Laurent Dewi Sekarmukti – 0206042310011
Have you ever experienced spring and winter at the same time? Well it happened to me when I participated in the KAIKA program. It’s a study excursion program held by Visual Communication Design (VCD) majors at Universitas Ciputra Surabaya, in collaboration with Golden Rama Tours and Travel. The program is designed to give students the opportunity to experience Japanese culture and design firsthand. VCD study excursion held annually between the end of February and early March. Last year (2024), VCD excursion program went to South Korea in collaboration with 2 other creative industry majors, FDB (fashion) and INA (architecture). This year (2025), a group of VCD students traveled to Tokyo, Japan, for an 8 day study excursion. For 8 days, VCD students were invited to explore various places rich in artistic value and innovations, and interact with professionals in the creative industry.
The trip began with a departure from Surabaya, transit to Singapore, and finally arrived in Tokyo, Japan. Upon arrival in Tokyo in the morning, our group headed straight to Sensoji temple in Asakusa. This was a very memorable experience, because we not only learned about traditional Japanese architecture, but also felt the strong spiritual atmosphere. Sensoji Temple is known as the oldest temple in Tokyo. Around Sensoji Temple there are sellers of amulets and goods such as matcha powder, souvenirs, and culinary dishes that I had the chance to try, namely a fried food shaped like “ote-ote”. Consuming it in the cold weather really helps the body to stay warm.
After enjoying a hot pot lunch, we continued our journey to Akihabara, the center of Japanese pop culture, and Ginza, a luxury shopping area or as people called it the “Takashimaya” of Japan. That night, we returned to the Listel Shinjuku Hotel to rest a bit and continued exploring Shinjuku street to feast dinner. On the way to find dinner, we saw a giant Godzilla’s head on top of a building. There we witnessed the Godzilla’s head emitting smoke and its eyes glowing red. This statue is located in Kabukichō, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
The third day started with breakfast at the hotel before visiting the Cup Noodle Museum at Yokohama. Here, we had the opportunity to design our own instant noodle cup and learn about the history of the evolution of this iconic product. On the way to the museum, we also saw the majestic Mount Fuji with snow on its peak. After that, we visited the Yokohama Museum of Art. There we were met with paintings and several installations that had unique backgrounds. Each room tells the story of the journey of the Yokohama Museum of Art, to the people who were involved in making it a success and donating their works to be exhibited. There was one work that caught my attention, “To The Forest of All Living Things” is a work created by ASAI Yusuke. He combines 9 panels to become 7 different images with the result, each image always changes every time it is arranged with a new layout.
After mesmerizing the artworks in the Yokohama Museum of Art, we went sightseeing of the harbor view at Yamashita Park. In the evening, we went to Chinatown located in Yokohama to explore the cuisine around there. The best-selling foods are tanghulu, pork buns, and Taiwanese fried chicken. After a full day in Yokohama, we went back to Shinjuku, Tokyo and had free time in Shinjuku. It gave me the opportunity to taste delicious taiyaki and convenient store food.
To The Forest of All Living Things” created by ASAI Yusuke.
The fourth day was a much-anticipated free day. I visited Ueno Park to see the cherry blossoms in bloom and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere around the temple. Together with two friends (Aileen and Charlene) and the tour leader (Ce Audrey), we bought unique Japanese coin cookies before continuing to Ameyoko Market. In Akihabara, I bought some souvenirs and figurines for my siblings and friends. After Akihabara, I and the others went to Tokyo Character Street which is an MRT station corridor. Along this corridor there are famous character shops in Japan such as Harry Potter, Sumikko Gurashi, Snoopy, Ghibli, One Piece, etc. If you continue to walk through the character corridor, they also provide a corridor full of food or culinary ready to be tried.
That night, I experienced the first snowfall in Tokyo, right before we went to devour our meal at Yoshinoya. Snowing in Tokyo is a rare phenomenon for Tokyo residents themselves. Usually only 3 to 4 times a year in Tokyo there is snow. Considering myself lucky, on that one day I could feel and see cherry blossoms that usually only appear in late march to april, as well as snowfall which was rare to feel for the first time in 20 years of my life. It was very cold, but it was the very best experience I have ever had. I finally get to experience spring and winter at the same time.
