Depart Jacksonville : 9:26 am United Airlines to Chicago arr. 11:10 am
Depart Chicago: 12:10 pm United Airlines to Tokyo arr. 3:05 pm

Today was really rough. It was about 14 hours combined getting from Jacksonville to Tokyo. The first leg, from home to Chicago, wasn't so bad. The plane was a little cramped, but it was okay. But from Chicago to Tokyo was really rough. 12 hours on a plane is not fun. Having to sit for so long in semi-cramped quarters is not something I want to do again. Narita Airport was an interesting experience. We disembarked on the runway and rode a shuttle to the terminal. From there, it was a long trek up and down several floors to get to Immigration, then another set of stairs to get to Customs, and then getting out money changed into Yen. And we ended up missing our train. But we caught another one and made it to our hotel a little later than originally planned. The train ride was pretty cool. It was very roomy and very fast and we got to see a lot of interesting things on the way to Ueno where our hotel was. --ariss

Transfer via Keisei Skyliner to Keisei Ueno
Check in: Kinuyu Hotel 2-14-28 Ueno Taitoku, Tokyo phone: (03) 3833-1911 (-5) fax: 03-3833-1915 info@kinuyahotel.jp
Walking tour of Ueno-koen Park and Ameyayokocho Arcade

windmill, rice paddies, and a hedge that spelled eve. and i wondered if those who lived by the tracks heard the train zoom by, and if it bothered them or if they were used to it. the cars look american, or maybe american cars look japanese, except we drive on the right side rather than the left. today is a blur like when the busses pass in opposite directions. you can`t really make out anything and before you know it, it has passed. and i keep wanting to cry when i try to fathom it all. all the people! living on the other side of the world an i had no idea. i still have only a vague one. then i wanted to laugh because of how silly we all are, but i had nobody to laugh with, so i stared amused out the window.--meredith

OMG we're in Tokyo!It's such a crazy city. There's neon lights galore here... everything is so lit up and flashy. We spent some time cruising downtown and checking out some of the stores around here. Can't wait 'til I've had more sleep and I can spend more time checking things out. All in all, despite the loooong plane ride, it's been a great first day.--megan

Morning Discussion in Ueno Park
Subway tour to Asakusa and Senso-ji temple
Tokyo CITY AS TEXT small group exploration—cutural site visits
Evening discussion

Ohayoo Gozaimasu! This morning Catherine and I woke up at 4am to a huge crow outside on our balcony. It was already light outside and the city was very much alive so we went for a walk in Ueno Park. About 6:30am when we got close to this pond, about the size of a city block, music started playing and all of a sudden just about everyone in the park stopped and started doing exercises. It was so great! Everywhere we looked there were people, young and old, copying the exercise moves being done by a couple people up on a small platform. We decided we are going to join them tomorrow morning.--kelsey

Our first real day started off busy enough. We visited Sensoji temple. The lane leading up to the temple was sandwiched between various booths on both sides selling their wares. In front of the temple there were little devices for obtaining a fortune. I got a good one. The temple itself was amazing. To look around at the people and the level of respect they showed for the various fixtures of the building. More than one little old lady gave a deep bow before hobbling out.--matthew

We had a great discussion in the morning with the group and then took the subway to a temple and very populated shopping area. We then broke up into groups and visited an educational area of our choosing. Our group went to the sword museum which challenged us to find the way on our own. We had a total of 17 stops to get through and had to switch between subways and buy a train ticket but we did it and are much more confident in our traveling skills.--kyle

Today has been quite the experience for us all, our first whole day in Tokyo. We started the day out with a nice journal and book discussion in the park adjacent to our quaint hotel. The park is full of beautiful trees, a peculiar sight for being in the middle of a bustling city. Our next stop was the Senso-ji Temple. We walked through a long marketplace where they sold everything from candied apples to Geisha dolls. The temple was really neat and there should be some pictures coming soon. We had an interestin encounter with what Junko, our guide, thought was a member of the Yakuza. For those who don`t know who they are, the Yakuza are the notorious gang in Japan. Meredith calls them `gangstas`. They run most of the Pachinko parlors. This guy in bright yellow pants approached Dino and started aggresively slurring at us. We had no idea what he was saying, but Junko said he was angry because we were in the way. She apologized for us, and he stormed away, shattering his drink bottle at our feet. Not exactly a fine example of the politeness we expected, but most everyone else has been. After the temple, we went our separate ways to complete our first CITY AS TEXT assignment- finding a museum and travelling at least three stops on the subway....--katharine

Morning Discussion in Ueno Park
Tokyo CITY AS TEXT small group exploration—cutural site visits
Guest Speaker on Japanese and American culture
Sumo tournament

