Travel & Tourism Project

Travel & Tourism Project
Completed By Rohan Kashyap, Malachi Hanley, Tristen Kuhn, Nolan Welch and Sirvaad Augustine
Country Traveled To Was Japan

July 22nd // Traveling Home & Budget, Persuasive Paragraph

Persuasive Paragraph

As our exploration of Japan comes to an end, we can say with enthusiasm and certainty that we have become quite knowledgeable about Japan's history, environment, culture, technological inventions and contributions, and its unique cuisine. Based upon this experience, we as a group highly recommend that everyone begin budgeting for his or her own Japanese adventure.  Trust us when we tell you that a visit to the Senso-ji Temple, Mount Fuji, and Osaka Castle are worth the expense (Ethos).  In fact, if anyone needs a qualified tour guide, one of us, if not more, will certainly be happy to oblige!

Believe us when we tell you that we are all leaving Japan with laughable moments and memories that will last a lifetime. The beauty of the city and of nature (Pathos) are not to be forgotten, and they can not be experienced in many other places. Japan combines the creations of humans and those of Mother Nature into a landscape that is constantly evolving but always maintains a peaceful undertone.

In addition to this, Japan is rapidly becoming a large member of the business world (Logos). To do business in Japan, to do something you love, while also being a part of a wonderful culture, is one of the best things that you can do. To be accustomed to the Japanese culture is a good idea if you want to work in fields such as consumer electronics, because you may need to travel or live there for work at some point.












Travel & Tourism Budget

July 21st // National Museum Of Tokyo (History) & Traveling Home

The Fancy Oriental Lounge Dining Area

Our last day in Japan! The day was bittersweet. We were ready to go home but there was a part of us that didn't want to leave. We woke up early around 6:30 am because we wanted to enoy as much as we could before our flight home. We dressed and went to a famous breakfast place called the Oriental Lounge. The breakfast really lived up to the hype. Our preferences are below:

• Rohan: Green Tea, Orange Juice, Steamed Rice, Miso Soup, Japanese Omelet, Japanese Pickles and Fruit 
• Malachi: Green Tea, Grapefruit Juice, Steamed Rice, Miso Soup, Tofu, Japanese Pickles and Fruit
• Sirvaad: Herbal Infusion, Orange Juice, Caspian Sea Yogurt with Fruit, Muffin, Poached Eggs Florentine with Creamy Spinach and Bacon
• Nolan: Tea, Grapefruit Juice, Caspian Sea Yogurt with Fruit, Muffin, Scrambled Eggs “Arnold Bennett” Smoked Haddock, Hollandaise and Mornay Sauce
• Tristen: Tea, Orange Juice, Caspian Sea Yogurt with Fruit, Muffin, Scrambled Eggs “Arnold Bennett” Smoked Haddock, Hollandaise and Mornay Sauce

Breakfast finished around 7:30 am We had to be at the airport around 12:30 pm. Therefore, we took a cab to the National Museum of Tokyo. The cab took around 20 minutes and we were at the museum.  

National Museum of Tokyo / History

Ninnaji

The National Tokyo Museum was opened in 1872 and construction began on March 10th of 1869. The National Museum of Tokyo has exhibits that explain the history of Tokyo and Japan. We walked to the left of the help desk and entered the first exhibit, which pertained to the Ninnaji Temple and Omuro. Ninnaji was the head temple for the Omuro branch on the Shingon sect. It was founded by the assistant of Emperor Uda in the year 888. Today the temple is a World Heritage Site and is known as one of the most "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto". The exhibit was awesome and allowed us to view treasures of Ninnaji and Buddhist sculptures. Once again, as we were walking around,  Nolan tripped and spilled his water on one of the exhibits. Luckily the pieces were behind some glass. We can not take Nolan anywhere!

Unfortunately, we realized we couldn't see all the exhibits since it was an hour long ride to the airport, and we still had to return to the hotel for our luggage. Hopefully I will return one day to finish the tour, I thought to myself. We decided to see two more exhibits, the 140th anniversary of the Shimbun, and the two buddhas from Japan and Korea. The 140th Anniversity of the Shumbun was amazing as we learned even more about the Japanesse culture. The Shumbun is the most respected daily newspaper in Japan. The exhibit featured journals, papers, and a mock layout of the original editing facility. The second exhibit displayed the buddhas from Japan and Korea. Buddhist deities portrayed with one leg crossed over the other and a hand held up to the cheek are called “pensive Bodhisattvas", in reference to the state of deep contemplation that this pose represents. This type of image originated in India, the birthplace of Buddhism, and was later transmitted to China, Korea, and Japan. Many sculptures of this type were created in Japan and Korea throughout the 6th to 8th centuries, including ones that are now considered masterpieces of ancient Buddhist sculpture.

Buddhist Sculptures

Tokyo-Kansi International Airport

Eventually, we exited the musuem through the main entrance. We traveled back to the hotel and checked out. The train took us to the airport, and we arrived there around 12:30 pm (just as planned). We went through security and sat down at our seats by 1:15 pm. Our plane departed at 2:30 pm so Nolan and I decided to walk around and admire the architecture. The Tokyo-Kansi  International Airport was stunning. The designers created a modern airport feel while simultaneously incorporating the ancient Buddhist designs, wood, metal, and glass into one building. We enjoyed our walk and bought some food for the plane ride. Passagers were beginning to board as we return to the waiting area. Once onboard we all fell fast asleep.

Our flight landed in Portland around 11:00 pm. Actually we all slept through the entire flight. That is the best type of flight in my opinion. Fall asleep in one part of the world and wake up in another! We survived customs and traveled to our next gate. I am feeling bittersweet at this moment.  All great journeys come to an end. Soon I will be greeted by my parents at RDU and experiencing the comforts of home.  However, I am also saying good-bye to a country I have found enriching and educational.  Maybe I will be fortunate enough to return to Japan one day.

