Noah

I was just told that (due to a last minute change) we will now get to visit the historic capital of Japan, Kyoto. I'm beyond excited about seeing Kyoto and Tokyo in one trip! I have no doubt that this trip will be super fun, and improve my Japanese language and cultural knowledge massively. I can't wait experience an new exciting country with the familiarity of my friends. The closest I've ever came to something like this is an overnight in Springfield, IL, with my 8th grade class. This exchange is magnitudes above that.

I'm a little worried that I haven't received an email from my host family, but it should come any day now. I'm interested to speak with a native, authentic Japanese speaker, and plan on making a real connection and expanding my Japanese skills. In only nine short days our plane will touch down in Narita. I know this will be a once in a lifetime, amazing experience!

Feb 13

I had a Japanese style breakfast, I tried the infamous natto dish, and I ate a lot of seafood that I normally wouldn't have for breakfast. Afterwards, our group visited a park in Tokyo, and we had some time to enjoy the scenery. Besides seeing mount Fuji silhouetted against the Tokyo skyline, I saw a tv crew recording a show.

We then traveled to the Harajuku Commercial district. I spotted several rare luxury vehicles on the streets. For lunch I grabbed some octopus balls, from street vendor. I also picked up a shirt and some coca cola flavored from a dollar store called, "Dai Sou".

After dinner at youth hostel, we headed out to see a lights display. I enjoyed the music and lights, but my legs were screaming after walking all day, so I was very glad to return to the hostel.

Feb 14

Firstly, we visited Ueno Park, and the National museum inside it. There were tons of sets of cool Armour and art pieces going back over 5000 years ago. I was supersized to see a natsume (tea powder container) among the pieces, as I've used on at Japanese tea ceremony. I was suprized to see something so familiar among all these rare national treasures.

After the museum we went to an serene flower garden and temple. I really enjoyed the peace and quiet. It felt very insulated from the bustling city around me. The people of Tokyo have done an amazing job at making their history easily accessible, and unadulterated.

Our group broke off and I got to practice my Japanese in a hole in the wall style soba noodle shop. The older woman I sat next to gave me an explanation on how to use the noodle sauce, which made the meal even better. I'm glad I avoided the McDonalds nearby to get a more authentic experience. Next we went to Sensoji temple, which was just a few train rides away. We had some free time and donated a few yen to the Gods, and explored the surrounding neighborhood.

After returning to our hostel for dinner we went out again and went back to the Sensoji area to go to the top of the Skytree. In someways it felt a lot like the traditional temple garden, being very peaceful towering above the city. I looked out at the city stretching to infinity and talked to some of my classmates. Even with my legs killing me I felt really happy to just relax above the city of 13 million.

Feb 15

Our group rushed out of the hostel to catch our Shinkansen, and have enough time for lunch. I had a bit of an awkward conversation explaining that I actually did want to use a 10,000 yen note to buy a 300 yen "meal". Once on the Shinkansen I could tell that it was going way faster than a regular train, yet the vibration inside was less than any train I've been on in Chicago. I did some drawing and listened to music during the ride.

After a quick transfer we took a bus up to our traditional Japanese in style hotel. After a quick rest, our group headed off to see the snow monkeys. They walked right up to me, some even fighting around my ankles. The 20 min walk to the bus gave me some time to relax and talk with my classmates.

This place is amazing! Inside there is bath house and we had a traditional dinner that is among the best meals I've ever eaten (sorry Dad the wagyu was better than NY strip). I wore a Yukata robe to both the bathhouse and dinner. Tomorrow I plan to try all nine bathhouses.

Feb 16

Today I took on the nine baths available at Shibu Onsen. After a delicious breakfast, my group headed out to do all nine baths before eating lunch. These baths are H-O-T HOT! Especially bath number two, after ten minutes of adding cold water and pouring out hot water, could we barely withstand the scalding waters. At each bath you get to stamp a commemorative towel, and then a tenth stamp at a temple that looks above the 1300 year old village.

After a bit of wandering my group had lunch at quaint soba restaurant. After we ordered in we split the check, in Japanese of course, and headed out. With my belly full and body relaxed, I went back to the hotel and slept until dinner.

At seven we went to have another fantastic traditional dinner, the main course being a vegetable stew you could simmer steak in. I went back to the room and reconnoitered with some friends to walk around the neighborhood at night. We went off the beaten path and even through a snowy slope to a temple/graveyard. It was nice to experience the serene atmosphere with no other tourists around.

Feb 17

After a short and sweet breakfast at the bathhouse hotel, my group hurriedly packed for Kyoto. It took three trains and about four hours to get halfway across the country. Every time I looked out my window I could see beautiful mountain vistas, and on 2 trains I was able to strike up a Japanese conversation with the person next to me.

When we found our next ryokan traditional hotel in Kyoto I was floored by the quality of the rooms. Not only do we now room with one fewer people, but also have larger rooms to relax in. We became acquainted with the room, and made our way downstairs to go get dinner at a vertical mall/trainstation.

