The later half of the week has seen us involved in some very authentic cultural experiences with the 10th anniversary of the Tokyo Australia Program, and I’ve taken a trip down to Osaka to catch up with family. We were privileged to be a part of the TAP program, and got the chance to attend a Japanese formal event, which was different from something that we might see in Australia. With my trip to Osaka, we got to go out for dinner with a Japanese friend who shared with us some elements of his culture, and some differences in Osaka.
This week challenged and surprised me as people shared cultural things with me which I thought would be very private. I think by showing an eagerness and willingness to learn more about the culture & history has encouraged locals to be more open with sharing with us. Hopefully I can return the favor in Australia!
TAP 10th Anniversary #
On Friday the 28th, we visited the cerulean tower hotel for the 10th Anniversary dinner of the Tokyo Australia Program, run by TCU, Murdoch, and Edith Cowan. The event was extremely important to the universities, with Uni executives and Australian & Japanese diplomats attending.
It gave us the opportunity to experience a formal Japanese event, allowing me to experience things that I haven’t seen in this, or my previous trips to Japan. It included Japanese cultural formalities, like opening of the sake barrels and traditional toasts, as well as speeches from TCU & Tokyu executives. It was great to see the importance that TCU places on their students becoming international people, and integrating with other cultures, similar to what we’re trying to do with this trip.
Osaka #
Over the weekend, I took the Shinkansen down to Osaka to spend some time with my family. Saturday night, we went for dinner with some Japanese friends to have kushikatsu, deep fried skewers that are native to Osaka.
Visiting Osaka has made me realize how different areas of Japan can feel like different countries, with their own cultural elements and customs. The area of Osaka that we stayed in also had a completely different feel from where I’ve been staying in Tokyo, so it felt like a complete change, which was nice at this stage in the trip.
Industry Applications #
It was tricky to draw a connection between my experiences and industry over the last few days, but something that is always prevalent in cyber is the need for the sharing of information and techniques. Cyber security involves the protection of everyones information, which means people should be open to share information and techniques across the industry.
This is often encouraged by Government intelligence departments, but people often hide things for financial gain. Company Intellectual Property is important, but so is ensuring that we’re a united front against major cyber threats to our private data.