Portland International Airport

Written By Tristen

July 20th // Imperial Palace (History) & Odaiba (History)

We woke up at the same time as usual just I woke a little later I had been worn out from the previous night. Today marked how it is one of our last few days in japan and for today we are going to the Imperial palace and for the last part of the day we are visiting the floating island Odaiba which has a lot of stores and markets to shop. but first we were headed to the Imperial Palace w all got ready went down to the breakfast area of the hotel and we went. we called a cab to the place it took about thirty minutes to drive there on the way we discussed what was our favorite part of the trip I said mine was the universal studios because of all the events that we went through.

Imperial Palace / History

Imperial Palace

   When we finally got there we decided to take a tour of the palace and even get a history lesson while we are at it. The palace is located on the previous site of the Edo castle, which is a large park surrounded by moats and big stone walls. The Edo castle used to be the seat of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled japan from 1603 to 1867 but in 1868 the shogunate was overthrown and the country capital and imperial residence was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. While going through the tour we had to describe how to say certain names to sirvad because he could not say any of them this made up lag behind the tour group as we were reading signs and what they said after listening to the tour guide. we also learned that the palace was destroyed in world war two and was rebuilt in the same style we were able to see some of the parts of the palace that did not get destroyed and were built around the new version of the palace. After we had seen everything that we could have seen gone through the whole tour and read all the signs we were on our way to the next thing we had planned for the day so we hopped on a bus and we were off.

Odaiba / History

Our next destination was Odaiba which was originally just small islands until Tokyo started to make it into a massive island with landfills. Now on our way to Odaiba on the bus we had tried to explain the whole concept of the island and how it came to be to Sirvaad but he could not seem to wrap his head around it he kept on asking on who, how when, and why he didn't be quiet until we got there and he saw it for himself.

Odaiba

When we got there is just look like a big outlet mall but there was so much more there was hotels shopping malls and there was supposedly so many areas to go and eat that just what we had heard it look a lot more in person. The first place we went to the DiverCity Tokyo plaza which is a shopping, dining and entertainment complex that was opened in 2012. The first thing we saw was the giant robot statue which is from a series called Gundam this place had a lot of stores that related to tv series and other things we went in and out of stores. Also there was a statue of liberty but smaller since I had never been to New York is cool to see it even if it was a replica, after that we walked around for a bit we could not explore the entire place if we did that it would be really late into the night by the time we would be back at the hotel. So we headed back to the hotel for a good nights sleep we wanted to be ready for our last two days of our trip to Japan.

Written By Malachi

July 19th // Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea, Senso-ji (Culture), Tokyo Skytree (Technology)

Today was my birthday!! We were going to have lots of fun today, celebrating my birthday in the heart of Japan. I couldn't wait; I woke up half an hour early. Nolan actually forgot it was my birthday, he felt a bit sheepish after that incident. We got up and raced out to our first place to visit: Disneyland!

Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea

Once the cab we took dropped us of at the Disney Resort Line, we immediately started to head inside. We got on the next train, which rocketed us inside Disneyland. We got of at the Tokyo Disneyland Station, which was built on an arched bridge. When we walked outside, we had to pass through the main gate, which we walked through. The park was extremely crowded, and I felt like I was 10 again. The big attractions we visited were:

• The Enchanted Tiki Room: Stitch Presents "Aloha E Komo Mai!"
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Westernland Shootin' Gallery
• Haunted Mansion

We also visited the giant Disney castle there. It looked almost exactly like the one we have in the Disneyland at Florida. It was very large, and almost looked like something out of a movie. Our favorite ride, however, was the roller coaster Space Mountain. It had a lot of drops and turns, but not so much that it wasn't enjoyable. There was a huge line though, so we had to wait a while before going on.

Space Mountain Interior

Tokyo Disneyland Castle

We also went to the second part of the Tokyo Disney Resort, DisneySea. We had no clue what DisneySea was, but it was really fun as well. It was like a second Disneyland. Some of the attractions we went on were:

• Fortress Explorations
• Tower Of Terror
• Raging Spirits
• 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

Our favorite place for DisneySea was probably Journey To The Center Of The Earth. It takes you on a roller coaster to a subterranean world and around a volcano. During the ride, the volcano erupts, and you get taken to a whole new world. I really liked DisneySea, a bit more than Disneyland, but the whole Disney Resort was a really fun way to kick off the day. We exited the same way we came to the Disney Resort via railroad.

Senso-ji / Culture

After visiting the fast-paced Disney Resort, we decided to calm down a bit, while also experiencing some more Japanese culture, so we traveled to Senso-ji. Senso-ji is a Buddhist temple, and the oldest one in Japan, being built in 645 AD. It, just like the Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, is dedicated to the goddess of mercy Kannon. We entered through the Kaminarimon, or Thunder Gate. By this point, we had seen many nice looking temple gates, but this was on a completely different level. It was enormous, much bigger than any of the other gates we had seen thus far. It also had a large red lantern hanging from the gate. You pass under the lantern to continue to the temple. There are also four statues on the Kaminarimon, two on either side.mjklo

Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate)

The Kaminarimon led to a long street called Nakamise, which is a shopping street that leads to the temple. They sell many things there, from typical Japanese souvenirs like yukata to food like rice balls. Malachi, Sirvaad and I actually tried some; they were not half bad. At the end of Nakamise was another gate, the Hozomon. This gate is almost exactly like the Kaminarimon, with the difference of having two extra gate sections with hanging bells. After passing through the Hozomon, we were able to enter the temple's main hall. The main hall housed a image of the goddess Kannon.

Hozomon

The statue had supposedly been fished out of the Sumida River by two brothers. The Asakusa Shrine was also a shrine we visited. This honors the three men who built Senso-ji, including the two brothers. We spent some time in the surrounding areas before leaving the temple.

Tokyo Skytree / Technology

After a quick lunch, we visited the Tokyo Skytree. It is a television broadcast tower 634 meters (~2080 feet) tall. It is the tallest structure in Japan and the second tallest in the world. A large shopping complex and aquarium are located at its base. We got to the shopping complex by cab. We immediately headed for the Skytree. We got on an elevator and started to head up. We could see ourselves moving up and everything else getting smaller. The first observation deck is called the Tembo Deck. It is 350 meters (~1150) in the air and consists of three floors. The top floor had large windows with 360 degree views. The middle floor had a souvenir shop and a restaurant, the Musashi Sky Restaurant, which serves French-Japanese cuisine. We had a bite to eat there; it was very nice.  The lowest floor had a cafe and some glass panels on the ground that you could use to see all the way to the bottom of the tower. All three floors were amazing. We could see so much of the city from the observation deck. Everyone on the streets looked like ants. It was awesome to look the glass floor panels.

