7-14-19 - Kyoto Cultural Exchange

Day 28. Getting through immigration, getting our bags and getting through customs goes smoothly.  It seems these days that it’s 50% - 50% whether we sail through the airport or end up in a major problem.  I need to go to the bathroom and wait until a stall frees up. When I go in, I am completely confused. Instead of a toilet, there is a porcelain rectangle with flowing water built into the floor.  I can’t even describe it let alone figure out how to use it. I decide I have no choice but to hold it and exit the stall.  As I do, the person next to me is exiting and see that that stall has a normal toilet. What the heck? I stealthily slip back into line figuring I have a 50-50 chance of getting the actual toilet this time which luck has it and I do get.

We travel via coach (also known as a bus) from Osaka to Kyoto. Where the National Children’s Chorus (NCC) is participating in a cultural exchange with the Kyoto City Junior Children’s Choir (KCJCC) at Kyoto Horikawa Musical High School.  The school is one of the only music high schools in the country and has produced some of the most famous musicians in Japan.  

 As we enter, the members of the KCJCC are lined up around the courtyard greeting us with “hello.” After saying “Kon’nichiwa” (Japanese for hello) in response about 50 times, I’m feeling pretty confident in my Japanese vocabulary of 3 words.  Hello and Goodbye courtesy of my best friend in 3rdgrade who had moved from Japan and “Arigato” courtesy of the 80’s song “Mr. Roboto” by Styx.  

 At the entrance, we remove our shoes and are given packets of paper like sandals.  I am suspicious that the shoe removal custom was invented by the person who owned the company that sells the paper sandals to tourists. 

 The performance was wonderful.  There were over 200 children from the Kyoto Choir.  NCC sang to the KCJCC and vice versa.  The conductor for KCJCC is a doppleganger for Mr Miagi from Karate kid but I decide to hold that observation to myself for fear for insulting anyone at a cultural exchange.  After the performance, the students break up into small groups and learn about each other’s culture and the Kyoto choir helps NCC make paper origami swans which is the symbol of peace.

Afterwards, we do a photo stop at Nijo-jo Castle.  It closed at 5pm so we didn’t actually get to go inside but it’s not much of a stretch to think that it is a castle that an Imperial royal family lived in at one point hundreds of years ago.

Dinner is a buffet.  It is a lot more authentic, local food and a lot less western / American food compared to Korea (which means the kids are collectively more hungry going to bed).  After dinner we hang out with our new friends Rob and Milton.  They are actually good friends with Craig & Cori from NYC who have majorly helped us out on this trip.