Our last few days in Japan were very hectic, traveling from Hiroshima to Tokyo for one short night, then down to Fukushima for a night, then back to Tokyo for the last two nights. Exhausted, we hopped on and off of trains and buses, experiencing some highpoints,as well as some lowpoints along the way. Tokyo:…

“Peace Begins with You”- Just one of the many insightful and inspiring quotes that Mr. Ito, an Atomic Bomb survivor shared with us on our last night in Hiroshima. As I mentioned in an earlier post, our time in Hiroshima was undoubtedly a highlight of the trip. The Peace Memorial Park is a surprisingly beautiful…

Our two days in Hiroshima have been full with the most emotionally charged and powerful moments of the trip. Spending both nights with two different survivors of the Atomic Bomb; Mr. Lee and Mr. Ito respectively, and visiting the Jogakuin school which specializes in peace education and human rights, are undubitably the highlights of my…

“English is Delicous” is just one of the many phrases my host dad used to explain things in Wakayama. With warnings of a Typhoon approaching, we were all a little concerned about upcoming homestays in Wakayama prefecture, in Arita city. When we arrived however, and were greeted by the warmth and friendlines that seems to…

In addition to numerous temples and shrines, Kyoto is also home to some of the most interesting nightlife, which for us, included some Karaoke and Geisha hunting. The Gion district, filled with micro bars and little restaurants, provides a good example of Japanese social life. Like traditional Japanese houses, many restuarants have small rooms with…

Kyoto, which literally means “capital”, is one of the few cities that was not bombed during World War II due to its historic, religious, and cultural significance. From 794 to 1868, Kyoto served as the ancient capital of Japan, and was originally called Heiankyo, which meant “Capital of Peace.” This important city was not only…

As mentioned in my earlier post, getting up at 3am, traveling by train for a few hours, then meeting our host families who we would be going with for the next three days, was an exhausting experience, but well worth it. When we arrived in Obu, we were greeted at the train station by representatives…

I am finishing up my homestay in Obu this morning, and although I was a little anxious about the experience at first, the last two days have been absolutely amazing with my host family; I will be sad to leave them in a few hours. But first, let me back track to our last two…

“In a time, in place, in world they forgot…” Well, not really, but anytime I can start a post quoting Bon Jovi I will. I'm traveling through Japan for a few weeks this summer as part of the Japan Society's study tour for educators. We arrived in Tokyo two nights ago, and so far, I'm…