On our last night in Tokyo, we finally got to view a sumo match, and not on TV either. We were there!!! We arrived at the sumo arena during the latter part of the daily bouts. It was interesting to hear a bunch of Japanese guys all screaming out their favorite wrestler's name behind us, while we were snacking on Japanese snacks. Personally, my night was even more exciting due to accidentally purchasing an alcoholic beverage (thats what happens when you don't read or speak the language). The sumo arena was very nice; cleaner than most sports venues I have been to. The bottom part closer to the ring, or dohyo, is made up of zabuton (cushion) seats while the upper part has conventional seats. As in every place in Japan there were some very steep stairs. Since seeing sumo in person it has been much more exiting to watch it on television. Our hotel lobby in Takayama is a regular gathering place for watching sumo on most afternoons. We cheer as loudly as we would for our favorite football team. Well, maybe not... but we cheer...---dino

the trip has been soo soo fun so far! We went to a sumo match today...that was a really awesome experience. It is a bit difficult to explain in type...but we all got really into it and started betting our 1 yen pieces on people. It was great fun. Today I also got super lost in the zoo with Kristin and Nicole. We had a few hours to kill before the match so we walked around the zoo and then could not get out when we tried to leave. Every time we went to go look at a map the map changed. Like the you are here would be at the top on one map and at the bottom on the next. It was soo confusing. When we finally got out of the zoo we were on the opposite side of the park so we had to trek it back. So yeah that was an memorable experience. Anyway I am having an awesome time here and I am soo soo glad I got to come. I think I will be talking non stop about this when I get back...---kyla

Wow! The tournament was so exciting. You're on the edge of your seat every second. The guy who is kind of like the ref. of the game is elaborately dressed and the sumo wrestlers are actually very toned and flexible. It takes a lot of strength to move all that weight. The wrestleing itself lasts only a few seconds but the people in the stands are so pumped. Everyone cheers on their favorite and their loudness depends on how much sake they've had. ^_^ We even got to see the big Yakazuna (the top ranking sumo of the country) fight a challenger. He retained his title but hurt his hip that night, as we found out on the news. After his fight there was a bow twirling performance. It was an incredible site and I hope to some day go to another tournament.--maria

My group was trying to figure out how we were going to find our way to the Sword Museum. The Sword Museum was far out of the way, and we had to change subways a few times, and once even switched to a train, but we still found it much easier than we thought we would have. All the info on the swords was in kanji, or maybe hiragana, regardless we couldn't read it.... I wanted to see the Edo-Tokyo Museum, but no one else did, so instead I just went there by myself. Chuck and Scott okayed it anyway. It would have been easy enough to find my way there, but it was made even easier by a kindly Japanese couple who rode half the way there with me. The Edo-Tokyo Museum was a historical museum tracing the history of the area, from its earliest beginnings, to its development as the castle-town of Edo, then into Tokyo, culminating with the "Pacific War"(WW2), and its aftermath. The museum was well worth the trip, especially because of my previous knowledge from reading Shogun.--matthew

The Sumo Tournament! It was the coolest! These guys are sooo serious. Who knew there would be so much energy to the game?? Here's how a sumo match goes: Theres two sumo wresters who face off to each other in the center of a circle. The first few times they face each other, they raise their legs as high as they can over their heads and stomp their feet at each other (for big men, they're way limber). Then they leave the circle for a minute. Before they can come back in, they throw salt in the ring to purify it. They face each other 3-4 times, stomping and beating their legs and staring each other down. Then, when they are ready to fight, they give each other some signal and then BAM! They slam into each other! Within a few seconds, one is either on the ground or out of the ring, and the other wrestler has won the match. It's sooo much fun!--megan

Depart Tokyo: 9:00 am--Bus from Shinjuku to Takayama--arr. 2:30 pm
Check in: Rickshaw Inn 54 Suehiro-cho Takayama Gifu Japan 506-0016 phone: 0577-32-2890 Fax: 0577-32-2469 rickshwaw@gix.or.jp www.Rickshawinn.com
Walking tour of Takayama, including Sanmachi Suji—the old merchant quarters
Evening discussion

Well, after a six hour bus trip I'm finally in the mountain city of Takayama. Its name means little Kyoto. The trip actually went by very quickly because the scenery was so amazing. We traveled up huge, cloud covered mountains and over raging rivers. We even went through an active volcano. The city is very nice. It has lots of shopping and restaurants but still has a very rustic feel. I love it here. I think I like it better than Tokyo. Today I went to Hida No Sato, a historical village. It's like a Japanese Willamsburg. We saw how people lived and worked as far back as the 1600s and as recent as the early 1900s. Well, I have to go now so I'll tell you all more about Takayama real soon.--maria

