On my way out of the US to Japan saying good bye to the parents. Flew on JAL airlines on a Boeing 777. Nice plane. Very quiet and very spacious. I flew out…
At the Studio Ghibli Museum. No photos of the inside were allowed :( but here is what I've got from the outside. First pic is my sister with one of the signs…
Our second day in Tokyo. We went off to check out Edo Wonderland in Nikko via the Shinkansen (bullet train). The train was pretty cool. It was the Max…
Took the Yamanote line Ikebukuro to Tokyo Station, and from there took the Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka… then after some more trains, and some wandering around, we…
Had some fun in Nara today. That includes Todaiji, Kofukuji, and getting mauled by deer. Nara is a very beautiful and historic city. The temples and shrines…
Went to Kinkakuji. Its an old temple that is quite literally coated in gold. Its quite literally too beautiful to be shown in only pictures… unfortunately for…
We went to Hiroshima today. Hopped on the Bullet train from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima Station. From there it was a short local train ride to our hotel… of…
Went to Hakata today which is in Fukuoka. First on the docket was the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. This was split into two sections. The first we saw was an…
Went all the way from Fukuoka to Mitake (In Tokyo). It took about 9 hours all together to find our ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel). We were on a strict…
Finally got to my homestay in Nara. I did stay for a day in Hachioji (Tokyo) with a nice family, but I'll have posts for them later in the summer when I stay…
I went to Osaka-jo (Osaka Castle) today with my friends from church, Shion-chan and Naoya-kun. Shion studied abroad in Canada for one year and Naoya is still…
I had helped with an english class at the Tamenori residence earlier last week, and they were nice enough to offer to show me around Osaka. We headed out to…
I arrived at the Wakai residence on Friday the 9th and stayed until Monday. They are a couple with two daughters who are both married and have children of…
Did a tea ceremony today with a tea ceremony teacher that goes to the local church in Nara. Very relaxing… and painful experience (you have to sit on your feet…
Before heading off to my two week stay in Okayama, a friend of my host family, Tani-san, offered to drive me and my host mom to Kobe. Unfortunately there was a…
Mami-chan took me to Kurashiki which is a sort of town set in a traditional Japanese style. The main stop on this trip was the Ohara Museum which was founded…
Went to Hiruzen (name of a mountain) Bible Camp to be a leader. The kids were from first to sixth grade and it was from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. I…
Got off the train from Okayama and was rushed off to the Iga Ninja Castle by my host parents. Sara-san led me and Bethany (missionary from Montana) around the…
Went to a new homestay this weekend in Osaka. They took me out to ride the Hep5 ferris wheel, the Osaka Aquarium, and the Suntory Museum. It was a family of…
Went out with Ichiro-san again today and he brought along his friend Chihiro-san. We went to a Spanish restaurant where I got to inform the staff that “bucket”…