Tembo Deck Observation Floor

More elevators connected us to the top deck, the Tembo Gallery. It was 450 meters (~1500 feet) in the air. It has a spiraling ramp that gains height as it circles the tower. At the top of the spiral ramp is an observation deck floor with lounging areas and tall windows from which to look out over Tokyo. This floor is the highest point of the observation decks. After staring at Tokyo, we finally got of the tower. By this time, Tokyo was in full night mode, and the lights we saw were capable of making anyone's birthday one of their best.

Tembo Gallery

Tokyo Skytree At Night

This was probably one of my best birthdays. I got to see and experience so much, and I had an amazing time. When we got to our hotel room, I got my birthday present: my own box of Japanese candy! Now I only have to wait until next year!

Written By Rohan

July 18th // Mt. Fuji (Environment), Travel to Tokyo, Miraikan (Technology)

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!"

Waking Up

The alarm was blaring when I woke up, and I had to struggle to get Sirvaad out of bed. Apparently he had stayed up until approximately midnight watching Anime. Nolan asked if we should consume some breakfast. I woke up Malachi and Rohan.

"Where is Sirvaad?" asked Rohan.

Nolan pointed to the motionless ball of sheets on one of the lower bunks.

"Oh," he responded. 

The four of us walked downstairs to the cafetaria and showed the man our breakfast pass. We found a table, then went to the buffet. Our breakfast preferences are posted below:

Nolan: White Rice, Ginger Fried Pork, Miso Soup, Wasabi, Bacon (Japan)
Rohan: While Rice, Tofu Miso Soup, Chicken Curry, Japanese Mustard, Egg and Soy (Japan)
Tristen: Steamed Rice, Miso Soup, Grilled Fish, Rolled Egg, Bacon, Wasabi (Japan)
Malachi: White Rice, Miso Soup, Rolled Scrambled Egg, Bacon, Sausage (Japan)

Natto

Mt. Fuji from Highlands Station 5

Right after we sat down, Sirvaad showed up. He ordered Natto (Soybeans fermented in bacteria, served with a side of wasabi toast, onion, mustard, soy sauce, raw egg, and Japanese pickles.) YUCK!  Breakfast finished around 7:00 am. Together we ventured back to our room to clean up and retrieve our luggage. We checked out of the hotel it around 7:30 am. Eagerly, we decided to walk to Osaka Station for our trip to Mount Fuji.

Mount Fuji / Environment

While walking to the station, Sirvaad doubled over and threw up on the street (probably from his breakfast)! We arrived at the station around 7:45 am, purchased our tickets and sat down on the bench. At exactly 8:19 am, the bullet train arrived on Platform 1. We hopped onto the train and found our seats. After settling in, I put my earbuds in and went to sleep. When I woke up, we were only half way to Mt. Fuji. I asked if anyone was thirsty and if they wanted to get a drink in the beverage car. I stood up and Malachi came with me. Thoughtfully, we brought back water, ginger ale, and root beer for the others. By now it was 9:50 am and I could see Highlands Stateion 5 coming into view.  Enthusiastically we all leaped off of the train to catch our first glance of Mount Fuji. It was a tad bit cloudy but we were all determined to start our journey up to the top of the mountain. 

Pole Indicating the Peak of Mt. Fuji

Mount Fuji / Environment

Around 10:15 am, we hopped into cars that would take us up to the top of the mountain.  Nolan set an alarm because our return train was at 2:45 pm, therefore we wanted to be at Station 5 around 2:35 pm. When we arrived at Kengamine, the highest point on Mt. Fuji, we stood at 3,775 meters or 12,385.17 feet high. The loop around the Volcanic Crater is 1.5 hrs long, but we knew it would take longer. As we walked around a bit, we saw many, and I mean many, of signs with information regarding Mt. Fuji. Did you know that inside the Crater there is a lake called Lake Aso? Did you know that the Mt.Fuji is actually three volcanoes, not just one? In fact, Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan and makes up the Three Holy Mountains (Mt. Fuji, Mt. Tate, and Mt. Haku). Rohan decided to grab a pamphlet and shared more interesting facts about the history of the mountain. He explained that Mount Fuji is over 100,000 years old and was first hiked in the year 663 by Eno no Odzunu.  At this point, I heard a scream.  We were about 15 minutes into the walk when Nolan tripped and slid down the side of the mountain. Luckily, he grabbed onto a barrier and managed to climb back up onto the trail.  I would have missed him! 

Taking Off From the Mountain

Usual Sight on Mt. Fuji

While hiking,  we saw many animals that were native to the mountain and surrounding areas including, the Japanese Sorrow, Fox, and Squirrel.  When we got to the area near the train that would take us downward, we noticed some people participating in parasailing lessons. We all decided to participate, except Sirvaad who he was afraid of heights.  That was unfortunate though because he missed out on some really cool sights! The lessons took around an hour so we immediately went onto the train and left the station around 2:40 pm. We decided to buy lunch on the train. To our surprise, they served some American favorites! Our preferences are posted below:

• Rohan: Baked Chilaquiles, Pepsi, Guacamole
• Malachi: Hebrew National All-Beef Hot Dog, Mug Root Beer, Lays Chips
• Nolan: Thyme Roasted Chicken Breast, Sweet Tea, Mashed Potatoes
• Sirvaad: Black Bean & Corn Veggie Burger, Orange Juice, Kettle Chips
• Tristen: Natural Angus Cheddar Cheese Burger, Fanta Orange, Lays Chips

Eventually, we arrived back at the station.  Our plan was to take a cab to the Mirikan museum for the remainder of the day. The cab ride took approximately eighteen minutes. The museum closed around 5:00 pm and it was already 3:00 pm.

