Emily just finished her third year Japanese class. She's getting pretty good at this challenging language, and is curious to learn more about the culture. An opportunity arose for her to travel to Japan on an educational trip as a homestay student. We jumped at the chance.
Thus, a few days after school ended, Emily, along with 40 other students from the Portland metro area, left for a two week trip to Japan.
They flew into Tokyo, stayed overnight at hostel, and had part of a day to see some sights close by.
Emily and some of her new friends visited Senso-ji temple in the heart of the city.
Later, a quick ride on the bullet train took them to their first destination, Ogaki City. There, she stayed with Yoko-san. Because Yoko-san lives alone, she had room in her home for two students, so Mackenzie was Emily's roommate for this leg of her trip.
Yoko-san has hosted many homestay students in the past, and was great at giving them a taste of Japan's traditions, from formal tea ceremonies and kimono to the proper way to use chopsticks.
While in Ogaki, the group met the mayor, visited an elementary school, went to a fossil museum, and attended an American Seminar given by the group that hosted these students.
They were even featured in the newspaper!
http://www.city.ogaki.lg.jp/0000018684.html
They visited a shrine just outside the city.
They also took side trips to Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Miyajima.
In Kyoto, they saw the Golden Pavilion, covered entirely in gold leaf.
The visit to Miyajima included a famously photographed Torii that becomes surrounded by water at high tide, and deer so friendly they walk right up to you.
After a week in Ogaki, Emily's group once again boarded the Shinkansen for Kumamoto, where she stayed with a young family. Ayako, her husband Takumi, and 4-year old Akari gave her a view of the more modern Japanese family.
In Kumamto, the group visited a middle/high school. They really liked Emily! Everyone wanted to get their pictures taken with her!
Ayako entertained her by taking her to nearby Aso Mountain, the largest active volcano in Japan.
They also visited Kumamoto castle, where Emily had her picture taken with a samurai!
Four busy days later, Emily met the group for their return to Tokyo, where they stayed at the same hostel as before. They would spend their last 2-3 days wandering around Tokyo on their own. Emily loved shopping in Japan, especially in Harajuku. She fell in love with Japanese fashion and brought home clothes as souvenirs.
Other highlights included the electronics district, Akihabara, an evening of karoake, and a visit to the zoo.
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Thus, a few days after school ended, Emily, along with 40 other students from the Portland metro area, left for a two week trip to Japan.
They flew into Tokyo, stayed overnight at hostel, and had part of a day to see some sights close by.
Emily and some of her new friends visited Senso-ji temple in the heart of the city.
Later, a quick ride on the bullet train took them to their first destination, Ogaki City. There, she stayed with Yoko-san. Because Yoko-san lives alone, she had room in her home for two students, so Mackenzie was Emily's roommate for this leg of her trip.
Yoko-san has hosted many homestay students in the past, and was great at giving them a taste of Japan's traditions, from formal tea ceremonies and kimono to the proper way to use chopsticks.
While in Ogaki, the group met the mayor, visited an elementary school, went to a fossil museum, and attended an American Seminar given by the group that hosted these students.
They were even featured in the newspaper!
http://www.city.ogaki.lg.jp/0000018684.html
They visited a shrine just outside the city.
They also took side trips to Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Miyajima.
In Kyoto, they saw the Golden Pavilion, covered entirely in gold leaf.
The visit to Miyajima included a famously photographed Torii that becomes surrounded by water at high tide, and deer so friendly they walk right up to you.
After a week in Ogaki, Emily's group once again boarded the Shinkansen for Kumamoto, where she stayed with a young family. Ayako, her husband Takumi, and 4-year old Akari gave her a view of the more modern Japanese family.
In Kumamto, the group visited a middle/high school. They really liked Emily! Everyone wanted to get their pictures taken with her!
Ayako entertained her by taking her to nearby Aso Mountain, the largest active volcano in Japan.
They also visited Kumamoto castle, where Emily had her picture taken with a samurai!
Four busy days later, Emily met the group for their return to Tokyo, where they stayed at the same hostel as before. They would spend their last 2-3 days wandering around Tokyo on their own. Emily loved shopping in Japan, especially in Harajuku. She fell in love with Japanese fashion and brought home clothes as souvenirs.
Other highlights included the electronics district, Akihabara, an evening of karoake, and a visit to the zoo.
Her last evening there, she met our former exchange students, Mako and Nao, and their mothers. They treated Emily to dinner at a restaurant atop a high rise hotel with a lovely view of Tokyo.
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Always an adventurous eater, Emily enjoyed trying all the new foods she encountered. She was especially excited to tell us about her first traditional Japanese breakfast, prepared byYoko-san: baked salmon, miso soup, and rice with raw egg and seaweed.
One restaurant offered "cook your own" yakisoba and okonomiyaki, a vegetable, egg, and cabbage pancake with fish flakes on top.
A trip like this forms friends fast; shared experiences will do that. In fact, it was hard to get Emily to leave the airport when we picked her up. She admitted on the way home that it was hard for her to leave Japan. She had a great time and wanted to stay longer!
We're so grateful to everyone who made Emily's trip to Japan such a positive experience. Her host families took such loving care of her, and she was thrilled to get to see Mako and Nao again and meet their mothers. Emily has memories to last a lifetime. And, I hope, learned a little more about Japan along the way.
