Day2 and Day 3Weekend with Hosfamily

Kandis（Sat） I went to Kendo practice, it was really fun! After, we went to Baskin Robbins.

（Sun） Reivi had a test in Kashiwa, so we went shopping there!

(Best) Definitely Kendo! All the Sensei were sooo nice, and taught me some formal etiquette (such as how to sit and bow).

Mallory（Sat） I went with my host family to a hot spring spa, then went to EON mall, watched a movie and then played at an arcade.

（Sun） On Sunday, my entire host family went to karaoke! It was so much fun!(Best)I definitely liked karaoke the best!

Sam

（Sat） On Saturday e went to the aptly-named Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel and went to an event called global family.
（Sun)On Sunday we went to a train museum and ate at a family restaurant and did fireworks at night.

(Best): The best thing we did was global family because I got to interact with many different cultures.

Fallyn

（Sat） Osenbe—We went and made osenbe, it was fun the youngest daughter wasn’t very good but it was so fun it didn’t matter.

（Sun） We went to a piano recital—so much classical music made me tired but I recognized most of the music. It was so nice to just relax and listen to music that reminded me of home. Then we went to get ramen! It was sooo good! I can’t wait to go back. Then we went to a supermarket to get shoes for our elementary school visit—they had everything there!

Matteen:（Sat） we went up to Nikko and stopped at a ramen shop. We also sampled Japanese sweets and went on a suspension bridge. For dinner we had Korean-style grill.

（Sat） we went to Edo Wonderland, a ninja theme park, we also visited Toshogu shrine.

Zach:

Toshogu

(Sat) we went to Nikko National Park, an amazing park with temples and shrines. After that, we went to Yamano restaurant where is on the mountain.

(Sun) We went to Nakagawa aquafic park on amazing aquariun. We waent to a Japanese art gallery. The weekend was an amazing expereince!!!

Alex:

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my hostfamily this weekend. On Saturday I went with my host dad to the school he works at, and I got to watch three activities going on the school. One of the activities I got to watch was a cooking class. The elementary kids were making pasta and cutting various vegetables into the mix. I was really surprised they were allowed to handle the knifes even though there was a supervisor at each station with them. The next activity was a game called Shogi. It’s usually a game played by older me but it’s similar to chess.  

Lastly I want to the gym where the kids were playing paper hockey. It was really interesting because each kid made his or her own stick made out of rolled up paper. They also used a small paper ball.

After I finished my tour of all the activities, I was invited back to eat the pasta that the kids had made. It was surprisingly very delicious. Soon after my host dad and I went back home and I got to watch a Studio Gibiri movie that’s only been released in Japan with English subtitles Later that day I talked a lot with my hostfamily and went shopping.

The next day my hostfamily and I drove two hours north to an area in Japan called Nikko. With my host family my host sister’s friend we went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. It was probably the best Chinese food that I have ever had. We ate ramen, vegetables and various meats.

Next we went to Toshogu temple where a Japanese emperor was buried. It was on top of this small mountain so we had to climb a lot of steps. As we walked up the mossy stairs, I got to enjoy the view of the large tree that surrounded temple.

Toshogu is famous architectural structure called “ The roaring Dragon”. In this shrine for the past emperor there was a large blue dragon panted under the celling. If you clap under the dragon, it will echo throughout the shrine. The we went to a foot only public bath. Here you took off your shoes and soaked your feet in a small pond. The water was really hot but really relaxing.