Mirikan / Technology

The Pollution Globe

We entered through the main entrance and paid our fee. The price for each of us was 300 yens, which is equivalent to $2.66. We picked up a map and started our journey. As we were walking to the first exhibit, we read up on the musuem and learned many interesting facts, including:

• The museum took five yearrs to build.
• Mirikan was opened in 2001.
• It houses over 2.5 million lights.

We first went to the giant globe that shows which nations have the most pollution. The globe uses over 100 LED lights to light up even the smallest nations. In total, there are over 3000 lights on the Pollution Globe. The top three polluting nations are China, the US, and India. Afterwards, we journeyed onward to the Robot Exhibit. When you are at the exhibit, you can get a robot-led tour for around 18,000 yens ($159 USD).

ASIMO the Robot

EXPERIENCE Theater

We all pitched in and payed for ASIMO the Robot to lead us through the evolution of robots section of the museum. We learned an array of amazing facts about robots including where the term robot originates from.  For example, robot comes from a Czech word meaning drudgery. Other interesting facts are as follows:

• The first robot was made by George Devol. 
• There are over 500,000 robots alone in Japan. 
• The smallest robot is less than one thousandth of a millimetre. That is really small!    

           
Eventually we moved onto the Dinosaur section. We started out by watching a video on the extinction of dinosaurs. As we went to observe the skeleton of a T-Rex (largest dinosaur know to man), Nolan tripped and fell, spilling his Cola on the skeleton. Boy, you can not take the boy anywhere!

Mirikan is known as the most modern museum in the world. After viewing the dinosaur skeletons, we went to see the "EXPERIENCE Theater". This theater shows a different 4-D movie every hour. The theater screen is over 50 feet wide, and the theater seats 100. The video playing pertained to space and what astronauts feel when they enter space. The show began at 4:30 pm and we just made it in! I loved the show, along with the others, except for Sirvaad who fell asleep.  It was 5:15 pm when we finally exited the building and hailed a cab.

When we arrived at the hostel we were staying at for the evening, we all were exhausted. We went out to eat American food since we all were a tab bit tired of Japanese. We got back to the hostel around 8:00 pm, watched "The Avengers", and fell asleep around 10:00npm. It was a very long and extremely entertaining day. 

Written By Tristen

July 17th // Gion Matsuri Parade (Festival/Celebration), Kyoto Race Course (Sports), -ji Eikado Zehrin(n-Environment)

Gion Matsuri Parade / Festival/Celebration

We had only been there for eight days but we had done so much and on this day we had a ton to do we had decided to stop by the Gion Matsuri Parade and then make our way to the Kyoto race course to check out the horse races. Then we have decided to go to the Eikan-do Zenrin-ji the buddhist temple and after that we eat dinner and head back to the hotel to awiate the next day of activities. Our day started out with Rhoan yelling at us to get up I was the first to wake up and Served was the last It took all of us to get ready about three hours with Nolan taking the longest shower. after all of us are ready we head down to the breakfast area of the hotel we all ate in a rush because Rhoan had planned so much for us to do and he didn't want to wait any longer. We didn't rent a car so we took the bus, fell asleep on the way there we go as close to area where the parade was going to be happening we got off a ways from the area we had a long walk to go.

Gion Matsuri Parade

On our way to the Parade Rohan and Nolan got into a fight on how to get to the parade, which way was faster to stop the fight I suggested that we go different ways and meet back at a spot for lunch they agreed and we split into two groups Sirvad and Rohan and me Tristen and Nolan and so we went our separate ways. The first thing we saw was the food stands lined up there was yakitori,  taiyaki, taoyaki, and okonomiyaki. We were going to eat later on so we kept walking the next thing we saw were the Yamaboko floats, the parade floats are divided into two groups there was the Hoko and the Yama. There were nine large floats and twenty three smaller one we asked a person and he said that they were supposed to represent a purification ritual that went on in the past. It dates back to 869 as a religious ceremony to appease the gods during the outbreak of an epidemic even today the festival still selects a local boy to be a divine messenger.

Gion Matsuri Parade

We walked around a bit and saw the marching bands and the people marching beside the floats and as we were watching across the parade we see Rohan and sirvad in the crowds. After everyone had passed in their floats we go over to them to see if their ready to go eat they say that they have seen everything that they could see and that they were really hungry.

Kyoto Race Course / Sports

Our next destination was the Kyoto Race Course. To get there we had to take the bus it was about a thirty minute ride before we got there and when we finally arrived the place I saw that it was huge about the size of a football stadium. I didn't really know why we went there Rohan controlled all of our money and he would not let any of us use it to gamble on the horses, we stayed there for about two hours just watching the horses race it was pretty cool acting the horses take off at the sound of the gun. The first shots that we heard scared Nolan and Tristian so much that they jumped off their feet after awhile of seeing the horses race we started playing a little game we would pick a horse and see which one would win it passed the time.

Kyoto Race Course

Eikan-do Zehrin-ji / Environment

 After about a hour and a half we decided that it was about the time for us to leave our next place on the list of places that we had to go for the day was the buddhist temple Eikando Temple. We got there around the afternoon the temple is known for its leaf colors in the autumn to bad its not fall but the lace was still cool to see the thing I was most interested with was the history behind the place. We walked past a few signs that talked about the history what I learned was the Temple was originally a villa which was donated to a priest and he turned it into a temple in the 11th century had a priest names Eikan and the temple was named after him. Eikan is known for getting the temples main object of worship a weird statue of the Amida Buddha with his head turned After we had see all that we could see and it was late we went back to the hotel to sleep until the next day filled with activities.

Eikan-do Zehrin-ji

Written By Malachi

July 16th // Kiyomizu-dera (Culture) , Yasaka Shrine (Culture) , Yoiyama Festival (Festival/Celebration)

We all woke up around 5:30 today. We had a lot of interesting things to see today, and no time to lose. We quickly dressed, ate, and headed out the door to catch a cab. It took us about 15 minutes to get to our destination, Kiyomizu-dera.

