Daniel

JUNE 15

I'm really excited (and really nervous) for the trip! It's no exaggeration to say I've been waiting my entire life for a trip like this: I've wanted to learn Japanese and go to Japan ever since my older brothers took Mr. Van Krey's class back when I was in second grade. I've always been interested by Japanese culture and history: I spent at least a solid month of fourth grade researching Japanese holidays for a project. To be given a chance to fully immerse myself in this culture for a full two weeks is... amazing. I'm not gonna lie, I'm really scared. I'm going off to a place with a different culture, a different language, and it's going to be a major shock at first. I've prepped myself the best I can over the last three years, and I feel ready. Bring it on!

JUNE 18

The plane ride doesn't feel like it was only two days ago; more like two years. It's only been about a day, and we've already seen so much.

First and foremost, the plane ride was a slow and excrutiating kind of torture, seeing as I had a window seat and thus couldn't stand up or go to the bathroom for 12 hours. We landed and made it through customs feeling sore and tired, but none the worst for wear. The Tokyo Central Youth Hostel has proven to be an excellent place to stay, with free wifi, a traditional bath, and good food. One night of sleeping like the dead, and we were ready to hit the town.

Our first stop in Tokyo was the Meiji Shrine, which I did my site report on. The shrine is a traditional Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji, utilizing traditional architecture and natural beauty to produce a truly breathtaking destination. There was even a healthy crop of iris flowers on display.  Expect to see plenty of pictures of this site.

Next up was Harajuku, a street with major ties to Japanese fashion and shopping. Now, if I was to describe Harajuku in two words, I'd use the words "sensory overload." Walking through there is like getting punched in the eyes by a rainbow. Colorful storefronts showing off the latest in brightly colored and extremely detailed clothing line the street. Picture a boardwalk full of kiosks designed by Tim Burton, and you get the idea. There was some cool stuff, but nothing particularly grabbed me.

From there, we stopped at Shibuya station to visit the statue of Hachiko. Hachiko was a dog whose master took the train into the city every day. When his master passed away without returning, Hachiko waited for him at the station for ten years. A statue is still at the station to commemorate him. I'd heard the story of Hachiko years ago, so it was cool to visit.

Asakusa shrine was our second to last stop. The traditional shrine houses a massive lantern, which was a real trip. There were also a lot of tourist-y shops, selling everything from kimonos to swords. Actual swords.

Finally, on a whim, we decided to your through Akibahara, a major technology center. There were a lot of pictures of anime characters on buildings and signs, suggesting that a lot of broadcasting and animation occurred here. We were all too tired to do much of anything here, so we didn't see much before heading back to the hostel.

JUNE 21

I can't even keep track of everything that's happened anymore: Tokyo feels like a blur of temples, buildings, and trains. Mostly trains.

Our last few stops in Tokyo included Ueno Park, namely its national museum and zoo. The museum housed numerous artifacts, like wall hangings and samurai armor, so that was cool to see. The zoo was cool too, but nothing to write home about; it was basically the Lincoln Park zoo with a different language on the PA system. Still, it was fun to see.

We also got to visit the Sky Tree tower, the second tallest building in the world. The view was amazing, like being on top of a cloud. I've always preferred seeing a city on the ground than above it, but it was still an awesome experience.

That just about wrapped up Tokyo. Right now we're in the town of Nikko. We arrived yesterday by train, and the town is just absolutely gorgeous. The architecture is nice, the view of the mountains is breathtaking, and the whole town just seems so "quaint." We got to visit a beautiful shrine nearby, and talked to a group of children who were there on a school visit. Being a foreigner over here tends to get one noticed: people talk to you in the street and on trains, and you get noticed wherever you go. It's a little weird, but kind of cool.

JULY 1

Things are starting to wrap up over here, so now's as good a time as any to catch up on some blogging. Since I don't have time to type out a week and a half of happenings, I'll give you the short version.

After Nikko, we went to the town of Hiraizumi, a beautiful little place where we got to stay at an Onsen Ryokan. This basically translates to "hot spring hotel." We toured around the nearby area, going on a lot of nature hikes, coming back each day for a hot bath and authentic Japanese food. Sensei always made sure we ate everything. EVERYTHING.

After that, it was time for our homestay at KJ High School. I'm staying with my student, Taro, and his family. They farm rainbow trout for a living, and their set up is quite a site: surrounding his house are these big concrete pits filled with water and trout, with only thin walkways seperating them. His family has been really nice and accommodating, even lending me a laptop to check my email. I'm going to miss them a lot when I go.

Visiting KJ has also been interesting and fun. I've been able to see some of my friends from past exchanges, even spending a day shadowing my buddy Naoki. Actually going to school has been a little difficult, since I can't understand most of the teachers, but it gave me time to finish the book I brought: "John Dies At The End." (The spoiler is that he dies at the beginning)

I've had fun this week, and it'll be a little saddening to go. I'll miss my friends and host family, but I'm also starting to miss my friends and family back home. I'll be back by tomorrow, so see you guys soon!