AFTERWORD: Go to Japan!

    Japan is known for being eclectic, and it certainly did not disappoint. The list of things to do, places to go, and people to see is seemingly endless. Japan will satisfy adventurous ones looking for quirky thrills, and more relaxed folk looking to see historical sites. Japan has everything from underwear vending machines to a beautiful natural environment. Athletic types would have their hands full with a climb up Mt. Fuji (though we only saw the beautiful mountain from afar, I can tell it would be quite an ambitious hike!) The fashion minded would enjoy the wide variety of local, modern, traditional, and...expressive clothing to see or buy. For those looking for a good show, fantastic artists like Hiromi Uehara excite. Japan's Winter Illuminations Festival makes for a memorable midnight walk. Many people from around the world come to see this dazzling light display. It was amazing to see the way the various aspects of nature were portrayed just by using tiny LED lights.

     Overall, our trip to Japan was a great experience. Statistics show that 71% of online travelers want to take a trip to Japan, and 56% of those who have been to Japan would happily go again if given the chance.  It was very different than our lives in the United States: people wore similar and different clothing, the food was tasty (but at times a quite exotic), and the people we met could not have been nicer to us "clueless American tourists"! As newly experienced Japan-goers, we highly recommend that you travel to this diverse country!

HOME here we come!

Day-11, November 30th

     Our two weeks traveling around Japan was so enjoyable it felt like two days! But, now we're on our flight back home. While it was an unbelievable trip, I have to admit that those floor mats didn't cut it for me. I'd like to get back to my family and sleep in my own bed!  Right now everyone else is asleep, so I decided to make one last blog post before we arrive at the RDU airport.

     This trip was amazing. We saw so many different aspects of Japan in person, which gave us a well rounded view of the country. From peaceful gardens to wild streets, our group really enjoyed every minute we had to soak up the nation. I would say that the Grand Sumo Tournament was the most interesting, since we saw the history of Japan meeting modern life.

a sumo referee in a traditional uniform 

     Different cultures reminded me of Rick's dinner one night. You won't find this in the United States!

                                                 

       

Interesting street style!

We learned about the Japanese culture which includes the harajuku clothing style and the beautiful Shinto shrines! It broadened my horizons to see the differences and similarities of a country abroad.

    I'd really love to come back again and see more of Japan! It is definitely an amazing country.

~Laiken

Festival of Lights

November 29, 2012 - Day 10

     Today, we decided to take a trip to Nagashima to see the November-May "Winter Illuminations" festival. Our hotel staff advised us to see the garden of lights at night, when the lights would really shine. The bus ride there was actually more confusing than I thought that it would be! Ryan, Rick, and I all studied the massive map sprawled out on the bus seat, only to see this:

Russell and Laiken's bickering didn't help our growing headaches. 

     Thankfully, we met a fellow American who helped us out a bit, and we finally got an idea of where we were going. Kind of. Not really. I was glad that at least Rick and Ryan knew which exit was correct.

     

     Soon enough, we stopped at Nabana no Sato Botanical Garden for the gorgeous light show. Using millions of tiny LED lights, many aspects of nature were recreated. We saw the sunrise at Mount Fuji, rainbows, and even auroras. We all walked around the garden and tunnels of endless lights for quite some time. I took some pictures! 

    

     By the time we got out of the maze, it was about 11:30pm and everyone was pretty tired. On the bus ride back to the hotel, even Rick passed out with his face plastered against the bus window. Laiken was drooling on Russell's shoulder while he had his mouth wide open in sleep. I stayed awake with Ryan so we wouldn't miss our stop; we played cards, but we were so tired he threw the cards across the bus and accused me of cheating.

    Anyway, we got off at the correct stop and sheepishly slugged back to our Hostel room. Rick passed out in the hallway. We left him there. Eh, he'll be fine there until the morning.

~EmmaLi

Martial Arts

November 28, 2012 - Day 9

     Today our gang attended a one day martial arts class at the Kobukia Jujutsu Do Jo. We learned a lot about the background of martial arts: It first originated in Japan, and was first created to solve disputes.Originally it was much more violent and involved more kicking, punching, and kneeing. Martial arts is a very theatrical sport with physical violence too. We also learned that martial arts teaches disciplines which pertain to medicinal practices. The Kobukia Jujutsu Dojo taught us a lot about the history of martial arts and the correct way to fight. The instructor taught us about self-discipline. He was very tough and made us all scared but showed a lot of cool fighting techniques. At the end of the day, we were all very tired. However, I got a few new moves to hit Russell with, so I'm happy.

Black belts hard at work

We found a video of our instructor (in the red). He is incredible:

Dazaifu Tenman-gū

November 27, 2012 - Day 8

       
Today was our first day in Fukuoka. We rented a taxi and drove to the beautiful Dazaifu Tenman-gū in an attempt to have a nice picnic and enjoy the scenery. The park features a Shinto shrine for the god of literature; the most famous shrine is Honden (right). It is also well known for beautiful plum blossoms (lower right). Legend has it that Tobiume (the tree next to Honden) flew from Kyoto to Fukuoka to be near a poet who had cared for it.  According to what Rick has read, there are about 6,000 plum trees in total in the entire park, varying from about 197 types!

       The historical touch to this area didn't stop Russell and Laiken's shenanigans. They went at it once again and nearly catapulted all of our ham  sandwiches into the koi pond. Luckily, Rick caught our beloved sandwiches right before they splashed into the water, keeping our lunch from becoming fish food! After we had settled down from the near death experience of our lunch, we found a nice spot under an old cherry blossom tree. For the first time on our trip, things were actually pretty quiet and peaceful. Of course, the peace didn't last long once someone ate the last potato chip. I'm pretty sure Russell's cry of anguish could wake up my parents all the way back in United States.


                               

     We also all stumbled across these pretty amazing bridges! They called the Taikobashi, the bridge, and Shinjiike, the pond. The first bridge that was arched represented the past, the flat bridge represented the present, and the second arched bridge represented the future.

I can't wait to see what else Japan has to offer!

~EmmaLi