/~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. :-)

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