smwjapan2017-blog

[smwjapan2017-blog]

12-13-17  Returning

We left Narita International Airport around noon and arrived back at O’Hare Airport around dawn the same day.  As we began our descent, the plane looped around downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan.

Words cannot express what an amazing and unforgettable experience this trip was.  I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to go.  I can’t wait to discover more of Japan in the future.  Thank you to my professors, all of my fellow students, and everyone who supported me.

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12-12-17  Shibuya

For our last night, we ate dinner together as a group at an upscale Italian restaurant in Shibuya.  Shibuya is one of the most well-known districts in Tokyo.  It is known for fashion, especially the famous Shibuya 109, the statue of Hachiko who was a celebrated dog, and the Shibuya crossing where thousands of people cross the street at a time. 

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12-12-17  Exploring Tokyo

Trying out a kotatsu with Aric, Ross and Meghan.  A kotatsu is a low table with a heater built underneath the top and blankets on the sides.  It was awesome!

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12-11-17  The Railway Museum

The Railway Museum was a very interesting place.  We learned a lot about how Japanese trains work and how the Japanese railway system developed.  Their collection included the first train ever brought to Japan and the first shinkansen.  We got to watch a model railway show on a huge track, as well as test our driving skills with a train simulator.  

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12-11-17  Omiya Bonsai Art Museum

One of my favorite places that we visited was the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum near Tokyo.  It had many different varieties of trees and shapes, all of which were very interesting and beautiful.  I definitely learned a lot about bonsai.

The bonsai in the first picture is named Todoroki and has been alive since the Heian period (794-1185). 

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12-11-17  On the Train to Tokyo

On our way back to Tokyo we saw some great views of Mount Fuji from the train.

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12-10-17  Kyoto Station

The giant Christmas tree at Kyoto Station played Christmas music and the stairs where people were sitting created a screen with moving pictures.

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12-10-17  Fushimi Inari Shrine

A group of us walked all the way to the top of the mountain, which was several hours of nothing but stairs.  The views were great, but my feet were never the same...

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12-10-17  Fushimi Inari Shrine

Another famous temple in Kyoto, Fushimi Inari Shrine is known for its thousands of tori gates.  It is protected by statues of fox spirits.  

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12-10-2017  Kiyomizu-dera

Kyoto is known for having many temples and Kiyomizu-dera is one of its most famous.  At Kiyomizu-dera there is a stone, called a love stone, which many people believe can bring good luck in love.

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12-10-17  Ryōanji

Ryōanji is probably the most famous rock garden in the world.    

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12-10-17  Kinkakuji

Also known as the Golden Pavilion, Kinkakuji is famous as one of the most beautiful temples in Kyoto.  

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12-9-17 Kyoto

After arriving in Kyoto, we spent time wandering around various sites, including a forest of bamboo.

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12-9-17  Making Mochi

The next morning, after another huge meal with our host family, we met up with the group and all took turns making mochi.  To make it, we pounded a particular type of rice with a large hammer until it became a delicious, sticky substance.  Our host families prepared a sweet red bean soup and put our mochi in it for us to eat. It was probably my favorite thing that I ate during the trip.

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12-8-17  Home Visit

We (Audrey, Hailey and me) got to stay the night with a local family.  They had a beautiful home and were one of the nicest families I’ve ever met.  They fed us a huge, delicious meal with ingredients they grew on their farm, including rice, fruits and vegetables.  Only one of the family members knew a little English, and I was the only student who knew Japanese, so I had to put my language skills to the test.  We slept on futons on the floor in a traditional Japanese-style room.  It was really comfy.  I can’t say enough good things about my experience.

Thanks to Hailey for some of these great pictures.

[smwjapan2017-blog]

12-8-17  Amano no Sato 

During our tour around town, we walked past many rice fields and took in the beautiful landscape.  We were shown around a greenhouse and allowed to pick the imperfect roses

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12-8-17  Home Stay at Amano no Sato

While they were showing us around the town, we were able to watch part of the process of a katana, or Japanese sword, being made.  During the sword-making process, a local news crew came and filmed us for the local news.