After Akihabara, I and the others went to Tokyo Character Street which is an MRT station corridor. Along this corridor there are famous character shops in Japan such as Harry Potter, Sumikko Gurashi, Snoopy, Ghibli, One Piece, etc. If you continue to walk through the character corridor, they also provide a corridor full of food or culinary ready to be tried.
Ghibli Museum
The fifth day took us to the Ghibli Museum and Inokashira Park. Here, I was fascinated by the beauty of the cherry trees with different colors and bought the famous pink pork buns. We were greeted with a view of Totoro at the ticket counter and a unique building shape with colors that attract attention when seen from afar. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos or videos inside. The journey inside the Ghibli Museum was greeted by a ticket in the form of a film strip from one of the Ghibli film scenes, then entered a room full of how animation works. Where animation in the past still used film strips and paper per layer to describe each scenario. There are so many things we can learn through this Ghibli Museum. As a design student, this experience is very useful for the future if we want to hold an event, the way they interact with visitors, the way they present displays, architectural forms, and provide a playground for children, while parents can sit back and relax waiting for their children and enjoy the food served at the Ghibli cafe, the hearts of young people who are excited to enter the Ghibli Museum, and many more. A ticket in the form of a film strip can also be used to watch short animations provided at the Ghibli Museum, we can also know the process of making each scenario, as well as the techniques and tools used to create scenarios in Ghibli films.
In the afternoon, we explored Shibuya and saw the famous Hachiko Statue and Shibuya Crossing. This experience was very valuable because I could feel the dynamic urban life of Tokyo firsthand. Shibuya is arguably the busiest district in Tokyo, with a complete shopping center from clothes, Disney, make up, gacha, Pop Mart, to large store centers such as Nintendo and Pokemon Center.
The sixth day was one of the highlights of the trip because we visited Wacom Company and met their CEO. We were introduced to a new product that will be launched next month. Which is Wacom Intuos Pro which will be released on March 23, 2025. We were also given access to try and experience Wacom products such as Wacom Movink, Wacom Intuos Pro, Wacom One, and many more with different features and innovations on each tablet or pen tab. It was closed with a group photo in front of Wacom. Next, a visit to Celsys provided insight into the latest Clip Studio Paint feature which is very interesting for VCD students and lecturers. The distance between Wacom and Celsys takes quite a long time, about 15 minutes on foot. In addition to being introduced to the new features, we were also told about the history of Clip Studio Paint and the background of the Celsys name. It was closed with a group photo in front of a very detailed painting with Celsys. The last night in Japan was closed by exploring Shinjuku while enjoying sushi at Sushiro, a famous brand often visited by locals, and Sakura Matcha, a special sakura season variant only found in Japan from Starbucks.
On the last day, we went to Tsukiji Fish Market to taste various Japanese specialties such as matcha ice cream, pure matcha drinks, and tuna sashimi, accompanied by buying Japanese strawberries which are famous for their sweetness. Then we visited TeamLab Planet which allowed us to witness amazing interactive art installations. The concept and theme of TeamLab Planet are divided into three parts, namely the water concept, the garden concept, and the forest concept. Presenting a unique experience in each room, requiring us to use the 5 human senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, minus the taste). We also took selfies in front of the Unicorn Gundam Statue and the imitation Statue of Liberty in Odaiba before enjoying our last lunch there. It was a shame not to be able to see and buy a gundam figure before returning to Surabaya. This trip not only enriched my academic knowledge but also provided an unforgettable cultural experience.
Overall, the KAIKA program was a success and has provided an incredible opportunity for VCD students to learn and grow in an international context. This experience taught us about the importance of design in everyday life as well as the ever-growing technological innovations in Japan. We were able to see how design is practiced in a different culture and gain a better understanding of the global design landscape. I learned how to communicate with people from different cultures and how to work in a team. With the wonderful memories and valuable lessons from this journey, I feel more prepared to face the challenges of the global design world. If you are a VCD student, I encourage you to apply for the next study excursion program. It is a great opportunity to learn about Japanese culture and designs.
終わり – owari
