Japan Day 22 - Church of the Light

Today we had a more relaxed day because everyone was still recovering from the charette. There was only one thing on the schedule to see today- Tadao Ando's Church of the Light. This is one of the buildings I most looked forward to seeing on the trip. I have used this building several times as president studies before so I have looked at pretty intensely and really wanted to see it in person.

It was very much like what I expected it to be. It is very cool space to experience. Probably one the most simple yet elegant churches I've been inside. The way Ando sculpted the light was amazing to see. The concrete made the space feel very cool. The outdoor spaces were also very comfortable because of the concrete still cold from the night before.

Afterward I grabbed a quick dinner because we were going to go part take in the traditional Japanese Tea ceremony. A student club at a Local school put it on for us. The school has 2 tracks, one is more like grad school that teaches traditional Japanese architecture and thin it has a vocational program that teaches traditional Japanese carpentry. They put it on for us in House that school had restored. The tea ceremony is pretty complex with rules like you drink the whole cup of tea in 3 sips. You can read all the details here While tea is still not one of my favorite things it was cool to experience.

Pictures Day 22