|
Dispatches Home > Latest Story by Young > Young's Archive > Dispatches Index
Dispatches from the Field:
Fireworks, Lanters and a Giant Buddha
By Young Chun
Aug. 20, 2007
 |
Young Chun poses for the camera in Japan.
|
|
There are now just two weeks left in UCSD’s Pacific Rim Undergraduate Experiences research program, and my fellow PRIME students and myself have been very busy finalizing our summer research. To experience as much of Japan as possible, we are squeezing in as much travel as we can in the few weekends we have left. Since my last dispatch, we went to Japan’s famous Yodogawa Fireworks Festival and walked around Nara, an ancient capital city, where we were greeted by many deer and thousands of beautiful lanterns for the To-kae Light Festival.
The Yodogawa Fireworks, which are launched over the Yodogawa River in Osaka, were truly the experience of a lifetime. Although we arrived at the site three hours before the first fireworks, almost every visible space had been taken up by families or couples wearing traditional light Japanese summer robes, called yukata. Thankfully, some graduate students and one of our professors had arrived several hours before us and reserved one of the best spots close to the river.
 |
| Fireworks during the Yodogawa festival. |
|
 |
| This picture was taken without any zoom! |
|
After a few hours of chatting and eating Japanese fried noodles, called yakisoba, we were all in a festive mood. Finally, the first fireworks shot off high in the sky with a loud boom. Just a few moments later, hundreds of sparkling fireworks flew up and filled the sky. I lay down to enjoy a full view of the incredible fireworks, but even so – I couldn’t find one single empty piece of sky in my field of vision. Thunderous explosions and lights filled the sky continuously, while the Japanese audience let out enthusiastic ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs.’ There were many different kinds of fireworks too. Some even looked like famous anime characters such as Doraemon. Of course, leaving the festival after the fireworks grand finale was bit of an adventure! My favorite part was when many people in yukata started to climb a 10-foot sidewall in an attempt to escape from the crowds, which were all exiting through two small staircases.
 |
| Chun gets up close and personal with some of Nara's native wildlife. |
|
 |
| One of the researchers in Chun's lab experiences a kiss from a deer. |
|
Another weekend, Ichikawa-San, a graduate student, took us to his hometown of Nara for yet another well-known festival called the To-kae Light Matsuri. Nara, once the ancient capital of Japan, is famous for its rich historical buildings, temples and … friendly deer! Right from the moment when we arrived at the train station, the furry and curious light-brown creatures greeted us and poked their noses into our palms, looking for any sign of food.
 |
The main hall at Todaiji, which houses a giant statue of Buddha. Photo/Chris Gladis |
|
The deer are nationally-protected animals and roam freely around parks and even temples, ready to surround any tourists holding food in their hands. It was delightful and even strange to see the Nara natives passively pass by the flock of deer, as if they were just part of the landscape. After spending memorable moments with the pushy yet adorable deer, we visited a famous Todaiji Temple. It houses Japan’s biggest statue of Buddha, called the Daibutsu, whose fingers are as tall as a human. As the night drew near, we all went to Nara Park for the To-kae Light Festival. The park, the river and surrounding temples were illuminated with more than 20,000 candles. I had never seen so many glittering lights lit all at once! The scene was both enchanting and beautiful.
 |
| A temple lit during the To-kae festival in Nara. |
|
 |
| Lanterns during the To-kae festival. |
|
Meanwhile, back at the Cybermedia Center Lab, all of us PRIME students have been busily preparing for our final presentation. Each of us will give a 30-minute talk about our research in front of many Japanese students and professors. Giving such long presentations about our work is a first for most of us undergraduates -- especially in front of an audience of Japanese scientists. Currently, I feel both excitement and uneasiness, but I know that this will prove to be a really valuable experience for me and my future career. After PRIME ends, I have a feeling that upcoming challenges will seem much smaller, now that I have gone through a summer of research in an international professional setting and have presented my work in front of many Japanese researchers.
|
Nara(奈良市, Nara-shi) is the capital city
of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. |
|
|