We got on a bus for Takayama from Tokyo. The bus ride was nice, About six hours long but nice. Takayama is in the mountains, so the ride was very scenic. The mountains were so beautiful. From the bus we saw the green, green mountains, and the torrid river down below. The water was a jade green color in some places, muddy brown in others. There were wispy clouds lacing through the mountains and rivulets and waterfalls tumbling down the rocks and through the trees. Once we got to Takayama we walked 20 minutes to our hotel. My shoulders were sore from carrying my duffelbag! We have done 2 city as text assignments and I am loving it. Food is so much easier to find here than is was in Tokyo! We have found a great convenience store that I love. Sometimes we just buy stuff to find out what it tastes like because we can't read the labels. Sometimes we are pleased and other times we're not, but it's all for education, right?--lauren

Becky, megan and i ventured out to check out the local reggae bar. it was so cool. we had so much fun, the bar was small and was decorated in like rasta colors. they had bob marley playing on the stereo and old bob marley concerts on the tv. i was most surprised to see that there is rasta culture in japan...who knew?--claire

Morning discussion
Takayama CITY AS TEXT group exploration---cutural site visits including Hida-no-sato outdoor mountain village museum and Higashiyama Teramachi temple walk
Evening discussion

This is our third night here in Takayama. It is very beautiful and picturesque. Today was our second cultural site assignment. Yesterday we were put in groups of five and were given two sites to explore one in the morning one in the afternoon. The first site was either Hida No Sato or a path called Higashiyama Teramachi with many shrines and temples. We got to Hida No Sato and afterwards had to pick a museum. We picked the Folk Art Museum. Today we reversed order and places. We went to the Archeology museum in the morning and the path with the shrines this afternoon. My favorite part was all of the lush flora and fauna. Everything here seems to be thriving. The town here is also quaint and lovely. Kyla and I went to the morning market this morning....--devon

Morning Discussion
Takayama REGION AS TEXT small group exploration and cutural site visits
Evening discussion

I still woke up at 5 a.m. this morning but it was cool because I got up, wrote in my journal, took a jog through town, and visited the adorable morning market, all before our 8 a.m. class meeting. I like waking up early here. There is so much to do and I want to take advantage of every second that I have. Plus I go to bed pretty early Takayama, the place we are in now, is not a party city. Its a quaint mountain town so I'm still getting a good night sleep. I think its safe to say that I am fully adjusted to the time here. So, yesterday I visited my first spring, called an onsen. It was beyond amazing. Its a public bath, and completely nude. The sexes are segregated, though, which is a good thing, I feel. I have to say it was the most liberating experience of my life!! The Japanese do not have the same hang ups about nudity that we do. Though of couse no one would ever walk around naked in public, going to a public bath house is nothing to be ashamed of. I felt very awkward at first... being nude in public is not a Western ideal! But it didn't take long for everyone, including myself, to ease up and feel completely comfortable with the situation. First thing you do when you get there is bathe. There are little seats in front of mirrors in a room where everyone sits together. Theres shampoo and conditioner and stuff that makes your hair feel WONDERFUL. Then you wash your body... the Japanese are very clean people, so you cannot enter the springs without being clean. When we were done, we walked out to the Spring. Some springs, like the one we are going to in a couple of days, are outside in nature. This one was gorgeous and had natural spring water, but was in a natural looking, covered place. The spa is owned by a hotel, so its very day-spa looking. The mineral water feels so great on your skin! By the time we left, everyone was soooo relaxed and felt so clean. My skin feels glowing today! My legs and arms and face are sooo soft and my hair feels healthy. You leave with this sense of calm and relaxation that is indescribable. Afterwards, we went out for sushi that was out of this world. I tried the weirdest thing... ya know those deep water fish with the light bulbs on their head, like from Finding Nemo? I tried that, and it was soooo good.... So, I have to say that all in all, my onsen experience made this the best night I have had in Japan so far. I am an addict now... I can't wait to go again and see different types of onsens. The next time we go, we are going to find one that is outdoors.--megan

FREE DAY

We had a free day today, so Kelsey, Kyla, and I left at 7:30 this morning for Kamakochi National Park. It was an amazing experience. As our bus creeped up the mountainous terrain, the Japanese Alps rose in the not so far distance. After haphazardly guessing whether or not each bus stop was the right one. We finally decided to hop off and begin our trek along a rushing river through the Japanese Alps. The water was a stunning green-blue, cold, and clear. The wind began only as a cool, crisp breeze, but as we reached the 2 hour mark we crossed the river for our return trip to the bus stop in hopes of catching the last bus back to Takayama. The wind picked up, the rain poured down, and it began to feel like we were deep in the Alps. It was amazing.--catherine