I ate a hamburger and hotdog, and noticed a few differences in the Japanese version of my American flavourites, including spicy ketchup and a heavy emphasis on mayo on the hamburger. None the less, I was very satisfied with the meal and spent the rest of my free time walking around the complex, visiting designer stores, and a glass skydeck that overlooks Kyoto.

Feb 18

We woke up bright and early for a Kyoto inspired traditional breakfast. Then we took a few subways to find out bus tour guide. After a short instructional video we I settled in for the long haul to the snowy mountain villages we were going to. Between our English and Japanese speaking tour guides giving us the lay of the land, I listened to music and played some games with other students on the bus.

At the first village I saw some cool vintage cars, and explored the local stores with some friends. At the next village the houses were even cooler. Snow bounced off industrial lights put out next to the houses to give the whole area a very winter wonderland vibe. A few minutes after standing under the lights, I went to warm up with some sweet red bean soup. After another view of the village my group returned to the bus for a bento box dinner. On the bus ride home I listened to music and reflected on the day.

Feb 18

Temple Day! I gave my site report on To-Ji pagoda, and walked around the complex enjoying the atmosphere. We took a bus to a plum garden. Paul and I bought fortunes, and came up with some haikus. I found a nice bench next to a pond and relaxed for a while. After lunch we went to a "ninja house", I was baffled by some of the traps and secret entry ways inside the structure. I was also battered the whole time by low hanging (<5'5") doors. We then went to Nijo castle and walked on floorboards that sounded like birds chirping. The size of the rooms was shocking, and the carpentry was extremely ornate.

Then we went to the Torii Gate shrine. I got some exercise going through the gates up the hillside. Upon my descent I saw venus high in the sky. We finished off the day at Kyoto's train station/shopping mall. Paul, Alex, and I enjoyed a delicious sushi selection, before returning to the Ryokan.

Feb 19

After a eggs, and fish ryokan breakfast, we boarded our train to Kanazawa, and headed off. I enjoyed the ride and practiced some of my lines for my presentation during the ride. I love seeing rural Japan fly by in the window. After arriving in Kanazawa, and dropping off our bags, we headed to a "Ninja Temple".

There was a mild drizzle, as we waited to enter the site, but I enjoyed the ambient atmosphere it created. When we entered the temple we were handed laminated sheets that told us that the tour would be entirely in Japanese, much like the ninja house we saw yesterday. Our guide spoke very quickly but I could understand a lot, and acclimated to her pacing towards the end of the tour.

A little wet, and back at the hotel we went up to our rooms to unpack and get ready for dinner. I ordered a steak and potato dish at the restaurant adjunct to our modern hotel. After dinner, I started doing some laundry to get ready for the homestay, and went to the hotels library to work on my presentation and blog. I am a little anxious and excited to see my host family in just two days :)

Feb 20

Today we visited a large park with a doll museum. The floor was quite cold and the slippers didn't fit my feet. However, I was not bothered because it was warmer inside than outside. The park was quite beautiful, even being as cold as it was. I was able to think about my upcoming home-stay and presentation.

Speaking of presentations, in the evening I worked on our speech to be delivered to the KJ student body, by Devenere. I'm glad I'm not him but I also know that I too will be doing a presentation of my own on Friday.

Before dinner our group was able to walk around a geisha district and do some urban exploration. It was nice to be able to be independent, and I am glad we were able to be entrusted with so much free time. My group mostly took photos, one of which was of a cool sports car (Nissan silvia), that is rare if not impossible to find in Japan. Honestly, by the end of the day I was surprised at how little I was stressed over the home-stay.

Feb 22

First night at the 岩田’ｓhouse. They are hands down friendliest people I've ever met. After a short train ride to Niigata station, I was given a hero's welcome with students lining up to greet us. I met with みみ (Mimi) and her mother.

We talked on the car ride back to their house and I settled in. I was called down to dinner and was presented with a huge buffet of sushi, rice, kebab style meats, etc. I was even offered the challenge of trying pickled ginger. Everything was delicious and I tried my best to show my appreciation through eating as much as I could. After consuming easily, 2000+ calories I was asked if I was full. I was shown around the house and saw the family bath, shrine, and study.

Mimi's and her parents have very good English skills, and it is easy to communicate if I get stuck. Seldom do I run into a topic we cannot figure out collaboratively. #1 recommendation to a future 留学生 is to have an offline dictionary on your phone, because the first night I did not have wifi, but could still look up useful vocab.

Feb 23

First Day of KJ! Lucky for me I normally wake up at 6 to go to ETHS for am gym, so the early wake up was not a problem. I tried to wolf down an enormous breakfast, however it took me a long time before I finished. By 7 o'clock we were out the door, and on our way to KJ. At the train station I saw some friends from school, and we all introduced ourselves. After that we transferred to another train and finally, took a bus to high school.

At school Mimi gave me a tour of the grounds, and we met other ETHS students in an appropriately named meeting room. We all headed out to the small gym to be greeted by over a hundred excited KJ students. DJ made his speech for the class and then we, received gifts from KJ. When I heard the national anthem play I truly felt like I was an ambassador for my country.