Kiyomizu-dera / Culture

Our cab driver dropped us off at the entrance to the temple. We climbed up some stairs, and then passed under a huge wooden red gate, the Niōmon. It was very reminiscent of the other gates we had seen so far. We then walked up more stairs and walked onto a street filled with temples. One of these temples was the Zuigūdō Hall, a temple dedicated to the mother of the Buddha. After we payed a small entrance fee, we got to enter the dark basement, called the Tainai-Merugi, which symbolizes a mother's womb. In it, there is a large stone that you can spin. You can make a wish while spinning the stone. We also visited the Sanjunoto, a huge, vermillion, three-storied pagoda. Next, we visited the Jishu-Jinja.

Jishu-Jinja

Moon Garden

Here, two stones are placed in the ground about 42 feet apart. If you walk between them with your eyes closed, you will find true love. We all tried it out. It was actually really hard! I almost tripped halfway through, but I made it. Nolan practically pranced across it; he had no trouble at all. After we finished, we walked to the Jōjuin. It was originally constructed as a house for a priest who was rebuilding Kiyomizu after it burned down. It also has a garden called the Moon Garden, which boasts impressive and majestic nature.

After all of this, we visited the Hondo, or main hall. We were only allowed to stand in the outer area. In the innermost sanctum was a statue of the goddess Kannon, goddess of mercy and compassion. She had eleven faces and forty-two arms. The statue was made out of what looked like gold, and it really shone in the darkness.

The Goddess Kannon

The roof of Kiyomizu-dera was being renovated, so a large tarp was over it. We ignored that, and headed to the biggest and most obvious part of Kiyomizu, the wooden stage that juts out from the Hondo. It is built about forty-two meters above the ground. It was built without the use of a single nail. It provided a beautiful view of the forest. Tristen almost fell off of the stage, but Nolan grabbed the hood of his jacket before Tristen got too close to the stage.

Kiyomizu Verandah

From the stage, we got to see many places we already visited. We could see the Nijo Castle, and what we were pretty sure was Kinkaku-ji, the two places we visited yesterday. Malachi swore that the city on the horizon that we could see was Osaka, but nobody really believed him. After leaving the verandah and exiting the Hondo, we climbed down a set of stairs to the Otowa Waterfall. The temple was originally built on the site of the Otowa Waterfall, and Kiyomizu gets its name from the waterfall itself, Kiyomizu-dera literally meaning 'Pure Water Temple.' The Otowa Waterfall flows down in three streams. Each one symbolizes a different benefit, being longevity, success at school, and a fortunate love life; however, drinking from all three streams is considered greedy. The site of the waterfall itself is very peaceful and also a bit spiritual. You feel very calm and respectful there. It has the same atmosphere as the inside of the Hondo, where the goddess Kannon resides. We walked up onto a platform and took long-handled ladles that we used to collect the pure water of the waterfall. The streams we chose to drink from were:

Otowa Waterfall

• Rohan: Longevity
• Malachi: Success at school
• Nolan: Success at school
• Tristen: Longevity
• Sirvaad: Fortunate love life

The water from the waterfall was very clean, and it was a very relaxing experience. We walked across a path to the Koyasu Pagoda. The path itself was very calm and peaceful. The Koyasu Pagoda was very reminiscent of the Sanjunoto Pagoda we visited earlier. It is also vermilion and three-storied. A visit here is said to bring a safe and healthy childbirth. We walked back to the main temple grounds, taking a different path this time. It had excellent views of the temple area, particularly the Hondo. We visited the Okunoin Hall next. This resembled the Hondo, and even had its own miniature stage! Next to it were two other temples, the Shakado and Amidado. The Shakado is dedicated to the original Buddha, and the Amidado to a celestial Buddha.

These were the last places we visited, and we exited out of the Niomon Gate.

Yasaka Shrine / Culture

After a quick lunch at the Okonomiyaki Katsu restaurant, we hailed a cab to take us to the Yasaka Shrine, our next destination for today. The shrine was founded over 1350 years ago, in the year 656 AD. It is the shrine which the festival Gion Matsuri was created after, which we will be celebrating soon. It respects mostly the Japanese god of Summer, Susanoo. After our cab dropped us off at the entrance to the shrine, we entered past the gate. It was very thin, in the same style as previous gates we had seen. We passed it, and met another gate. This gate looked almost exactly like the Niomon Gate we saw at Kiyomizu; it was vermilion and built in the same style. In front of the main hall, there was a big dance stage. Unfortunately there was nothing going on, but we were pretty sure that someone would be performing in the evening for the Yoiyama festival. We walked into the shrine's main hall. The main hall, unlike the Hondo at Kiyomizu, was built into a single building. Since it was the eve of Gion Matsuri, the shrine was packed.

Main Hall Of Yasaka Shrine

Once we actually got out of the shrine, we went and visited a nice garden nearby, the Maruyama Park. On our way, we passed the Gion Weeping Cherry Tree. It is about 80 years old, and its branches of the tree are bent over like it is crying or weeping. The Maruyama Park itself was very nice, with rolling hills, ponds, streams, and a giant assortment of cherry trees. The park was peacefull, adn we stayed there for a while before exiting.

Weeping Cherry Tree

Maruyama Park

Yoiyama Festival / Festival/Celebration

After leaving the Yasaka shrine, we went home to relax; we were going to need our energy if we wer going to participate in the Yoiyama festival in the evening. The Yoiyama festival is part of Gion Matsuri, Japan's biggest annual festival. Gion Matsuri is held annually to keep away disease and disaster, and is held over the whole month of July. On the 17th of July, there is a huge procession of floats in the morning called the Gion Parade. However, the eve of the parade (the 16th), there is a big gathering of people in the evening. People wear traditional summer kimonos called yukata and come look at the floats that will be used the next day. Families come out to have a fun time, and street vendors set up stalls selling multiple things, including chicken, beer, fried octopus and trinkets.