Today was our free day so Catherine, Kyla and I decided to be adventurous and go somewhere outside of Takayama…we choose Kamikochi which is a national park at the base of the Japan Alps. We left this morning on the bus for a 1.5 hour ride which took us to the park. When we were in Tokyo it seemed that a lot of people spoke at least basic English and many of the signs were in English too. Here in Takayama though that is not the case so it can be very interesting trying to find our way around. After almost getting off at the wrong bus stop, we finally made it to Kamikochi. It was BEAUTIFUL! It was clear outside so we could see the snow-capped Alps around us. We got an English map, though, not unlike most of the maps here, it wasn’t too helpful. So we started following the trail not quite sure where we would end up. All along the way there was what we think was some sort of bamboo growing much like the ferns do in Florida. The trees were huge!! We were quite amused by the way many of the Japanese people we passed along the way were dressed…men in three-piece suits with their briefcases, school girls dressed in their uniforms, couples who were all decked out with backpacks, hiking boots, ice axes even though the path we were on didn’t lead to anywhere that they would need that type of gear. When we walked by someone and greeted him/her in Japanese they would get very excited and smile or laugh replying back to us. It was great! After hiking for a little over an hour it began to rain on us…we were crossing over a bridge and it must have been –15 degrees there with the wind from the river, the rain and the freezing cold air!! Well maybe not that cold, but somewhere around there. It rained for the rest of our hike so by the time we got back to the bus station we were all quite frozen. We were sitting waiting for our bus and this sweet lady walked by, stopped, and started frantically looking through her backpack. She pulled out this bag and came over and handed us three pins that she had made from old kimonos. We thanked her and asked (through hand motions and pointing) if she would be in a picture with us…she got so excited and started giggling as she posed with us. It was sooo sweet!--kelsey

Morning Discussion
CAT Scavenger Hunt Exploration (Nature as Text cancelled due to typhoon)
Evening discussion

Today we divided up into teams of 4 for a scavenger hunt in Takayama. I felt like we were on the “Amazing Race.” Our team decided that we could probably accomplish the most in the fastest time by renting bicycles. It was great fun.... Communicating with the people here can be quite challenging at times, but for the most part everyone we have talked to has been very patient with us. After the scavenger hunt was over (our team found everything the fastest!) we picked up some ice cream (the only thing appropriate to eat on the go)and rode our bikes back in the drizzling rain. --kelsey

Originally, today's assignment was supposed to be Nature-as-Text--to find a nature site and explore it, but the approaching typhoon had brought bad weather. Instead, we were given a scavenger hunt. We were sent out in groups of four with a list of thirty things to find in Takayama, which we then documented with a photo. Armed with our maps and guide books, my group didn't have much difficulty in finding all of the things.... At the beginning of our evening meeting, Tomomi-san, the young woman who worked at the front desk who'd been so very helpful during our stay, was kind enough to play the koto for us. She did really great and everyone loved it.
Japanese Food Item Eaten: soba (buckwheat) noodles.
Scavenger Hunt List:
* post office
* ATM
* railroad station
* Enakagawa River
* hospital
* day care center
* minshuku
* bank
* Tourist Information Office
* school
* youth hostel
* pay parking lot
* sacred tree
* Fudo Myoo sculpture
* business hotel
* international telephone
* Japanese-style toilet
* torii
* taxi
* bicycle rental
* kite
* Shishi Kaikan
* Nakaboshi Bridge
* Inro Bijutsukan
* rickshaw
* Kokubunji Pagoda
* float
* ikebana
* pachinko parlor
* noodle shop
* Japanese tourists
--ariss

Takayama Morning Market
Depart Takayama 9:42 am--Shinkansen Train via Nagoya to Kyoto--arr. 1:20 pm
Walking tour of Higashi Hongan-ji Temple and Kyoto Station area
take bus # 26: Check in Utano Youth Hostel 29 Nakayama-cho,Uzumasa, Ukyo-ku,Kyoto,Japan 616-8191 TEL 075(462)2288 FAX 075(462)2289 http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/utano-yh/
Evening discussion

Last night the receptionist here played her koto (a weird, neat sounding Japanese instrument) for us and we gave her a shirt. She was very sweet.... There's a typhoon that's going to pretty much hit up the opposite coast from us, so we're getting a lot of rain and it's a little cold, but other than that we're good.--lauren

