Day 22

Another day of Avi and I doing different things in Tokyo

I began my day on Kappabashi street - a street selling goods for kitchens and restaurants which had a great selection of ceramics as well

I had called my Father that morning asking for suggestions on what to do and he recommended museums

The first museum I visited was the Nezu museum which had interesting artwork and sculptures from centuries ago and a great outdoor garden

I wrote something quickly on my phone as I was walking around the garden and thought I’d put it here in the blog:

This being a graduation trip, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’m going to go out and do in the world. The scope of that wasn’t lost on me, but it has definitely expanded over the past few weeks.

Before we left, I was in the middle of reading Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson. One of the famous jobs quotes, which I’m fond of is that the people who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world are the ones who actually do. I think I am crazy enough but its hard to comprehend just how broad the world is

Over the past few weeks, we’ve traveled to Thailand, Japan, and will soon be heading to Vietnam. We’ve seen all different types of cultures, religions, beliefs, architecture, art, and the breadth of the world and its inhabitants is making an impression on me.

The scope of the world and the amount of people, cultures, and individual stories happening all around the world has been re-drawn for me. There’s a Halacha that states that the way to give tzedakah is first your own family, then your community and your city then your country, etc. I think this applies also to impact. It must begin with the individual

You have to be crazy to think you can change the entire world. there’s a Gemara that says that saving the life of one person is as if you save an entire world. This is how I’ve reframed my scope of changing the world. You can’t start with the entire world. You start by changing yourself Then make an impact on your family, on your community, and your people, on your town, etc. changing the world doesn’t happen overnight. It happens in gradations. Through time, experience, and most of all an exposure to all parts of the world

I’m thinking now about the scope of the world and I’m excited that I’m going into a job that gives me access to all different types of people and companies around the world. I think to become someone that impacts the world you have to be familiar with those common threads that unite all of humanity. This trip has been eye-opening for that

I then walked to the Kyu Asakura house museum - a perfectly preserved Japanese home from the 19th century

I loved walking through the streets of Tokyo. I honestly feel like I traversed all of Tokyo during my time there. I checked the health app and averaged 20,000 steps and around 12 miles of walking each day

Avi and I met up later that night to go to Golden Gai