Day Nine

Tokyo- Day Nine

Here comes the bus, at the Main Waseda Campus

Today our itinerary was packed with trips to the University, first to the Main Waseda campus and then to the Nishi-Waseda campus, which is the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

With our Campus guide

Our Special session today was conducted by Prof. Masahiko on the theme “Japan in Asia: Global Food Security Perspectives.” I found this class to be interesting because it gave us a lot of information on Japan, both in relation to food and agriculture as well as its economy in general. Prof. Masahiko also highlighted India’s food security situation and made the class very interactive by asking us a host of questions on India and its current economic situation. And since it was related to food, all the participants had something to add to the discussion as everyone comes from a diverse background and hence our views on Indian food differed widely.

WABOT!

Another WABOT

Then after lunch, we headed to the Nishi-Waseda campus of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. The trip was convenient and comfortable as we took one of the Campus Buses, which go to all three Waseda campuses in Tokyo, every 30 minutes. The bus ride was pleasant and it only took us 20 minutes to get to the Science Campus. After disembarking, we were greeted by student campus guides along with a senior supervisor, who introduced themselves and began the tour. The campus guides took turns explaining the functioning and work of different science labs and showcased various achievements of the University in the field of science and engineering.

A typical classroom

While walking through the campus, we saw Geography students measuring the ground levels- something we often see in Chowgules whenever we pass by the canteen- which I thought was quite amusing. The classrooms at this campus were huge, as if they were auditoriums rather than lecture halls: very suitable considering the fact that Japan is seen as a technological giant. The campus is built in such a way that it is easy to go to another section or cross an entire building without stepping out of the first one, similar to what we have in Chowgules.

Mechanical engineering workshop

Campus architecture

As we reached the end of the tour, we were given a generous goodbye, complete with a bow and sent off on the next bus, back to the Main Campus.

- Shubhankar Shah