Riding the Shinkansen train was pretty cool. And it went really fast. It only took us a little over an hour to get from Nagoya to Kyoto Station. Kyoto Station is amazing. Its huge: it acts as the central station for the JR Lines running in Kyoto, the bus station, and its got a big mall and a hotel. Its about twelve stories tall, with the entire 11th floor being nothing but restaurants. The 12th floor is actually the Sky Garden, sort of an observation deck, and the view is pretty good.--ariss

Wow! I never expected Kyoto to be so big or modern! I'm surprised but I love it. We took Japan's famous bullet train to get from Takayama to Kyoto. It actually floats on magnets so it was a really smooth ride. When the class arrived in Kyoto we got to look around the Kyoto station. It is so big that it has a theater, food court, art galleries, and even a 10 story mall (12 stories if you count the 2 basement floors). We are staying at a youth hostel here. --maria

Fushimi Inari--Guest Lecturer and Guided Hiking Tour by Dr. Catherine Ludvik
Group visit to Sanjusangendo Temple
Evening discussion

Today was our first day waking up at Utano Youth Hostel, yay! This is a great experience for us as young travellers, because the meals are available, we stay in community housing in rooms that sleep 8, and the bathrooms are onsen-style, woohoo! This is a plus for some, but as for others, the other visitors will have to get used to us bathing in swimsuits :) Open rooms with bath stations and a hot tub, segregated between men and women of course, but naked as you like....

Today was awesome, as our new friend Catherine, a professor teaching religion here in Japan, informatively guided us through Fushimi-Inari, a Shinto shrine in Kyoto. We followed a 2.5 mile path through the hills, into a mystical forest of ancient faith and practice. As we walked through bamboo trees on a stone trail, we passed under 1,000 sacred 'torii' gates that had been donated over the years and incribed with the kanji of contributing families. Along the way around the loop leading up to a scenic view of Kyoto, we encountered stones representing various 'kami' spirits that continue to be visited and worshipped by the people of Japan. While stopped at the 'echo pond', some of us shared a moment as the sounds of Scott's flute floated through the trees. Visitors, koi fish in the pond, and kami spirits alike all touched a 'peace' of the universe -together-today....

After the hike, most of the group enjoyed a meal at a Japanese-style restaurant, before we all headed to Sanju-Sangen-do, a Buddhist Temple a short train ride from the Shinto Shrine. Here we had the opportunity to see the National Treasure statue of Buddhist deity, 'Kannon', who is surrounded by his 1,000 member army, 500 on each side. The temple was a huge display of gold colored cypress carved figures, that had been made by families back in the day. We also got to learn about the crazzy archery contests they held at the temple, as a record archer was said to have shot 13,000 arrows in a 24 hour day, which is 544/hr and 9/minute!!!! We're not sure how accurate the records are, but how insane to think of the possibility!...

Anyhoo, so we all dispersed near the bus station for dinner, while some of the group found an amazing Italian restaurant, with a real Italian waiter and real lobster to eat! An expensive treat, but apparently worth every penny. Personally, i chose the supermarket route, as a couple of us discovered a local grocer with killer deals. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way that some grocery stores don't supply bags, so Claire and I had to get creative on the walk back to the hostel. Fortunately, the eggs survived :)...

Our discussions are getting better by the day, as we are delving into the world of Zen and Japanese spirituality. I look forward to the temple and garden visits that lay in the next few days, and especially the Zen monk who is teaching us zazen (sitting meditation). We're holding well and growing strong in this enchanting world of the East, as we are learning to treasure every moment as a precious gem'. After all, no day will ever be like today :)--bEcKy

Morning Discussion
Kyoto CITY AS TEXT Walking tours with Kyoto University students
Evening discussion

Today at the ryoan-ji rock garden our student guide told us something interesting. there are 15 rocks in the garden, but no matter where you are around the garden you can only see 14. she asked, "where is the 15th?" i pointed to a cluster of rocks to the far left and said, "i think it is behind those" while katherine pointed to another group and said she thought it was behind those. Asuki lauged and said that according to zen buddhist thought, the 15th one is in your heart. and then i imagined the 14 rocks being the ones out in the open, and the 15th being the one withheld, your own rock that can't be seen by others. it is good to have a healthy rock hidden, i think. i remember every day here, and i don't regret having come at all.--meredith

Today we went on a "cultural treasure hunt" Some students who were pen pals with some of our group came and helped us around the city. We had to go to at least one temple and one cultural site. Our guides name was Tetsuya. He was really nice and helpful and a little shy. But most Japanese people are. We had a really good time. Our first stop was Myoshinji temple. There was a beautiful mural on the ceiling of a dragon. Then we ate lunch at a little restaurant.--devon

