At the end of May 2025, I traveled with a group of thirty students to Japan, known as the "Land of the Rising Sun", for my school's first-ever educational field trip there. While many tourists know about various popular attractions in Japan, here’s a glimpse in the other side of it that tourists don’t usually explore.
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| Exterior of the Tsukuba Expo Center in Ibaraki Prefecture |
The first part of this multi-blog series takes you to the first two prefectures, namely (1) Tokyo and (2) Ibaraki.
Note on foreign currencies: 1 Japanese yen (JPY) = 0.4 Philippine pesos (PHP) and 0.01 US dollars (USD)
Arrival at Narita International Airport (May 28)
On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 28, 2025, our Philippine Airlines flight from Manila landed at Narita International Airport, located roughly sixty kilometers away from central Tokyo. It is one of two airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area and is used as an international hub by low-cost carriers and Japanese airlines; the other is Haneda, located just right within Tokyo’s boundaries, used mostly for domestic flights and "premium" flights.
TRIVIA: Narita has had a dark history of its inception to its opening. The airport was built on former agricultural land which was expropriated by the Japanese government. Because residents were not properly consulted, this led to a series of violent protests, known as the Sanrizuka Struggle. Its direct proximity to residential areas meant that a six-hour curfew from 00:00 to 06:00. was implemented to reduce noise pollution. Eventually, the airport opened in 1978, and with NRT's success, the conflict subsided.
We then rode a bus to a hotel near the popular Ikebukuro shopping district. Later that night, our teachers allowed us to freely roam the area. Soon afterward our first day was over.
A journey to the Tsukuba Science City (May 29)
Waking up to a beautiful Thursday morning, we left at eight o'clock to a city away from Tokyo, in a completely different prefecture.
TRIVIA: Tsukuba was planned in the 1960s to ease urban crowding in Tokyo through a systematic relocation procedure. It was also built to have a high standard for education. Much of Japan’s budget on research and development was spent on Tsukuba. It became operational since 1987.
Expo '85 Memorial Park
The first attraction we visited in this city was the Expo ’85 Memorial Park. Built to demoralize the specialized expo in 1985, it was developed on land previously used for the world’s fair itself.
While much of the pavilions and sites have been demolished after the fair, the Kagaku no Mon gate still stands 10 meters high to memorialize the expo.
You’ll feel the silent ambience of this park and appreciate the greenery scenes especially at daytime.
It is also renowned destination for flower lovers, since the park is also filled with blooming cherry blossoms in the spring.
Tsukuba Expo Center
Next up is the Tsukuba Expo Center, where you’ll see various technological innovations and many interactive exhibits related to science and technology!
A 50-meter-tall H-II rocket welcomes visitors at the entrance. The 25-meter-dome resides in the museum, home to one of the world's largest planetariums.
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| This "piano organ" got me inside the museum |
Cyberdyne Studio
After a short lunch, we went to a mall named “iias”, where we went to Cyberdyne Studio. For those who are curious, Cyberdyne is a robotics company based in Tsukuba known for its development of the Hybrid Assistive Limb, an exoskeleton which aids people with physical disabilities. I demonstrated this innovation (only the arm and hands) in front of my classmates, and I was particularly satisfied with it.
Cyberdyne was founded in 2004 by Dr. Yoshiyuki Sankai. Together with the Tsukuba University, Sankai developed the HAL as early as 1997, which is a powered exoskeleton aimed at improving the mobility of people with physical disabilities. It has two versions: HAL 3 only provides leg function, while HAL 5 is designed for the full body. By 2012, around 130 medical institutions were using the HAL suits, and in 2013, it received global safety certification.
