Photo Album Japan Trip 2018

Japan Trip 2018 Photo Album link. 500 pictures in Total! Please take a look <https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPq3hVMxangS6ZwxyZls8QAniz3I_r08f2gVe5pAOuM-2r0gTzO35m_Duve5MgVVQ?key=ZkVVUC1oeUV0NFA1ZWZVU256WE1NN0ZGMFM2UVVB> 

Last Day in Japan: 2018

Together with our Showa District hostfamily! Thank you very much for having us!

   

Nagai sensei's speech for 2018 Japan Trip. Despite the earthquake interruptions last week, we had a great time for our last few days in Japan! The weather cooperated as well.

Thank you to all of our host-families! 

Day 16 & 17: Home stay, Tokyo Skytree, and Akihabara again

Journal by Damaris

Yesterday we had a whole day with our host families.

Today we met up and went to Tokyo Skytree. 

Payton, Chenoa, Calvin, Clay, Isabel and I (Damaris) went all the way to the top of the Skytree (430m). The view was very nice.

Damaris: I went to many anime shops and played in a couple of arcades.

Luna: I was Jocelyn, Chenoa, Payton and Fynn in the morning. We stayed on the Tokyo SkyTree area for awhile the went to Shibuya to look for clothes and spent lots of money. After wards Fynn and I split off and did our own thing.

Payton/Chenoa/Jocelyn: After splitting off we spent time in akihabara at the arcades.

Clay/Calvin: Went to Akihabara, Shinjuku and Shibuya

Patience/Cassandra : We did gatcha-gotcha machines, arcades, and went to bookoff.

Isabel: After getting off the Skytree I went up again to look at the Infinity War exhibit and then went to Akihabara where I spent the rest of my time.

Day 15: Asakusa kitchenware town, Akihabara

Journal from Patience:

In the morning we all left the Samurai Capsule Hotel and walked to the nearby Mister Donuts and all had breakfast together. 

We all went on a walk through kitchen street all together and looked at food displays, traditional drums, and mikoshi.

In the afternoon Luna, Fynn, Jocelyn, Payton, Chenoa, and myself followed sensei through American street which consisted of lots of markets and department stalls. While Isabel, Damaris, Cassie, Clay, and Calvin made their way to Akihabara and we met up with them about an hour later.

Many people spent their time at various arcades and character shops but these are some of their experiences.

Patience: I spent much of my time scouting for anime merchandise that was decently popular in America, it was kind of difficult because lots of the shows I had an eye out for, were older or they just weren't popular here in Japan.

Luna & Fynn: We spent out time going to five different arcades just looking around and playing gacha-gacha machines. We also tried to find a few Taika games but they were too expensive so we played a different game that was similar to Tempest Atari.

Clay: Followed around Damaris and Cassie to Yodobashi and bought a couple car sets. I also spent ¥1500 on an arcade UFO Catcher crane that I didn't win. However I did play some gacha-gacha.

Chenoa & Payton: Jumped around a lot of the arcades and played lots of UFO Catcher and then went to the convenience store.

Jocelyn: Went to the arcade with Chenoa and Payton. I won a dog plushie and tried to find the rest of the group. We couldn't find them so we grabbed lunch instead at a convenience store and I had onigiri. After we all met up at the station and ate together.

Isabel: Went to the Gundam Café and then went shopping around Akihabara with a couple friends I met up with from the states.

Damaris: Went to Yodobashi Camera store and visited numerous arcades where I won a large penguin plushie on my first try.

Calvin: Went to the Nikon museum! 

Day 14: Back to Tokyo, Ghibli museum, Akihabara

Journal from Cassandra:

We got up at 5 am and left Hana Hostel in Hiroshima for the Shinkansen train making our way back to Tokyo. 

It was a long 6 hour ride but a good one since we got to relax and sleep. 

Mt. Fuji from Bullet Train

Mt. Fuji barely visible from Bullet Train

After arriving we dropped off our bags at the Samurai capsule hotel for tonight, then we traveled to the Ghibli museum by railway and bus, on our own!

Clay: thought the museum was pretty and enjoyed the art style

Patience: found it fascinating especially the food exhibit

Chenoa: thought it was really cute and creative

Damaris: Great fun and cute also had a good time

Luna & Fynn: liked the video with the bugs and thought the wasp was scary

Jocelyn: favorite part was seeing the movie process and how it’s put together

Later we had a big meal at an izakaya restaurant, paid for by Nagai-sensei and Mr. Zurn. (Big thanks to them!) 

Japanese guys wanted to be our friends!

We also reflected on our trip and talked about our experiences so far. 

Then we had a fun time singing karaoke together for about 2 hours.

Day 13: Hiroshima, Miyajima, Daishō-in, Okonomiyaki

Journal by Clay

In the morning, we went to the Hiroshima Peace Park to take a look at the monuments and the A-Bomb Dome. We also went to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to learn more on what happened on August 6th 1945. 

Payton thought the experience was very sad but also very informative. Luna said that she liked the origami peace cranes in the museum that she saw. Patience said she was surprised by the clothing stained by the black rain displayed in the museum. "I'm surprised no one wanted to stay inside".

Calvin was able to witness the damage firsthand inflicted by nuclear weapons and Isabel said the experience was very solemn and gave her time to reflect. Damaris thought the experience was eye-opening and very sad. Cassie thought the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was very emotional and she almost witnessed Clay tear up during a video testimony from one of the victims of the A-bomb.

Jocelyn thought the experience was interesting, different and educational. "The peace park was beautiful but also sad." Chenoa thought the experience was very nice. Her favorite part was getting to observe the clothing artifacts preserved in the museum. Clay thought the experience was sad but also educational. "Its amazing to see how much the city of Hiroshima strives for peace. But its sad to hear about all the lives lost on August 6th 1945". Fynn thought that the experience was pretty somber but liked the fact that the park's focus is to keep moving forward. The museum he thought was a little much and went quickly through the museum. 

We bumped into Kyoko French's tour group from Minneapolis!

After the peace park and museum, we all went to a really nice restaurant to sit down and have lunch.  

After lunch, we took a ferry to Miyajima to visit Itsukushima Shrine and take a look at O-torii Gate. 

Soon after that, we climbed up a hill to explore the Daishō-in Temple which had plenty of activities for all of us to do. 

Cassie said she was surrounded by deer that wanted to eat her ice cream. Damaris said the view was amazing and she got to take a lot of pictures of the owls at the owl cafe and the deer that live on the island. Calvin thought Miyajima Misen was very relaxing and peaceful. He also was also able to visit the owl cafe. Isabel said the temples were very beautiful and she got to visit the pagoda with Damaris. 

Jocelyn said the island was very beautiful. There were a lot of things to see and she really liked the hats on the Jizo statues in the Daishō-in temple. Payton and Chenoa both said they stuck together and wandered around the island going in and out of shops. 

Luna said she got lost in Miyajima with Darryl and they got to eat oysters prepared right in front of them. Fynn thought the ferry ride to and from the island was really relaxing and peaceful. He also enjoyed the temple activities and the tranquility of the island.

Luna's Oyster shell

Clay said that he wandered around Miyajima looking for ice cream. When he finally found some ice cream, 2 deer were trying to eat his cone along with Darryl's and Cassie's cones. Patience said she spent most of her time heading back to the station. Along the way, she stopped by a store and bought Momiji Manju which is a pastry that is shaped like a maple leaf. She also got to spend some time at the owl cafe.

Deer jumping for Clay's ice cream at far left

After we took a ferry back to Hiroshima, we all went out to dinner and ate Okonomiyaki. Most people shared them but some had the entire Okonomiyaki which can be pretty big.