Out of Office: Exploring Japan with Citizen Watch Company
This article details a press trip organized by Citizen Watch Company, focusing on cultural experiences in Japan alongside insights into the brand's Eco-Drive technology. The trip coincided with cherry blossom season, highlighting visits to Shinjuku Gyoen Garden and Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, a cruise on Tokyo Bay, and a Kintsugi pottery repair class in the countryside. The author connects these experiences to Japanese aesthetics and values, suggesting they authentically influence Japanese watchmaking.
The press trip coincided with Japan's cherry blossom season, a brief period noted for its beauty and impermanence, which the author links to time and Japanese watchmaking aesthetics.
Key cultural sites visited included the Shinjuku Gyoen Garden, an urban oasis with over 900 cherry blossom trees, and the Meiji Shrine in Shibuya, dedicated to the Emperor and Empress who modernized Japan.
The author experienced a cruise on Tokyo Bay with Mikawaya Yakatabune, a historic boat operator preserving Edo-period hospitality and cuisine.
A culinary highlight was the Japanese 7-Eleven, praised for its high-quality offerings like egg salad sandwiches, strawberry cruellers, and onigiri.
Outside Tokyo, participants took a bullet train to learn the traditional Japanese art of Kintsugi, repairing broken pottery with lacquer and gold.
The author's Kintsugi piece was an Edo Period pottery shard (1615-1868) depicting cherry blossoms and arrows, symbolizing beauty and determination.