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私は日本政府を訪問

私は日本政府を訪問 : I Visited the Japanese Government

The Prime Minister's Residence across the street from the National Diet Building. When I was here, the police stopped pedestrians from crossing in front of the front gate so three black cars could exit. The center car featured a closed curtain in the back window...

Order Prints

Japan

The back of the National Diet Building, house of the Japanese National Parliament.

The government was nice enough to give me a special tour of the building, including the chance to sit in the House of Councillors, the upper house. The guards were nice enough to ask if I spoke Japanese and warned that there were no English-speaking guides available at the time. Well, it was like the only time I'd be there, so I didn't mind. The group was quickly split into those who spoke Japanese and those who spoke English (me, a Chinese university student returning from the US, and an American couple of Japanese descent) and everyone sat in the gallery looking into the House of Councillors' Chamber. We then sat through a 30 minute audio presentation talking about the building and the government. The Chinese student at one point noted that it didn't feel like the Japanese Parliament because all the writing was in Chinese.

I personally think it's cool to visit these places that have changed the world and continue to do so.