Japan Super Science Fair

I awoke to my roommate’s ringtone with a bittersweet taste in my mouth, groggy from whichever crazy game had us staying up the night before. The room was filled with a quiet, reflective atmosphere, a stark contrast to the hectic mornings we had grown used to. Slowly the girls started to get up and began their morning routines with a peaceful familiarity. The usual excited chatter was replaced with a contemplative silence as a realization dawned upon us: it was the last day.

We headed off to Ritsumeikan High School to begin our day. As we walked through the maze of crowded alleys to the school, we realized that the turns had become second nature. At our science zone, we finished programming our robot – Bob – and competed in a race. Unfortunately, Bob broke yet again and we lost the competition. We had spent hours together programming and reprogramming Bob, and by the end of it we had grown attached to the robot, and of course to each other. Max from Australia ran around taking selfies with everyone and Cristobal from Colombia handed out Colombian candy. At that point, winning was the last thing on our minds.

After our last lunch with our Japanese student buddy, Narumi, we had another poster exhibition. This time, the Ritsumeikan students set up booths about Japanese culture. We participated in a Japanese tea ceremony, made origami, and tried calligraphy. Afterwards, we headed off to the cultural performance and closing ceremony. Singapore blew us away with the sheer energy and quality of their dance, Korea treated us with a musical performance which involved traditional instruments, and students from the United Kingdom put on a skit regarding the evolution of popular British music. The closing ceremony was heartfelt and heartbreaking. The representatives from different countries went on stage for a closing remark, and all of them gave thanks to the organizers from Ritsumeikan for creating such a rare and wonderful opportunity.

Our day ended with a most spectacular talent show. There were many singers, some of them singing in a secondary language and all of them extremely talented. Michael from the UK balanced a chair on his chin and juggled seven balls. Dancing was another popular event, and again the dancers from Singapore were incredible and received roaring applause. At the end, the guys from Hawaii got everyone to get up and dance to Uptown Funk. It was the highlight of the day, leaving us all with smiles on our faces as we went back to the dorms.

Back at the residence, the hallways were filled with students saying goodbye and taking pictures with each other. Everyone was having fun, taking advantage of the last night of the trip. Even though, by the next day, most of us would be separated, we laughed together for the last time, saving the tears for the morning.

– Isabella Z.