Day 17: Hostfamily day again

Today we had more time with our hostfamilies! 

Isabella: The girls and I started the morning with karaoke! We sang both anime songs and foreign ones together. Afterwards, we went to the Bonsai museum where we got to write wishes for Tanabata. While waiting for the planetarium to open, we shopped at Animate for a bit. The planetarium was actually my first time seeing it! It was so amazing and surreal, even if all the captions were in Japanese…

Eric: This morning we went to a meeting for an evacuation shelter prep where I got to meet the Mayor of Kasukabe. Then later we went out for Ramen and ice cream then lit sparklers!

Saphira: This morning, we went to the Aeon Lake Town mall and it was HUGE! (!) we didn’t have enough time to go to many stores but I’m happy with what I did get :) afterwards, we got home and my host moms family came over and we had a little party and ate sushi together :3 (Happy)

Lilah: I spent the morning spending time with my host family! We played a competitive game of Jenga and then went to the Lake Town Mall as well, I got a few things. Then afterwards we had a sushi party and they got me an Evie cake and presents! It was so sweet and thoughtful of them to do! Then we went outside and had a fireworks party with Ben, Chai and Kael's host families!

Ben: We first began by going to a cat café! I got to hang out with a bunch of sleepy cats and some tiny kittens! At night, me and my host family along with Kael, Chai, and Lilah’s host families had a little firework party with sparklers!

Txuj Ci: Today, I went to an open-air onsen (hot spring) together with my host family, and I really enjoyed it. When we came back to the house, they surprised me with an early birthday celebration! The cake was very delicious.

Kael: We went to the lake view mall, it was huge. On the way there we stop by a candy shop and had a drink after that we had a big firework/ tacoyaki party with Ben’s and Chai’s and Lilah’s house family.

Jianna: We went on a little road trip and stopped at animate and sunshine city one more time before I leave. I bought tons of gifts for my brother and we bought a Mandalorian model kit for my host sister that had a bunch of pieces. Afterwards we did the puzzle together and it took about an hour and a half to complete.

Chai: I went to a cat Cafe with Ben and my host family daughter to hang out, in which the cats were so cute! For the night, me, Kael, Ben, Lilah, and our host families lit some fireworks for a party!

Mason: We celebrated my Birthday, and all the food was awesome!!! I was a little under the weather so I relaxed the rest of the day.

Day 16: Asakusa and Akihabara

We are in Asakusa and Akihabara area

9-10  Have breakfast at Mr. Donut.

10-4  Free time in Akihabara and Asakusa area

It was pretty rainy today but still fun!

Day 15: Back to Tokyo, Ghibli Museum and Karaoke

We are in Tokyo again

6:30-11:30 Take Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Tokyo
1-2 Walk around Kitchen Street! (かっぱ橋）
3-5 Visit Studio Ghibli (Totoro) museum
6-7 Walk around Sensoji-Temple and take pictures of Tokyo Skytree. 
7-9 Have a party at Izakaya style Restaurant
9-10:30 Sing at Karaoke

Visit at Taiko and Traditional festival Museum

Portable Shrine

Finally Totoro museum. Everyone had a ton of fun! 

We saw a Short film at Museum and our ticket had three real film cels!

No photos are allowed in the museum.

Sensoji (浅草寺, Sensōji, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa.

It is one of Tokyo's most colorful and popular temples.The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple.

Karaoke party!

Day 14 Part 2: Miyajima and Okonomiyaki (Japanese style pancake)

  We are in Hiroshima

1 pm Take a ferry to Miyajima Island. 

2-2:30 Visit Itsukushima-Shrine 

2:30-3:30 Visit Daishyo-in(大聖院）

3:30-5pm  Free time in Miyajima Island 

6-7pm Eat Okonomiyaki!

Miyajima is a sacred island in Hiroshima Bay, famous for the UNESCO World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine and its iconic, vermilion torii gate that appears to float on the water at high tide. Just a short ferry ride from the mainland, it offers wild deer, mountain hikes, and fresh oysters

The island of Itsukushima, in the Seto inland sea, has been a holy place of Shintoism since the earliest times. The first shrine buildings here were probably erected in the 6th century. The present shrine dates from the 12th century and the harmoniously arranged buildings reveal great artistic and technical skill. The shrine plays on the contrasts in colour and form between mountains and sea and illustrates the Japanese concept of scenic beauty, which combines nature and human creativity.

The iconic "floating" Miyajima Torii Gate (O-torii) is the majestic, vermilion-lacquered gateway to Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, Japan. 

Standing 16.6 meters tall and weighing 60 tons, it appears to float on the Seto Inland Sea at high tide and can be walked to during low tide

Daishoin Temple (大聖院) is the oldest and one of the most important Buddhist temples on the holy island of Miyajima (Itsukushima), located just off the coast of Hiroshima. Founded in 806 CE by the monk Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi), the founder of Shingon Buddhism, this sprawling mountain complex sits at the base of Mount Misen. It is famous for its rich imperial history, incredible variety of unique statues, and peaceful spiritual setting.

All of us got the Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki that had bean sprouts, sliced cabbage, pork, and soba noodles in between the egg and flour mixture.

　　                               Restaurant " Henkutsu -ya"