Today we saw monkeys! There is this place in Kyoto called Monkey Garden, but we decided it would be better named monkey mountain. You hike up this beautiful mountain (hence the name), and at the top there are lots of monkeys. There are no bars or fences or anything, just a bunch of monkeys hanging out. It was so neat to be close to them without cages. You can feed them from inside an enclosure so they dont mob you. That was pretty much our day, we saw a few temples and gardens and these people carrying a shrine down the street. That was pretty cool and made us late for our meeting but it was all good. Later!--lauren

Today we were broken into groups and taken around town by some students from local universities. Our guide, Haruka, took us to Kinkakuji Temple, famous for the Golden Pavilion, and Nijo Castle. It was really crowded at Kinkakuji.... There also appeared to be some sort of event going on in the pavillion proper (a tea ceremony, I think), so there were also tons of people in traditional Japanese dress (mostly women in kimono). Nijo Castle was interesting. We did the tour and garden walk. The most interesting thing saw were the nightingale floors, a construction technique that makes floors make a noise that sounds sort of like a song when stepped on, thus the name. The garden was pretty cool, and the view from one of the guard towers was great.--ariss

Morning Discussion
Kyoto CITY AS TEXT Group Research Projects—data gathering

We have been going to lots of temples and shrines and OMG...I climbed a mountain TWICE in two days. VERY literally climbed a mountain. We went to this shrine area and there was this walk up the mountain, climbing stairs, through these thousands of torii. It was a really awesome experience but it was incredibly exhausting. Then the next day we went in groups on tours guided by these Japanese students. TONS of fun. Our group chose to go to the monkey museum....haha..it was great. But we had to climb another mountain. The view was INCREDIBLE though. Wow. Tomorrow we are going to have this meditation session with an abbot so that should be pretty cool. --kyla

Wandering about kyoto today was unsuccessful for a long time. wrong busses, wrong routes, adventure amidst fatigue. but eventually we ended up in the right place and had a delightful interview with potters in Gion for our city as text project. we left there in good spirits and headed for kyoto station and then headed on back to the hostel. i keep learning so much....--meredith

Tomorrow we present the information from our City as Text projects. The topics are things like Japanese College Culture and The Development of Pottery in Japan. today we broke into groups and gathered information for our projects by doing interviews, taking pictures and making observations. All the reports will be really interesting.--lauren

ZEN MEDITATION AT DAITOKU-JI LED BY ABBOT TAIUN MATSUMI
KYOTO CITY AS TEXT GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

Zen meditation lesson today. Now that is some tough stuff. My mind wanders like you wouldn't believe! I kept trying to recenter and count my breaths and keep my posture, but my mind rambled about all sorts of things past and future. It felt like so long, but it was really not at all. I think I want to try to get better at emptying my mind. I'll have to practice that. Kyoto's bus system is complex. I wish I had a day to just get on a bus and get lost. That would be fun, I think.--meredith

Yesterday, we had an important City-As-Text assignment. Again in groups, we went to various places to research and observe something about Japan. We then had to organize our findings for a presentation this evening. This morning, we went to Daitokuji Temple, where we met with the abbot there and practiced some zazen meditation. It was really hard sitting in the half lotus position after awhile, but I got through it. It was an interesting experience. After returning to the hostel and planning our group's presentation, I went to a big market at Kitano Tenmangu Temple. It only happens once a month, on the 25th, and there's all kinds of cool stuff. The closest thing to describe it would be a combination between a flea market and one of the carnivals/festivals in anime. I mostly just walked around and looked at stuff and bought what would become my dinner. Taiyaki is the best stuff ever.--ariss

It was like a time machine nestled into a corner of a side road of Gion. It was where i connected with a part of history--a unique part of Japanese history. It was a magical place for what it gave to me. It was a salon that painted my face all in porcelein white with baby soft pink eyeshadow and seductive red lipstick, a salon that bound ropes and yards of beautiful fabric over every inch of my body, except the back of my neck. The back of my neck they kept untouched. A headdress of sculpted black lacquer hair was placed on my head. And there i was standing in front of a full length mirror gazing into a face I hardly believed was me, Katharine the Geisha. I could barely walk. Breathing was difficult since under the nicely smoothed obi i had the equivalent of a rudimentary corset. I was worried i would smear my beautiful makeup or fall off the wobbly wooden shoes that were about four sizes too small. But the feeling, oh the feeling! I have never felt more impressive, like a work of art. When i walked down the street, people stopped, stared and took pictures, and it was not just Western tourists, but Japanese too. I had the attention of everyone and i did not have to say a word. It was just the look. The same innocent yet seductive look that stopped men in their tracks back when hundreds of geisha roamed the streets of Gion. It was an unforgettable experience, a chance that does not come around often. It is funny though. While observing all the people observing me, I could not help but think 'I wonder if they know I'm American.' --katharine (mythos/logos/ethos)

