomed by faculties and students and afterwards, a few of the students took us around Sannomiya to shop, sightsee, and try new foods. At the end of the day, we attended the Hanabi (fireworks) festival, which was very beautiful and not like any other firework festival/show we have seen before!

On the second day, we went sightseeing in Nara, where we were greeted into the city by a crowd of deers and had the opportunity to pet and feed them. In Nara, we visited the Todaiji Temple where Japan's largest bronze statue of Buddha stood. 

On the third day, we traveled to Osaka where we shopped around Daimaru. We discovered puffy cheesecakes and various unique flavors of KitKat, such as wasabi, butter, yam, apple, and sake. We then met up with Osaka University faculties and students at the Pokemon Center for lunch and did some sightseeing at the Osaka Castle, which was very beautiful and grand. We were treated to lunch and dinner by the Osaka faculties, which was very delicious and kind of them! We greatly appreciated their hospitality!

We look forward to spending more time in this beautiful country and learning a lot more about pharmacy!

- Fiona Luc and Michelle Van

Japan so far!!

It has only been a few days and I have fallen in love with Japan. From the culture, to the beautiful castles and temples, and especially to the amazing company from the faculty and students from  KGU and Osaka University, it’s everything I imagined and more.

So far we have sightseen in Kobe, Nara, and Osaka, while we have more sites to visit. Each city has its own culture and personality. I enjoyed all the deer in Nara, as well as the great shopping centers in Osaka, and the amazing fireworks we saw in Kobe.

I am excited to learn more about the pharmacies in Japan. So far, I understand that pharmacy students start right out of high school, which is different in the U.S. Honestly, I think starting right out of high school is beneficial because they can finish quicker, although, I imagine the stress of deciding what career you want to persue at 18 for the rest of your life. I also found it surprising that pharmacies in Japan do not have pharmacy technicians, which is a huge difference from the U.S.

All in all, I have had a wonderful time in Japan, and look forward to more wonderful days.

Japan So Far...

It has been extremely busy these past few days since we took off from Arizona. We are now finishing up our second full day in Japan, and they have been an experience. First, got to talk about the flight since that’s the one thing everyone always asks when you go somewhere. It was LONG. I knew going into this trip that the flight was going to be tough, but that still didn’t prepare me for the 11 hours we were on that plane. I didnt sleep at all the night before, so by the time we were boarding the long flight from San Francisco to Osaka, I was going on 30 hours with no sleep. That and the fact there was barely any leg room, the seats did not recline, and were extremely uncomfortable made for a crappy flight. The one saving grace was the great company I had, but even great company can’t make all 11 hours fly by. It was worth it though, because afterwards we were in Japan!

The first day brought a lot of new experiences. First, we met our pen pals and exchanged our welcome gifts. They also threw us a very interesting welcome party, complete with a song and dance! The welcome lunch was great, but the only utensils they had were chop sticks, so it was quite the challenge to eat without embarrassing myself. They were all very nice, and I am so thankful for the warm welcome to Japan. Afterwards we explored the city of Kobe, stopping to visit a temple, a few department stores and a ramen store. Before the trip, Dr. Katz told us it would be hot and sticky and that we would probably need a fan of some sort. Well, he wasn’t lying and by the time we reached the department store, we were all shelling out 3500 yen for a nice fan. After trying some sake at the ramen store we decided to head back to the university because it was their annual fireworks festival and we wanted to get some decent seats. On the way back was when we realized Japan has a LOT of people. I knew that they did, but it’s different seeing it in person. The crowds were enormous! We were packed in the trams like sardines and then some. Where ever we went, there was people. It was good fortune that we found a great spot on the bay boardwalk to watch the fireworks. Now, nothing beats 4th of July fireworks, but us in America can learn a thing or two from that fireworks show. They shot off over 50,000 fireworks, lasting for an hour. They had them in every color, shape, size. They had times wehrre they got really exciting, like a finale, to times where they would slow down to build suspense. It was like an action thriller, with twists and turns throughout the show.

The second full day of Japan was almost a complete 180 compared to the first day. We took the tram to Nara, a historic Buddhist city. The difference here was it was a lot less crowded and a lot more tranquil. Sure they had a busy shopping cente, but Nara bring a popular tourist location, it’s par for the course. What made it so tranquil was the holy Buddhist sites we visited. First we visited a Temple, which was possibly the largest and most intricate work of architecture I have ever seen. When I walked up and saw it for the first time, I was floored by how truly awe-inspiring it was. There really is not a word to describe how amazing this temple was. The inside was just as awesome, with its at least 100-foot tall Buddha. They had historical Buddhist relics on display inside, and a pole that signified the Buddha’s nostril. If you were able to crawl through it then you would have good luck. The hole was probably less than 3 feet wide, and only tiny children could crawl through. I tried, but the confined space was a little frightening. After the temple, we walked to the park nearby where they had dozens and dozens of deer just roaming about. They were so docile and just walked up to you and bowed. They bowed to you! They let us pet them, feed them and take pictures with them. It was such a different atmosphere in Nara compared to Kobe, as if the Buddhist peace and tranquility you hear so much about was radiating toward everyone and everything. Nara was by far the best place we’ve visited so far.

So that’s it for the first post. Today we visit Osaka, another enormous city like Kobe. Since there is no fireworks celebration, maybe it won’t be so crowded, but you never know. Being in Japan, I think that’s just something we’re going to have to get used to. If I need a break, I’ll just take the train to Nara again and pet some deer and relax at the temple. Thanks for reading!