Summer, the Pursuit of Culture
It seems that the intense summer heat is still lingering around the world.
As I look out the window at the blazing sunshine while feeling the cool air from the air conditioner, I write these words.
Two months ago, when I traveled to Europe, I felt frustrated that I couldn’t fully explain Japanese culture in conversations with locals. That experience inspired me to start visiting various historical sites in Tokyo.
Among the places I’ve recently visited—the Imperial Palace, the Akasaka Palace, and Buaiso—I’d like to share my impressions of the National Diet Building.
Located just a three-minute walk from Nagatacho Station, the National Diet Building is divided into two wings—the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors—with the central tower standing between them.
After passing through a security check, visitors wait in a bright underground lobby filled with natural light until the tour begins.
In the group I joined, most of the visitors were foreign tourists: about 50% from China, 25% Japanese, and 5% Westerners.
Since this was my very first visit, I was struck by how many foreign tourists—large or small—show an interest in Japanese politics. Among the Japanese participants, there were even three-generation families, grandparents bringing their grandchildren during summer vacation as a cultural learning experience.
What surprised me further was that the tour guide was actually a security officer.
Since parliament is not in session during summer, our group sat in the chamber of the House of Councillors, where the officer explained the history of the building from its construction to the present day, weaving in his own experiences working in security at the Diet.
During the Q&A session, the Chinese visitors were the most active.
They asked a wide range of questions—from simple ones already answered in the pamphlet to highly specialized ones—switching between English and fluent Japanese with advanced political terminology.
When it became clear that the security officer didn’t understand English, they didn’t hesitate to pull out translation apps and keep asking. More than the content of their questions, I was impressed by their determination to express themselves.
After the tour, a Chinese student studying law, who had asked me to help interpret his question in English, came to thank me. His choice to include a visit to the Diet Building as part of his Tokyo trip left a strong impression on me.
Built in 1936, the Diet Building’s Western-style grandeur recalls Japan’s old slogan: “Catch up with and surpass the West.”
Although I’ve long studied Japanese history through books and documentaries (NHK’s The Century in Moving Images: Butterfly Effect is my favorite), actually standing there deepened my understanding many times over.
Next summer, I hope to attend a summer school program at a university in the Netherlands. While my focus will be on practical subjects such as social psychology and branding, I also want to be able to confidently share about Japan—and about myself—within a diverse, international community of learners.
Chinatsu Sakamoto