Yoiyama Festival Street Party

We each dressed up in yukata we had bought previously and left to the festival. We had to walk most of the way, as automobile traffic is closed for the festival. When we got to the festival area, the festival was already in full swing. Music had filled the air, and people were moving around everywhere. We bought some food; I found more of the takoyaki I loved when we went to the Kuromon Ichiba Market! You can probably guess what my dinner mostly was. There was also chicken, beef, and more. We went around, celebrating and dancing. Nolan tripped over his yukata while trying to dance, and we all laughed at that. As we walked around, we got to see each of the huge floats that would be used tomorrow. There are two types of floats: hoko and yama floats. Hoko floats are huge floats supported on wheels as large as men. There are about ten hoko floats, and they are pulled by ropes. There are about twenty-three smaller yama floats, each suspended by shoulder posts. We got to visit each of the 10 hoko floats. They were magnificent; there is no other word to describe them. Unless you see them, it is hard to understand the grandeur of these august creations. Hopefully this will help:

Float At Yoiyama Festival

Float At Yoiyama Festival

Being near these floats at the Yoiyama festival really gives you a really unique feeling. It is as if you are looking at the result of human evolution itself; it is a felling that makes you mentally take a step back and see us differently as a species. I choked up a bit, being near these things. It was a great experience. The entire festival was, in fact, probably the best thing I experienced so far in our trip. The music, food and celebration, along with the feeling and atmosphere of happiness and acceptance, really makes this an one-in-a-lifetime activity. It was probably not until late night that we left to go home. By that time, our stomachs were stuffed and our legs felt like jelly. We got to our hotel and slept the rest of the night away.

Written By Rohan

July 15th // Kinkaku-ji (Culture) & Nijo Castle (History)

Kinkaku-ji

Kinkaku-ji

Today we visited Kinaku-ji and Nijo Castle. I woke up at 7:00 though it was hard to get everyone else out of bed.  We went down stairs for breakfast and boarded the bus for Kinaku-ji Castle. We arrived at 9:00 and began exploring. 

On the tour we learned that it is a Zen Buddhist temple. It is one of the most popular buildings in Japan, attracting a large number of visitors annually. It is designated as a National Historic Site, a National Landscape, and it is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are also World Heritage Sites.

Nijo Castle

After the tour around Kinaku-ji and a nice lunch, we proceeded to Nijo Castle. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins
of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is 275,000 square meters and only 8,000 square meters is occupied by buildings. In 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, ordered all the feudal lords in Western Japan to contribute to the construction of Nijo Castle, which was completed during the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. Parts of Fushimi Castle, such as the main tower and the karamon, were moved here in 1625. Its purpose was built as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns. 

After returning from our excursion to Kinkaku-ji and Nijo we decided to watch a movie. We watched the last Godzilla movie probably the most appropriate seeing as we were in Japan. To conclude this blog post today was a very interesting day.

Written By Sirvaad

July 14th // Traveling To Kyoto, Monkey Park Iwatayama (Environment), Arishiyama (Environment)

Traveling to Kyoto

We woke up early on the morning of the fourteenth. We packed up our things quickly and caught a train to head to Kyoto.

The trip was rather short; it only took us 13 minutes. On the way, we chatted about what we would do once we arrived and how much fun we would have.

Iwatayama Monkey Park

Iwatayama Monkey Park

The Iwatayama Monkey Park is a park in Kyoto where wild monkeys roam freely. It's located in Arashiyama, a sightseeing district, and is home to around 120 snow monkeys. Although these monkeys were fed by humans, they were still wild, so we had to treat them with caution. After all, we were essentially visitors in their home.

Wooden structures and benches litter the park, providing a place for monkeys and humans alike to rest. Sirvaad seemed somewhat interested in the monkeys, as did Tristen; they both kept taking pictures for social media websites.

Ramen Sen No Kaze

After the Iwatayama Monkey Park, we traveled to Ramen Sen No Kaze. This is a ramen shop in Kyoto that is rumored to be the best in Japan. As we filed into the shop, we were greeted in a friendly manner and, after quite a long wait (almost an hour!), were given seats.

Exterior of Ramen Sen No Kaze

Even though the wait was long, we knew that it was for a good cause: what could very well be the best ramen in Japan. When we had all taken a seat, we each ordered a separate bowl of noodles. We all enjoyed different parts of the ramen; my favorite part was the pork, while Tristen said that he liked the broth. Rohan and Malachi seemed to enjoy the noodles, as they demonstrated by hungrily slurping them down. I found it interesting how, even though we each had a favorite part of the soup, we all enjoyed it equally.

Arashiyama

Arashiyama is a sight-seeing district in Kyoto that is home to the Iwatayama Monkey Park and many Shinto shrines. As we passed through the district, we made sure to take many pictures so that the beauty of the place could be captured.

Inside Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

One of the most well-visited places in Arashiyama is the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. We did not go in, but simply passed it. Even so, we could see that it was magnificent; the stalks of bamboo towered over the awestruck tourists as they snapped pictures of themselves in front of the gigantic plants.

Kikyo Sushi

Sushi Bar in Kikyo Sushi

After we departed Arashiyama and had rested somewhat, we decided to go to dinner. Our dining place of choice was Kikyo Sushi, a restaurant that, as the name suggests, specializes in sushi. As we came into the restaurant, we were heartily greeted by some of the staff and encouraged to sit at the bar, in front of where the sushi chef practices his craft.

After some light conversation with the chef, we asked him what he recommended. Thinking for a moment, he suggested the salmon, as well as some toro (fatty tuna) to go with it. We accepted his suggestion, and he immediately went to work.

Some of Our Food

Slicing with precise cuts as only a man with many years of experience can do, the sushi chef quickly made up two platters of raw fish for us. We quickly set to work on the gargantuan task of devouring the food, made easier by our ravenous appetites. Out of all of us, I was surprised to see that Rohan had eaten the most; I would have thought that he had gotten enough food through other snacks earlier in the day.

After finishing our delicious meal, we made sure to thank the chef profusely. In Japan, politeness is emphasized, often to the point of being too polite; we thought it best to err on the side of caution and be thought of as overly polite than as rude. As we left Kikyo Sushi and returned to our sleeping quarters, we were all extremely tired from the delicious food.