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| This mini-folder was given to us as a souvenir. |
Soon after, we were directed inside a mini-theater, where we watched a short movie about two people with HAL-inspired robots. A spy fly took over and stole data from the center. The humans then manually control the flying robots. Midway through the short film, one of the robots killed a supposed fly. However, at the end of the movie, as one of the humans went to see it, the CEO, acting as the professor, reprimands the “student” in failing to see the real fly; the real one was actually in his hands. He then gives him a failing mark and required him to take a “back subject”. Videotaping the movie was prohibited, according to the guides.
Tsukuba Space Center
Run by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, it opened in 1972. An H-II rocket welcomes visitors at the entrance. At the space dome, you’ll see replicas of various types of rockets, satellites, and interestingly, the type of food that Japanese astronauts bring and eat with them.
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| Your journal writer poses for an astronaut figure... =) |
Tokyo Sightseeing (May 30)
We woke up on a rainy Friday afternoon with temperatures plummeting down to around 15 degrees Celsius (59 deg. F). The itinerary involved five stops:
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory Deck
The seat of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, it is located in Shinjuku ward. Its observation decks, standing 202 meters high, makes it the tallest city hall in the world. ADMISSION IS FREE.
Take a look at some shots:
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| A view from the 45th floor |
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| Overlooking Meiji Jingu Shrine |
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| Japan National Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the athletics events of the 2020 (2021) Summer Olympics were held. |
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| Skyscrapers in Shinjuku City |
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| Additionally, you can buy a keychain with your customizable name on it for 1,000 yen! |
Life Safety Training Center, Ikebukuro
Run by the Tokyo Fire Department, it is located on the fourth floor of the Ikebukuro Fire Station. It is the best place to learn how to prepare for disasters, as trainers take a hands-on approach to such. Japan is frequently affected by natural disasters, especially when it comes to earthquakes.
There are four experience areas, as mentioned by Little Day Out:
- Disaster Education Centre
- Earthquake Simulation Section
- Smoke Simulation
- Hands-on Firefighting
Our class was divided into two groups. One group went for the earthquake simulation, while the other went to the hands-on firefighting simulation room. I joined the group that went to the former.
It is worth noting that the medium of instruction is Japanese, so most tourists would not be able to understand. Unless you're good in understanding their language, you can act like an interpreter. Fortunately, our tour guides took the role of interpreters. Groups of 10 can bring their own interpreter.
Admission is free, but you mut reserve a slot. It is open daily from 09:30 to 16:40, except on the 3rd Wednesday of the month (unless it is a public holiday), and the New Year's weekend.
Miraikan Museum
Next was the Miraikan, or the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Our agency reserved us tickets for the Permanent Exhibition, which is divided into two parts: “Explore the frontiers”, and “Create your future”.
Tickets range from 6.3 to 9.4 US dollars (252 to 376 pesos), and is open from 10:00 to 17:00.
TEPIA Advanced Technology Gallery
Are you a fan of robotics and technology? Then TEPIA Advanced Technology Gallery is the way to go. This educational museum in Minato showcases guests with technological advancements, as well as educational robotics lessons.
Admission is free, but you must make a reservation online. It is open from 10:00 to 18:00.
One of my favorite exhibits from TEPIA is a screen that hovers in the air.
Matcha Experience in Asakusa
Lastly, let’s add a bit of culture (since this was part of the tour at all).
Getting to experience a matcha tea ceremony was something I never had since I visited Japan every year since 2023. And since video recording is prohibited inside, here are some photos from the ceremony, held at the Jidaiya Komagata Studio in Asakusa.
The hosts of the ceremony serve you first with sweet “candies” (which I describe), as the matcha prepared in this ceremony is not what you think.
Then goes the main ceremony. The matcha tea prepared in ceremonies like this is by mixing hot water and the green tea powder used. Guess what? It’s not what you think. It tastes bitter, but this is part of Japanese culture.
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| A picture with Mina, the host of the ceremony. Taken with permission. |
I then posed for a picture with Mina, the host of the ceremony. Arigato, Mina-san, for this wonderful experience!
The next blog of this multi-part series is about Kyoto. See it here.
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