Host institution/organization in Japan:
The University of Tokyo
Graduate School of Engineering, Department of Chemical System Engineering,
Prof. Kazunari Domen
May-July 2018

Japan proved itself to be a utopia for a student like me yearning for a perfect place to pursue higher studies. Apart from the reputed and technologically advanced laboratory in the University of Tokyo where I interned, the Japanese culture is what I admired the most. I have learnt that the cleanliness and the politeness of the Japanese people is not a consequence of rules and policies, but an outcome of their culture they have embraced long ago. This is the only part of the world where one can step out of a metro station, stroll amidst the glaring skyscrapers, and finally end up loitering in a kimono at an ancient traditional shrine, adorned with beautiful gardens and lakes. In Japan, one would be easily swayed away by the hustle and bustle of the modern cities, but these soothing shrines, spread all across the country, remind how beautiful nature is, even in the middle of the bustling city.