July 13th // Shitenno-ji (Culture) & Todai-ji (Culture)

We woke up around 5:30. Rohan went around to everyone and woke them up. I woke up slowly, and it took even more time to wake up Tristan. We took turns going into the showers and getting dressed. After we ate breakfast, we called a cab to take us to Shitenno-ji.

Shitenno-ji / Culture

Senso-ji Temple

The cab driver got us as close as he could to the temple, but we still had a fifteen minute walk.  Nolan and Tristen weren't interested in the temple, but Rohan and I were excited to see how the Japanese would have worshiped Buddhism. When we got to the temple, we saw a sign and Rohan read it out loud so we could understand what Shitenno-ji actually was. Shitenno-ji is a Buddhist temple. It is sometimes regarded as the first Buddhist and oldest officially administrated in Japan, although the temple has been rebuilt over time.The Shitennō are believed to be four heavenly kings. The temple Prince Shōtoku built to honor them had four institutions, each to help the Japanese attain a higher level of civilization. We took another hour walking in and out of the temple and going to the other building next to it. When we finally finished, we took a picture next to the tallest building of the temple.

 But for now it was lunchtime and we were starving but mostly sirrvad, we were planning on heading to the neon-laden Dotonbori district were it was said that if you wanted Osaka's food culture that this was the place to go. So we were on our way we called another cab because it would take to long to walk, Me and Tristen had an argument in the cab about why we had to go to all of these temples I had said "so that we can experience the history of this new place that we are in".

We went to a place with a bunch of food stands and we took our time going through the area and finding things that we would like to eat after we ate we got in another cab and drove to the buddhist temple. 

Todai-ji / Culture

We called another cab but Sirvaad had to go use the bathroom which we all had told him to go before we ate after five minutes or so we were in our cab and off to the buddhist temple. After about twenty minutes of a cab ride we arrived at the Today-ji temple this time we walked around for a bit first we saved the history lesson for last. it took almost another hour soon the temple would be closed so we found another sign and I read out the history this time.The beginning of building a  temple where the Tōdai-ji complex sits today can be dated to 728, when Emperor Shōmu established Kinshōsen-ji as an appeasement for Prince Motoi  his first son with his Fujiwara clan consort Kōmyōshi. Prince Motoi died a year after his birth. After a brief lesson Sirrvad was ready to get out and return to his bed and take a long rest we all needed it after this long day. 

Todai-ji Main Hall

Written By Malachi

July 12th // Universal Studios Japan & Kyocera Dome (Sports)

Universal Studios Japan

Universal Studios Japan

We went to Universal Studios. We had a lot of fun with the dinosaurs at Jurassic park. They made it seem so real, as if we were gazing back in time. The park has been open for 16 years and is now owned by Universal. They've really done a good job with the place. Since it opened in 2001, they've added New York, Hollywood, San Francisco, Jurassic Park, Minion Park, Universal Wonderland, Water World, and Amity Park. 

We decided to go to Water World first because we figured we could dry off on all the roller coasters later. Tristen spent most of his time in the hot tub, Nolan sat on the side watching saying that he would rather not get wet, Malachi went and jumped off the platform showing off in front of all the girls, and I spent my time in the wave pool moving with the tide. After we finished up, we left Universal Studios.

Kyocera Dome / Sports

Kyocera Dome

After that we went to the Kyocera Dome and watch the Orix Buffaloes practice before their game, and it was really fun and exciting. The dome was first opened in 1997. The name Orix Buffaloes are the result of a merger between the Kintetsu Buffaloes and Orix Blue Wave. 

The stadium has an appearance of a large spacecraft, which dominates the area where it is located. It is amazing, as this giant saucer sparkles due to its metal coating. The Kyocera Dome has a covered roof and has also hosted events, such as concerts. Many celebrities have already played here, from The Rolling Stones to Madonna.

After visiting Kyocera Dome we returned to the hotel where we relaxed and did our own thing. Rohan was working, Malachi was laughing at jokes on social media, Tristen was worrying about fantasy football, Nolan was sleeping, and I watched TV. To conclude this blog post all I have to say is, this was a good day.

Written By Sirvaad

July 11th // Osaka Castle (History), Kuromon Ichiba Market (Food), Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

We woke up today at around 6:30. It was really difficult waking up Nolan, Tristen, and Malachi, because they had been playing cards through the night. When they finally did wake up, we all got ready, as we had a big day planned. First we would visit the Osaka Castle, and then we would go to eat at the Kuromon Ichiba Market. Afterwards, we planned to visit the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. We got dressed, ate breakfast, and headed on our way.

Osaka Castle / History

Otemon Gate

At about 8:00, we got on a cab to the Osaka Castle, and we arrived after a 12 minute drive. We entered at the Otemon gate. It had two large pillars holding up the roof, and was connected to sections of the castle wall. It was built in the traditional Japanese Koraimon style. The path leading up to the gate was a bridge over a moat circling the castle, and it was lined with trees.

Afterwards, we visited the Osaka-Jo Tamon-Yagura, Sengan-Yagura, and Inui-Yagura. All three of these were turrets, facilities used for surveillance and defense. All three were tall and built in the traditional style. We checked out the Ensho-Gura storehouse next, which was a building used to store gunpowder. It was extremely cramped, and there was barely any room at all. When we went in, Nolan started coughing, and he only got better after we left. Does an allergy to gunpowder exist? Afterwards, we backtracked and visited the Nishinomaru Garden, a large open garden area in front of the Ensho-Gura storehouse. It was beautiful, with cherry blossom trees and wide open spaces of nature. It had a stream area nearby, and it was very peaceful and enjoyable. It also overlooked the actual castle, and we got a really nice view of it.

