Kizuna 13 Day 12 Last Day in Japan

Today’s report is from Aiyzha

Today, after breakfast, we brought all our luggage down to the main lobby.

Around 8:30 we walked to the subway station. We took the subway to go see a presentation by an organization called NICE. We found out that this organization manages and send volunteers to different areas affected by the tsunami. We also heard 4 volunteers talk about their experiences while volunteering – what they did, who they met etc.

Looking for this kind of opportunities: 
VFP <http://www.vfp.org/>
SCIus <http://www.sci-ivs.org/> 

After that, we walked back to the hotel and then went to the government building across the street for lunch. We shopped there for a while, but since the restaurant we were supposed to eat at was closed, we walked to a convenience store, got lunch and ate it outside. It was sunny and very nice outside (65 degrees!).  

We returned to the hotel then around 1:15, grabbed all our luggage and got on the bus to go to the airport.

We had an excellent time in Japan! Our next mission is to share what we have seen and learned to Eau Claire Area  School and Community.  Stay tuned for our action plans!

Kizuna 12 Day 11 Sightseeing in Tokyo

Today’s report is by Kai and Mikayla

Today we went to the oldest temple in Tokyo (Sensooji in Asakusa) when we got off the bus it was in the middle of a residential district. We walked a few blocks until we got there. The gate was hidden behind some tall buildings.





Nitemon Gate was built in 1618 and was for the Tokugawa Shogun when they visited the shrine. Everything was huge and beautiful. Passing under the next gate was supposed to purify the soul from the outside world. We went to the washing well and purified again (our months and hands) before entering the temples and offering prayer. After that we walked around and took pictures. Some people threw smoke to make good luck for whichever feature they wafted the smoke at (like their face for looks, their head for intelligence, etc.). Others participated in this thing where you shook a container and got a fortune message. Most people had good luck with that. Some people bought souvenirs and then we got back on the bus around 10:00.





Then we went to the Tokyo Edo Museum. As soon as we got there we watched a video presentation about the exhibits and Edo era in Tokyo and Japan. We walked around the exhibits for about half an hour and stopped by the gift shop for five minutes before hurrying to the bus. Next we went to a restaurant and ate tempura before our next destination.









After that we went to a disaster prevention center at 2:00 and experienced an earthquake simulation, from level four all the way to the real earthquakes that have caused the most damage in Japan’s history. We also went through a burning-building simulation to practice escaping a smoke filled room.




A burning-building simulation




Exhibition of a kitchen after an earthquake





The next destination was the emperor’s palace. We took group pictures and then went to our debriefing session.



We filled out surveys and then organized a quick presentation (given by Nathan, Megan, Sam and Mikayla) that talked about the changes in perspective of Japan, our most valuable lessons learned, and how we can prevent disasters in America.



The presentations were done by 6:30. Dinner was soon after that. It was a long, exhausting day, yet fun!

Kizuna 11 Day 10, Visit American School

Today’s report is from Leah N. and Nathan G.

 

Today we got to sleep in! We didn’t get together until 9:15. Breakfast was on the 43^rd floor of the Keio Plaza Hotel. The view of Tokyo was amazing! We could clearly see the famous Tokyo Sky Tree. Tokyo Sky Tree is a broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower in Sumida, Japan. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010 and reached its full height of 634.0 meters (2,080 ft.) in March 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world.

After breakfast, we had shared our experiences in the Kizuna program. Though our initial expectations for the trip varied, we all agree that we have learned so much. We will never forget what we have witnessed here in Japan.

After a short bus ride, we arrived at the American School in Japan. We were surprised to be greeted by students wearing street clothes instead of uniforms. The school is completely American, with classes in English, a football team, and graduation in June. The school has amazing facilities and really good food. 

Mr. Isao Tsujimoto

In the auditorium, the students introduced an exhibition they called “The voice of Japan”. The exhibit featured photographs take by students of the disaster and recovery that has taken place in the Tohoku region. As well as photos, the exhibit features poems called tanka, written by Japanese people affected by the tsunami.

"I'm home," I cry

as I enter

the empty house --

my voice responding

to the familiar smells

-- Keiko Hangui, Fukushima  May 2011

The Isao Tsujimoto Studio for Cultural Exchange states that a haiku offers a moment of inspiration. But a tanka is like a sight. People in Japan write tanka when they love, mourn and even when they are facing death, as if making a deep sight to express an emotion from with in the hear. The gallery of poems and pictures was displayed in New York City for one month. After we viewed the exhibit, we went on a tour of campus. We can tell that it’s a very nice institution based in Japan with an international focus.

Today’s supper is at Italian restaurant called “LaPausa”. We had pizza, pasta and salad. It was very good!

Kizuna 10 Day 9 Sayonara Hostfamily

Continuing our homestay report!

Raymond: Last night I spent my last night with my host family. I met my host cousin, Natsuki. My host mother made Okonomiyaki for us and I got a great lesson in Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana. I really enjoyed my stay with my host family and I hope that I can find someway to stay in contact with them.

Nathan B: My host family and I went to the Cyber dyne studio in the lies mail in Tsukuba. There my host brother Yu and I were allowed to try the Hal robot, an exoskeleton that is designed to help people who are paralyzed.

Nathan G: We went to Karate. It was very hard. After Karate we went to the Japanese equivalent of Wal-Mart. At the store we got mocha, green teen leaves, some books and a video game. It was very fun.

Mikala: Host family watched me draw a few pictures like I was a performer. It was weird. And they let me make Mac and Chees along with Shabu Shabu and we had sushi and Cake!

Samuel: My Japanese host family took me to イオン( popular shopping center) for Ramen. The also all shared a little of their food such as cold udon and warm tempura. They were all so wonderful!! As we were leaving they treated me to a strawberry doughnut at Mr. Donut. I am going to miss them.

Aizah: The experiences of homestay were amazing!! At school in class we made miso soup and Onigiri. After school, my host sister, host Mom and I went shopping. We spent over 2 hours shopping in the mall. We even went to Starbucks! When we got home I made Mac & cheese for my host family. For dinner we had sushi, miso soup, and salad. Finally after dinner I tried on my hostmom’s coming-of-age day kimono. It was very pretty and since it was one of things I really wanted to do, it was the highlight of my night.

Sydney: We went to tempura restaurant. So GOOD! I talked a lot with my host family and learned a lot. Also I enjoyed going to class with my host sister. The teachers were very super nice and I actually understood what they were doing in math.

Owen: My host family was so nice and I miss them so much already. The first night, we went to conveyor-belt sushi place and then I played GO (the board game) with my host brother. I had an awesome time at school with my brother.

Victor: I love my host family. The first day was a bit different for my host family and myself. But that night I gave them the present I brought from Wisconsin, after that host mom, host brother and I talked until midnight. The next night my host family returned the favor and gave me a care package of Japanese treats.

Samantha: I love my hostfamily and miss them more than anything. We bonded emotionally a lot. They love my vast amount of gifts and they scrounged more items to give me the next few days. I am very thankful to have met them and can’t wait to visit them in the future. They will forever be in my heart.

Grant: My hostfamily is best. They showed me around their house. I was surprised that they have a huge manga collection. We talked about Japanese anime and manga most of the day, and they understood most of my English, they were so nice and gave me some of their manga collection. I will miss my host family a lot. I will never forget them!

We got back to Tokyo in the evening and had supper at a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo Tower building:

The Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo. At 333 metres (1,093 ft), it is the second-tallest artifical structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower -inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.

Built in 1958, the tower's main sources of revenue are tourism and antenna leasing. Over 150 million people have visited the tower since its opening.