Visiting Atami

The last university related task of the year was a two day trip to the Asahi Kanagawa Brewery (located in Ashigara) and Atami, where we spent a night and enjoyed the relaxing onsen that the hotel had to offer.  The visit to the brewery was what one might expect from a factory that is used to handling large groups of people, well organized and highly controlled. We were able to see some amazing automation used in bottling and packaging, as well as impressive fermentation tanks and the laboratory where at least some quality control is done.

The view from my hotel room.

The visit to Atami started with a workshop, where two previous YSEP students gave brief presentations on what it is like to apply for and work in a Japanese company. They really managed to explain what is required for us to be able to work in Japan and what can be expected from working in a Japanese company. Their experiences were very valuable, because they too started with being YSEP students. In addition to these presentations, we also considered what preparation is required to enter a Japanese company and what are the advantages and disadvantages of working for a Japanese company. Each group presented their ideas at the end of the workshop.

The mayor of Atami

After enjoying the hot springs at the hotel and having a good night’s sleep, we headed off to listen to a lecture by the Mayor of Atami. His lecture gave an insight to the history of Atami, but more importantly the challenges that the city of Atami faces now. The mayor himself was an interesting personality with a sense of humour.

The Ohyu geyser (above) and the 2000 year old tree
at the Kinomiya shrine (right). The geyser
 goes off every 4 minutes.

After the lecture we were divided into groups and strolled around the city for about three hours, which gave us plenty of time to see some of the sights that the town had to offer. We were guided by students studying international tourism, although most of them spoke little or no English. Of course, since Atami is most famous for its hot springs, other sightseeing spots were somewhat few and far between. However, on the Kinomiya shrine grounds there was a 2000 year old tree, which is very impressive.  We were told a story that if one walks around the tree once, their lifespan will be extended by one year.  Atami is also famous for its hot springs, and apparently there was a functioning geyser that spouted water at regular intervals until the Great Kantou Earthquake in 1923. It was restored to spout water in order to entertain tourists. There is also a really nice beach in Atami, so I would not be surprised if it was completely crowded during the hot summer months.