Depart Kyoto Station 10:37am--Train via Atami to Shimoda--arr. 2:46 pm
local bus transfer to Shirahama Beach
Check in Pension Sakuraya phone: 0558-23-4470 Fax: 0558-27-213 pension@izu-sakuraya.jp www.izu-sakuraya.jp
Afternoon swim
Evening discussion

We’re at the BEACH! We arrived this afternoon at Shirahama Beach on the Izu Peninsula …its beautiful! There are mountains right next to the ocean! We played on the beach for a little while once we got here (the water is super cold!) and had an impromptu science lesson from Dr Paulson about all the little critters and seaweed that were living and floating in and around the rocks. The place we are staying here is really nice, however it located pretty far up an incredibly steep hill which wasn’t much fun to climb with all of our luggage. We should all be in really good shape by the end of this trip though!--kelsey

Morning discussion
Shimoda CITY AS TEXT small group exploration—cutural site visits
Afternoon discussion at Shimoda Harbor

I had a dream that I ruled the waves: It truly was the land of the rising sun. I could see the rays dancing on the surface of the blue-green ocean. The sea gently rose and fell as i paddled out. I felt the soothing swell and breathed in the briny air. Waves flowed one over another. I caught the first one and rode it all the way to shore. I felt a rush of excitement when the colossal mountain of water hit my body. I lifted myself onto the board and felt the wind on my face. I didn't know where the board stopped and I began. All I knew was that i was flying. Flying and gliding across waves that looked like painted glass under a foreign sun.--nicole (mythos/logos/ethos)

Morning Discussion
NATURE AS TEXT ASSIGNMENT (e.g. hiking, surfing, onsen visit, beach explorations)
Beach Bonfire and Fireworks

The feeling of a wave, pure liquid energy, moving you forward. There is nothing like the feeling. I'm standing where I wasn't meant to stand: on water, riding a wave. Surifing is very interesting because of its connection with nature. All you have is yourself, a board and the ocean. Trying to surf would have been an interesting experience anywhere, on any sea, but the beauty of the Pacific and the Izu peninsula in Japan made it just that much more special.--dino

Strangely, living in Florida I never really had a desire to go surfing before. However, when told that we might get the chance to surf in Japan, I started wishing that i knew how to surf. Knowing that other people in the class had never surfed before and were still willing to go out there and give it a shot gave me more courage. The next day I went to the rental shop, got a wetsuit and surfboard, and hit the waves with a few others from the class. Scott gave us a quick lesson on the sand and then took us out into the Pacific for the first time with a surfboard. We practiced lying, sitting and paddling on the board, but the first time I felt the wave under me carrying my board along at high speed towards the shore, the thrill hooked me. Even after everyone else had left to go pursue other activities, nicole and i remained in the ocean with a clear goal: stand up once. For six hours we "surfed" with the locals, basking in the feel of the cold Pacific water. To top it all off, the scenery of Shirahama was absolutely breathtaking. I had never been on a beach that beautiful before; the water was blue and clear, and the beach was enclosed by forested hills, overlooked by a red Shinto torii, making the place unmistakably Japanese. When we finally emerged from the waves, bruised, sore and exhausted, I felt like a million dollars.--kristin (mythos/logos/ethos)

Shirahama Beach was the best! Kyle and I (and everyone else) went surfing. It was so fun! I was able to stand up and actually ride a whole wave. It was the best experience ever! Kyle and I also went to the Shimoda aquarium which was fun and we hiked some.--liz

The past days were spent at shirahama beach and it was amazing!!!! i rented a surfboard and a wet suit yesterday and surfed all day- it was soooo cool. that was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip.--claire

We went surfing today—it was GREAT!! I think I have found a new hobby :-) Catherine and I rented a board and spent the afternoon trying to get the hang of it. My lack of coordination, gracefulness, and timing made it quite challenging, though a couple of times I did manage to stand up on the board very briefly before falling off! Tonight we are having an almost-the-end-of-the-trip celebration down on the beach…..fireworks…food….music…should be fun :)--kelsey

Depart Shimoda 12:27 pm---Shinkansen to Tokyo Station---arr. 3:06 pm Transfer to Ueno on Yamanote line
Check in: Kinuyu Hotel (see above for hotel info.)
Guest Lecture on Japanese economy by Susumu Okamato

