About aishwarya
Hi! My name is Aishwarya Khanduja and I am a fourth year biomedical science student at the University of Calgary. I am visiting Japan with my friends as part of this group study to learn more about Japanese life and culture. While in Japan, I will be conducting a qualitative field research study investigating the social, cultural, and historical aspects of the Japanese Education System and Mental Health. As a biomed student, I currently conduct neonatal and maternal research revolving around preeclampsia and the HELLP syndrome but I wanted to branch out of mechanism based medical research and delve into cultural and sociological research.
​
Other than research, I am passionate about global health as I serve as Vice President Technology and Media for Canadians for Safe Syrian Healthcare (CSSH), and Vice President Communications and Logistics for Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research (CCGHR).
​
I am also currently interning for a multimedia production house called Humainologie where I am helping creating an art show surrounding empathy and the human condition in June 2018. I also enjoy graphic design, such as designing this website, along with some other websites I have designed such as cssh.care and careermatchalberta.com!
​
I am excited to learn from this trip to Japan and make lifelong memories that I will cherish forever.
​
My favourite flavour of ice cream is chocolate!
​
This is my favourite meme:
Individual Blog Post #2: Cultural and societal aspects of ice cream culture in japan
Published May 13, 11:00AM
Besides enjoying the various flavours of ice cream throughout Japan, one thing I found to be exceptionally different is the availability of ice cream as almost a tourist attraction: from being found at the end of our hike on Mount Hakodate in a secluded location to being available at any convenience store such as Seven Eleven or Lawson’s.
Once you see the ice cream prop, you know you are at a tourist attraction whether you realize it or not. The ice cream prop is almost as visible and attractive in Japan as the McDonalds “M” sign is in North America and Europe.
​
​
An example of the ice cream prop we have seen outside every ice cream store we have been to.
Even at pit stops on our bus tour, we were able to spot ice cream because of this prop!
Another aspect of Japanese ice cream that I noticed is the creativity, not only in terms of its presentation, but even in terms of its flavour. Some of the unique flavours of ice cream that I have tried are especially from MILKISSIMO: sakura, cream cheese, black sesame, melon, arancia rossa, and caramel macchiato.
Other ice cream places seemed to have the standard chocolate and vanilla flavours, with the added what seems like Japan’s signature flavours: matcha, and melon!
Another place we visited was Baskin-Robbins, and while looking for it, a local helped guide us and in the brochure it was referred to as, “31 flavours”. Upon further research, we found that the 31 flavours slogan of Baskin Robbins is the idea that every customer could have a different flavour of every day of any month. Baskin-Robbins is also the largest chain of ice cream and cake specialty shop in the world. It’s 1000th store was actually opened in Japan!
​
​
Another interesting thing I found was that, aside from its seafood, Hokkaido is famous for its cows and their milk! Hence the abundance of ice cream spots! Hokkaido has an abundance of farms (as we say on our train ride from Sapporo to Hakodate). People farm cows because of availability of a year round income.
Milk production was actually nil during the Edo Period in Japan, but began around the Meiji Period. Due to this relatively late blooming of the dairy industry in Japan, there is not enough land for grass-feeding cows to find EXCEPT the northern areas of the country (such as Hokkaido). This explains the abundance of ice cream spots, yet again in Hokkaido (and confirms our personal experiences in Sapporo and Hakodate!)
​
​
[The Hakodate Port part of our group project is discussed further by Alana and Jenny, whereas myself and Amar are focusing on the ice cream part of our group project for JPNS309.]
The ice cream prop we found outside every ice cream store in Japan
The variety of flavours of MILKISSIMO
The creativity of ice cream at Baskin Robbins
Individual Blog Post #3: self reflection and other thoughts
Published May 21, 10:00AM
The two group projects we have done for this group study have been the social impact of ice cream, and history and cultural significance of Port Hakodate, along with the Kanemori Red brick Buildings. I believe that understanding the respective significances of it through this project have been incredibly beneficial to understanding the culture and life in Japan, especially helped us focus on authentic parts of Japanese culture, rather than just the tourist attractions.
I personally found there to be lots to learn just about the culture of Japan, and how Japanese people socially interact with each other, just through ice cream. the fact that there is an ice cream vendor at every corner or at every location, whether that be the busiest or the most quaint has been wonderful to see. Ofcourse the Japanese also offer a wide range of flavours and creativity which adds to the experience.
Learning more about the history of the port, that the kanemori buildings used to be used for trade, and how there used to be a weather station there, has made me appreciate the history and culture of Japan even more. I am thoroughly impressed by how the space has been repurposed into souvenir shops and stores, and other food spots to let the tourists in, while still maintaining its architecture. It displays the perfect blend of history and globalization.
Ultimately, I believe that this project has greatly added to our experience in Japan, specifically Hakodate. Our experience here would not have been as fun if it weren’t for these two projects.
​
Overall, the trip for me has also been wonderful. I have found researching in an immersion setting to greatly add value to this trip, and everything I see and experience is aided with historical value. My favourite part of the trip so far has been seeing the cherry blossoms as that has been a childhood dream of mine ever since I was little. I truly feel blessed to have been able to see the cherry blossoms during bloom.
​
Another amazing opportunity for me was being able to do a project on mental health, a topic I am passionate about, and better yet focus on the education system in Japan, another topic that intrigues me. The best part of this has been being able to interview the principal at Akagawa Junior High School and the opportunity to ask questions to the mental health physician at the banquet. I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity and especially thankful to my wonderful professor, who has been there aiding me every step of the way, from translating for me, to making sure we are safe and I have foo to eat.
​
Ultimately, this trip has been some of the best days of my life.