Nishinomaru Garden

After visiting the Nishinomaru Garden, we looked at the Rokuban-Yagura, which was another important turret. By now, we had past our starting point, the Otemon Gate, and were making our way to the actual castle we saw earlier. We also looked at the a remnant of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji. This was the fortress of the  Ikkō-ikki (leagues of warrior monks and commoners who opposed samurai rule). The Osaka Castle was built on the ruins of the original Ishiyama Hongan-ji. We then headed to the Sakuramon Gate, which was built in the same Koraimon style as the Otemon Gate. This was the main gate that led to the inner portion of the castle grounds. It got its name, Sakuramon (literally meaning "cherry gate"), from a line of cherry trees planted in the late 16th century. After passing under the Sakuramon Gate, we passed the Former Osaka City Museum and the Kinzo Storehouse. The Former Osaka City Museum was built as the headquarters of the Imperial army of Japan until it was bombed in WWII. It was converted into a police office and then a museum, until it was closed permanently. The Kinzo Storehouse was built to store gold and silver coins kept in Osaka Castle. We began to climb the stairs to the entrance of the main castle. Halfway up the stairs, a platform was laid out with the Kimmeisui well roof, which covers the Kimmeisui well. The well is the same well that existed when it was built in the 1600s. The well was very deep, but didn't smell so good, so we moved on to the actual castle.

The inside of the castle was very clean. There were eight floors to explore. There was a lot of information on each floor, along with stairs and elevators. My favorite thing was a model of the old Osaka castle third floor. Tristen and Malachi loved the Samurai helmets and models on the fifth floor. Sirvaad liked the golden statues on the second floor, and Nolan's favorite was the observation deck that was the eighth floor.

Osaka Castle Main Tower Observation Deck

You could see so much of the city, and it looked really beautiful seeing all the building laid out like they were. We could see all the places we had been, and it was awesome. After exiting the main tower of the Osaka Castle, we visited the Hokoku Shrine, built for Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the person who rebuilt the Osaka Castle in the 16th century. After that, we visited one more turret, the Ichiban-Yagura. The last thing we did in the Osaka Castle was visit a fountain. It was really tall, and had stone pieces that formed it. After this, we left the Osaka Castle out of Exit 3B.

Kuromon Ichiba Market / Food

After visiting the Osaka Castle, we decided to visit the Kuromon Ichiba Market. It was this huge market with authentic Japanese street food and shops. The first thing we did was try some Takoyaki. Takoyaki are balls of dough filled with octopus, dough, ginger, and onion. It is covered with sauce, seaweed, fish bits, and cheese. I had heard that it was really good, so we tried it. It was AMAZING! The octopus was really well cooked, the sauce tasted and amazing, and it really exploded in my mouth. I loved it so much, we got another order. Sirvaad thought it was okay, but the rest of us devoured it.

Takoyaki

Grilled Scallop

Afterwards, Malachi really wanted to try some grilled scallop. I didn't know what it was, so it was news to me when I found out that it is a type of clam. They cracked open the scallops and scooped the meat and juices into one of the halves after being cleaned. It was grilled in its own juices with some butter and soy sauce. When we got it, it was like a soup in a shell. It was unbelievably good. The meat was really tender, and the 'soup' was really flavorful. This was Sirvaad and Nolan's favorite meal, mine was still the Takoyaki. After scallops, we headed to buy some oden. Oden is a dish that contains eggs, vegetables and fish in a broth covered with a type of mustard. It looked really good, but I couldn't eat it because it contained beef. The other guys loved it though, so I suppose it was good.

Oden

Sushi

We moved to a sushi stall next. We got a bunch of sushi filled with tuna. It was pretty good. The tuna itself was nice, but I'm not a really big fan of seaweed, so that kind of messed up the sushi for me (I know that Takoyaki has seaweed, but that's different). Tristen and Nolan loved the sushi though. They ate loads of it. There were lots of other foods that  memorable too, like crab, snail, eel, ramen, squid, and puffer fish! They removed the poison, and it was nice and tender. I was still a bit nervous, so I had Malachi eat it before me. My favorite was still the Takoyaki; we actually went back to get more! For dessert, we bought mochi, ice cream stuffed in rice skins. It was almost like ice cream dumplings!

Mochi: Ice Cream Dumplings!

We went looking around the other stalls. Nolan bought a t-shirt, and we left for the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

After eating at the Kuromon Ichiba Market, we took a trip to the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. There, they had many tanks of different fish. One of the more memorable tanks at Kaiyukan was the ‘Aqua Gate’ exhibit. It was a tunnel shaped tank, and had Cownose rays swimming around in the tank. It also had a type of fish called the Blotched Foxface, which was a very bright color of yellow.

Aqua Gate

Another cool tank was the ‘Ecuador Rain Forest’ exhibit. It featured the Pirarucu, the largest freshwater fish in the world. Its scales were glittering with many colors. It also had the Capybara, the largest rodent in the world. It looked like a giant rat, but seemed very peaceful.

Ecuador Rain Forest

The biggest tank we saw was the ‘Pacific Ocean’ exhibit. It had the majestic Blue Whale, the largest mammal in the world, and the Scalloped Hammerhead. It was kind of surprising to us that the Blue Whale and Scalloped Hammerhead didn't fight over territory or food.

Pacific Ocean

The most interesting exhibit was the ‘Japan Deep’ exhibit. It had the Japanese Spider Crab, the biggest crab in the world. It was huge for a crab, probably bigger than my face! It also had the Giant Isopod, which looks like a big piece of lice. I was getting a bit tired of walking around at this point; the Takoyaki was still settling, and the Giant Isopod wasn't helping.

Japan Deep

Our favorite exhibit was the ‘Arctic’ exhibit. You could look up at the seals swimming above you and down at them from the floor above. It felt like we were actually in the Arctic, swimming with the seals! On second thought, that would be kind of cold. It was awesome seeing the world of the seal from an upside-down perspective.

Arctic

We also got to see a new exhibit, ‘The Face - Secret about face of fish’ exhibit. It was all about the different features on a fish’s face. We also got to see the first ever Megamouth shark and tried a camera that put your face on a fish’s. Tristen thought that the fish's face looked better than Sirvaad's, and we all laughed at that (except for Sirvaad, of course).

The Face - Secret About The Face Of Fish Exhibit

After finishing up at the aquarium, we relaxed for a bit, then went to dinner and back to the hotel. Today was really fun, and I can't wait for tomorrow!

Written by Rohan