/~erlkonig/journal/2008-05-japan/08-tokyo-toudai/

Toukyou Daigaku, the Tokyo University, is apparently the most sought-after alma mater in Japan, and a major part of the Love Hina manga/anime series. After reading of the hero's three years of effort to get in, I figured I had to drop by and see it myself while in Tokyo. I had a nice image in mind of an abandoned campus in later afternoon, some wind blowing between the buildings, and standing where the protagonists did while pining to be accepted there.

Oh, boy, did I miss the mark on that one.

Toudai was completely mobbed, a gorgeous day rimed in a student midmonth festival, with awnings everywhere thronged with students cooking food for other students to buy and eat, groups doing various types of music, a student band in front of the main building blaring lyrics punctuated with "Toudai", and lots of mostly manga-influenced costumes. I got my first chance to try takoyaki, and chatted with some Toudai students with reasonable facility in English. A good, cheery contrast to my original plan. :-)

Icon Name (23) Bytes (218617221) Last Change, CDT  Document Title

   Parent Dir       4096  2022-01-20 07:35
   p1000055.jpg  3882863  2008-05-24 05:57
   p1000056.jpg    75478  2008-05-24 05:57
   p1000056.mov 29482838  2008-05-24 06:00
   p1000057.jpg    56409  2008-05-26 06:38
   p1000057.mov 37350978  2008-05-24 06:03
   p1000058.jpg  3460162  2008-05-24 06:03
   p1000059.jpg  3048882  2008-05-26 06:39
   p1000060.jpg  3565923  2008-05-24 06:04
   p1000061.jpg  3844599  2008-05-24 06:04
   p1000062.jpg  3781305  2008-05-24 06:05
   p1000063.jpg  3219093  2008-05-24 06:05
   p1000064.jpg  3514984  2008-05-24 06:05
   p1000065.jpg    75338  2008-05-24 06:05
   p1000065.mov 91355386  2008-05-24 06:14
   p1000066.jpg    76985  2008-05-24 06:14
   p1000066.mov  4774854  2008-05-24 06:14
   p1000067.jpg  2855855  2008-05-24 06:14
   p1000068.jpg  3255035  2008-05-24 06:15
   p1000069.jpg  2784221  2008-05-24 06:15
   p1000071.jpg    75155  2008-05-24 06:15
   p1000071.mov 14340990  2008-05-24 06:16
   p1000072.jpg  3722453  2008-05-24 06:17