Hey! So we're all back in Tokyo again for the last time. I'm kinda sad that my trip will be over in two days.... I have truly enjoyed the sights, sounds, and people (can't say I've always enjoyed the smells here--one word, squid!), and thank goodness for the friendships I've made. Many will last a lifetime, I am sure. But this trip has also made me thankful for home, for family, and for just being able to understand what people are saying when they speak to me! With all due respect, honor, and humility, it sometimes is scary to not know what the person across the counter is saying to me. I'm always afraid of offending someone or confusing them. Anyway, I digress. My point is, I recommend that everyone travel abroad somehow,sometime, some way, because it is one of the most rewarding, eye-opening, humbling, fascinating, and challenging things I've ever done.--christen

Morning Discussion
Optional day trip with Junko to Kamakura
Pilgrimage visits and cultural free day
Evening discussion

Today is our last day and i must admit, it has been one of my favorites. i naturally woke up at 6am and started the day full of energy and ready to go! yes, i know that is something that would never be possible back home, but i am in japan. becky and megan then joined me on my personal pilgrimage to the john lennon museum. the museum was amazing!!!! never have i been to a museum where i was so interested in@every single detail. the layout of the museum was really cool too. i cant wait till i get back to tell everyone how moving the whole experience was for me...is that weird that i am in japan and am deeply touched by a museum that does not exactly have much to do with japan per se??? well the point of the museum being in japan was to have a bridge connecting the east and the west-- so in a sense, that is exactly what i did!--claire

The Bandai Museum was awesome. It took a bit of work to get there, but it was definitely worth it. I found out about it first when we got off the train at Tokyo Central Station from Shimoda so when we got to the hotel, I went online to look it up. I eventually found a few newsposts about it and learned that it was outside of the Matsudo Station in Tokyo. So I whipped out my Tokyo city map and started looking for Matsudo. And I found it. So I planned my trip for the next day. Getting to the museum was pretty hard. We (two people decided to come with me) had to ride the subway and a train. Matsudo was way out there, in the outskirts of the city. It was a long ride, and we got lost a few times. Hopped the wrong train, got lost around the station, and then when we got to Matsudo, we couldn't find the building. So we went into a convenience store and I asked for directions. It was on the other side of the station, so off we went in search of it. And there it was, plain as day, a big building that said Bandai Museum on the side.... There were two major exhibits at the museum. The first we went to was the Gundam Museum. The second room had a full-sized Zaku II head with a moving mono-eye in it. And then there were all kinds of monitors showing simulations and a model of the NT-1 Alex's gattling arm. Then there was this shooting range game where you used a air gun replica of the Zaku's 150mm machine gun to fire pellets at a target. The gun was pretty heavy and there was a good bit of kickback, so its a good thing there was a side handle and a shoulder rest. The target I picked was the Gundam from the waist up and turned it into Swiss cheese. It was really cool. After the life-size waist-up Gundam replica, the museum led into a store. It had every piece of Gundam merchandise available, as well as some exclusive stuff. And it was good. After the Gundam Museum, we went down a floor to the Bandai Character Museum. It had a lot of stuff from things Bandai has had a hand in: Ranger sentai teams, Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and a ton of Super Robot stuffs. There was this one exhibit of Mazinger doing the Rocket Punch with his fist suspended across the room. There were so many SR-related toys there , I wish I could have gotten some. But they were really expensive. And they had vintage toys on display, too. Then I spent most of the rest of the afternoon and early evening in Akihabara's Electric Town (a section of Akihabara where the concentration of electrical and anime stuff is the highest). There were so many stores to buy electronics and stuff, hobby shops, and other neat places.--ariss

TSUKIJI FISH MARKET
Depart Ueno--11:20 am Keisei Skyliner to Narita airport--arr. 12:20 pm
Depart Tokyo--2:10 pm United Airlines to Chicago--arr. 11:45 am
Depart Chicago (delayed until 7:00 pm)United Air to Jacksonville--arr.10:30 pm

The Way is not straight and narrow
Nor is it wide of berth
It is the middle
Way of longing and desires
Release all this
Sit awhile in meditation
Contemplation
Searching for directions
But getting lost is not the end
Black is and is not white
Breathe two then repeat
Until the thoughtless thought remains:
'I know only satisfaction.'

Visiting Ryoan-ji temple was quite an experience for me. I sat in quiet contemplation. One thing really caught my eye, a water basin. The basin was adorned with four characters encircling a square. Our guide Asami explained that the kanji was a very important zen phrase: "I know only satisfaction." Not relying on material things to make up a person's worth, but rather finding peace inside yourself. How amazing to ponder the idea of feeling complete contentment with the world. I've spent many nights upon returning from Japan in quiet rumination, imagining myself staring into my own reflection in the water. I hope that the next time I visit Ryoan-ji I will be able to look at the basin and let my heart speak those words, 'i know only satisfaction.' --rachel (mythos/logos/ethos)