我孫子市国際交流協会

 

This is a report on the bus tour carried out as one of AIRA's annual events.

The bus left the Keyaki plaza, near the south exit of Abiko station, for Tokyo at 08:30am with the all participants on board. Soon after departure, everyone made his/her self-introduction.

The tour made a first stop at the Diet building, where Mr. Fukuyama made precise and detailed explanations on all about the facility and function of the building. He used to work there for longtime.

The followings are what were explained by him concerning the nation's supreme political house.

The height of the central tower is 65 meters, and the House of Councilors and the House of Representatives have exactly same area of 744 metric squares each, whereas the former has 242 and the latter 480 of seats.

The Diet building was constructed in 17 years, during 1920 and 1936.

The House of Representatives locates at the left part and the Upper House at the right side of the building. We looked around the assembly hall of the House of Representatives. All the building materials were those of Japanese products with the exception of the following 3 items: British stained glasses on the ceiling, door keys and mailing posts of USA's. A carving is found at the beam near the seats for the public in the House of Representatives, symbolizing the nation's equalization by abolishing the four-class structure concept in Edo period, namely warrior-farmer-artisan-merchant classes.

After taking lunch at the restaurant in the nearby Diet Members Office Building, everyone enjoyed souvenir-shopping inside the building.

Nejire-mochi, twisted rice cake, is one of the best sellers reflecting the imbalance of power among political parties.

The next stop was the world popular Asakusa. Getting off at the Niten-mon gate, the passengers were freed for 90 minutes. Several small groups took free walk: those paying a visit to the Kannon temple, strolling around the Kaminarimon Nakamise street, walking through the narrow streets yet full of traditional atmosphere of old days, or stepping in the Kappabashi Shopping Street, and so on.

Here at Asakusa, Mr. Okubo, the former AIRA president, joined the tour.

At 3:30pm the tour bus left Asakusa and arrived at Abiko at 4:30 pm without meeting any traffic jams. Notwithstanding the whole day rainfall, everybody was amused by the familiar tour. Thus this year's bus tour ended with much success.

You can find many pictures of the tour by clicking the "Photo Album" of the Main Menu of the AIRA's first page. (vol.129)

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