I shadowed Mimi's world history class first. The class started with us going over a North Korean newspaper. Then our teacher, told the students to take out their textbooks, and flip to the section on the Mongol empire. She talked about Ghengis Khan, Kublai Khan, the Golden Horde, and Marco Polo. Mimi was really helpful at translating kanji and material I was not understanding. After this class we headed to Traditional Japanese. I was able to understand very little of it. I gathered that we were reading a story about a man and a woman, that had something to do with a zodiac sign, but Mimi told me that this class was really hard even for Japanese people. We finished off the day by going to sadobu (tea-club), in which we were all offered tea and sweets. I even got to make a cup! Mimi then showed me some of the schools clubs like table tennis, soccer, and Kendo. I sat in on a Kendo match and was taught some of the basics.

After school (6:20!!!) we headed back to the train station. I said goodbye to my new and old friends and was picked up by Mimi's parents at the station. They offered to take me to a Ramen restaurant, an I got a massive bowl of pork ramen. I felt bad because it took me nearly an hour to eat it, but I felt really full, and had a lot of good conversations at the table.

Feb 24

School started in the meeting room again, we were briefed on the days schedule, and then sent out to shadow our first class. I got to shadow Mimi's Chemistry class. I was surprised to see them doing, the same science class the same time that ETHS students do. Mimi didn't understand the lesson, but didn't seem too down because she aced her daily "mini-test". I then went to an English classroom, I liked being an expert for an hour. It was a little awkward because they were reading a story about the holocaust, and I had to explain that event to them.

After that class I went to watch some of the presentations by KJ'ers for their upcoming trip to Australia. They had really interesting slides, and I was able to understand most of the English, and offer some critiques as well. I felt a little reassured, because I could see that they made some mistakes, so they wouldn't expect perfection from mine.

I headed to the Language Lab for our classes presentations. Aside from some technical glitches they went really well. I think that the KJ students enjoyed them a lot. When it was my turn to present I felt fairly confident, and enjoyed seeing my group run through the slides we practiced. However, during the dance presentation I felt kind of embarrassed. After presentations I enjoyed a delicious lunch from my host mom, and watched some more KJ presentations.

On the bus ride home I talked to Kosei, a very fluent english speaker at KJ and he told me he wanted to study criminal psychology at KJ. When we got to the train station I took some photos with Kj'ers, and swapped line (japanese facebook) with Kaete and Yamoto.

Tonight we had a curry rice dish, and I talked to Mimi's father about cars. He told me he was a mechanic and after talking for a while he brought out a ton of toy Japanese cars. He also used to drive a Nissan skyline (the fastest commercially available car in japan). He told me that when he married he sold it because of maintenance costs, but still owns a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle (the same model tom cruise drives in Top gun). I was so happy to make a cool connection with my host father!

Feb 25

My host family let me sleep in today. I ate left over curry rice in the morning, and then walked over to Mimi's grandfather's car repair business. I got to see the cars Mimi's father was working on and sit in a new Subaru Legacy hatchback. I was a little anxious, because I wanted to make a good impression on Mimi's grandparents. Luckily I understood when they asked for my Jikoshokai, and they seemed really glad to meet me.

After that I played catch with Taku (Mimi's little brother) and then went shopping with Mimi's mom. She bought a Japanese tea set for my family, and wouldn't let me help pay for it. I was amazed by her generosity as the pieces were expensive. We then headed to two shopping malls, and I played arcade games (mario cart, pachinko, claw games) with Taku. After spending dozens of dollars, Taku won two pieces of gum. I guess the fun is in the attempt, not the prize. My host mother then took us to rent a movie. I chose spirited away as I've been told its quite good. I felt quite nostaligic because there arent many arcades or video rental places in Evanston anymore. To top it all of we went to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant to hold us over until dinner.

When we got home, I watched the movie with Taku and Mimi. When the movie ended we had dinner with the whole family, grandmother and uncle included, and ate steak and fried octopus. The food was amazing, and it was also a good time to practice my Japanese with some new people. After dinner I took a hot bath. I realized that my trip was almost over, and I felt sad to see it fly by so quickly.

Feb 25

Skiing! I went skiing with Mimi's grandfather, brother, and father today. The slopes were way steeper than in Wisconsin, and that much more fun. Sometimes I took some pretty nasty spills, but I just remembered my kotowaza "七転び八起” fall down 7 get up 8. Sometimes the snow was so intense, I couldn't see more than five feet in front of me. It was kind of like a dream to skii so far from home but feel so at home. Taku and I eventually started racing down the hills, some traditions transcend language.

We got brunch at what I would describe as the Japanese equivalent of a Denny's. It was tasty, but no where close to my Host Mom's amazing cooking! On the ride home, I started having a bit of a coughing fit, so we stopped in a 100 yen (dollar) store to get some mint candy.

When we got home, I took a hot bath and relaxed in the study until dinner. For dinner we had an amazing platter of Shabushabu, tempura, and sushi. I ate with Mimi's grandparents, and I really enjoyed their company (and tempura). I can believe how fast this week went by. I'm gonna miss the Iwata's hospitality :(