Thank you for hostfamily and Goodby Japan!

Mr. Komaki and Takamura helped this trip!

Last picture 2017 Japan Trip

Day 16 & 17, Home stay, Tokyo Skytree, and Akihabara Again

From Hope:

Today we went to Tokyo Skytree. Sadly it was very cloudy outside so we all decided not to go up since we wouldn't be able to see anything.

Our favorite Tokyo Skytree picture!

Serena, James, Savannah, Elise and I all went to the NHK Character shop at the shops at the base of the Skytree and then had lunch together. 

Melon Bread at Tokyo Skytree

Then everyone except for Elise has to work together to find how to get to Akihabara. We all worked together and got there no problem. 

In Akihabara we went to an arcade and I played a taiko game and also won a cute memo pad in one of the claw machines.

From Chai:

Today after separating from the group, my twin and I waited at a nearby Studio Ghibli shop to open. It opened at 10 a.m which was a 20 minutes I think. After looking around the shop we took the train and got lost for about an hour until we were on the right track to getting to Akihabara Electric Town. But, a few times where we missed a train while asking for directions, and then saying the train is leaving only to have the doors close before we could get in the train. After arriving at our destination we bought some stuff and met up with the rest of the group at a later time.

From Ashley:

Spent the day's free time with Natsuko, who was a foreign exchange student in Eau Claire two years ago.

We went to Akihabara and got a bite to eat at a shop she recommended. We had gyudon, beef over rice, and it tasted very good.

Next we went to an arcade and played some games together. We also watched other people who were really good at the games and got out pictures taken. We colored all over them, lol. They had some cool effects and filters.

Then we went to a maid cafe and experienced that. There were about 8 maids and they were all well versed in their jobs. They flattered you and took great interest in anything you said.

We ordered drinks and they made them for you, involving you as well, because you needed to help add the moe. (Mow-eh) She drew a rabbit on Natsuko's matcha tea, and made my beverage similarity to a cocktail, but it wasn't alcoholic. We ordered our moe desserts and were called on stage to take our pictures with the maid of our choice. We just chose our server.

When our desserts came it felt a shame to eat them. They looked so cute!! We dug in anyway and they tasted delicious.

We still had half an hour before we were supposed to meet the group, so we sat down and I showed her the pictures of my trip so far, and talked about all the different places. I didn't remember the names of all the different shrines, but she could name a few.

Elise, Mr. Zurn and Sensei went on the Sumida river cruise. 

We got off the river cruise at Hama-rikyu Garden with a famous, relaxing Japanese garden.

At the garden we saw a pine tree that was over 300 years old! It was planted in 1709. The trunk is on the left in this picture.

Elise and Mr. Zurn enjoyed the Udon (Japanese noodle shop).

Then we all met up again back in Akihabara. Everyone did a great job navigating the trains on their own to get where they wanted!

Day 15 #2, Asakusa kitchenware town, Akihabara

From Elise:

This morning we woke up from our capsule hotel and went out for a quick breakfast at Mister Donut and a convenient store. 

Kitchen-ware town:

After breakfast we went to "America street" where we bought various interesting flavors of Kit-Kats for pretty cheap! They had flavors like wasabi, strawberry cheesecake, sake, and more. 

Ueno, American Street (Ame-cho):

After America street we went to Akihabara which is a busy shopping area in Tokyo. There is a lot of anime items and tax free shops for foreigners that purchase a lot. 

Serena, Savannah, and I shopped around for a while, ate ramen for lunch, and went to an arcade for a while. Serena won two cinnamon roll stuffed animals, now our group is carrying around 4 of them! After the arcade we met up with the group and headed back to the capsule hotel. 

Here we said goodbye to Xai, one of sensei's former students that now lives in Japan and teaches English in a high school near Tokyo. He was really fun to hang out with last night and today, and he informed us about opportunities to come back and live in Japan in the future. 

On the way to the hotel Savannah unfortunately got pooped on by a bird inside the train station...

Back at the capsule hotel we grabbed all of our bags and headed back to Kasukabe to meet up with our host families. We rode a couple trains and finally met back up with our wonderful host families!

Day 15, Videos

We want all students to enjoy time with their #1 host families, so nobody will write the journal yet. 

Until then, please enjoy some pictures and videos!

Day in Hiroshima movie:

Feeding deer at Todai-ji:

Elise trying to lift a heavy thing:

Love Temple at Kyomizudera. Walking with eyes closed between the two Love Stones will show if you will find love eventually.

Meditation at a monastery in Kyoto. The monk will only hit if you request by praying hands. Hope, Chai, and Mr. Zurn all requested.

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, made right in front of us. Very good!

More videos on our Japan Trip 2017 Youtube playlist

Day 14, Back to Tokyo, Ghibli museum, Akihabara

From James:

Today we went to the Studio Ghibli Museum [they made Totoro, Spirited Away, and Kiki's Delivery Service movies, among others]. It had a large variety of things that showcased how much effort went into making an animated film. For example, the animations for eating. They had a wall covered with highly detailed sketches, showing how the food should move while the character is eating it. 

They also had a short film that you could watch in a small theater. It was a story about an old couple who live on a hillside, and the mice that were living in the same house, trying to win a match of sumo.

After we were done with the museum, we went back to Akihabara, and were given free time to walk around and look too see if we wanted anything.

We also met one of Sensei's former students who is now living in Japan. His name is Xai Her.

Later that night, we dropped our stuff off at the capsule hotel, and had a party where we ate and shared our experiences about the trip so far. 

After eating, we went to karaoke, and had a lot of fun singing different songs together.

We saw Tokyo Skytree light up at night from our hostel.

Day 13, Hiroshima, Miyajima

From Serena:

We went to the Hiroshima Peace park first, where we walked around and read different signs, learned about where the bomb was dropped and rang the peace bell, that was to call for the end of nuclear warfare. 

After that, we went into the Hiroshima museum where we learned that about 140,000 people died but only 21,000 were ever registered. We then split into groups and Savannah and I went to read some facts about the war and watched some testimonies about what people experienced that day. It was all very humbling. 

We then ate a early lunch and had Teishoku, which is a big Japanese traditional meal that is set, you don't get to change parts of the meal which was kinda cool. It was all very yummy! 

Then everyone has free time and the majority of us went to the arcade to play games where Hope won a stuffed animal called Cinnamonroll that Sensei carried for a while and later fell in love with. 

Then we took a ferry to Miyajima where we visited the Itsukushima shrine & Daishou-in temple. 

The temple had actually been visited by the Dalai Lama himself so it was cool to see his presence in the temple. 

We saw a couple of sand paintings (mandala) made by the monks. They take weeks to make.

After the temple we had some more free time so Elise, Hope, Savannah and I went to the shrine gate and we actually walked in the Bay next to the huge gate because the tide was low. Elise and I actually went and touched the gate pillars, it was really cool. 

Then we headed back to Hiroshima for Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki which is really famous because you can only get in Hiroshima. It was really good and filling! 

Elise, Hope, Savannah and I finished supper early so we quickly ran to the arcade to win Sensei a Cinnamonroll stuffed animal because she loved Hope's so much. We won the stuffed animal and gave it to her, then made it just in time to catch the bus back to the hostel so we could prepare for our early morning tomorrow.