Farewells

Today is the final day of our program. I am very proud of our delegation as they really lived up to being Student Ambassadors. All delegates surpassed expectations and traveled like veterans. No medical needs, behavior concerns, or any issues whatsoever.

Our delegation was blessed with a local guide (Delegation Manager) who was experienced, courteous, and willing to help beyond the level of expectation. The leaders were there working collaboratively 100% to see that all elements of the program came off without a hitch.

It is early morning and all flights are scheduled "On Time."

This will most likely be the final chapter of the Blog. It has been a joy to share the experience with all who chose to follow along. I'm very proud of the delegates, and would travel anywhere in the world with any one of them.

See you soon,
John Hewitt

Zoom'n across Japan

Hello, John Hewitt here.

Today, July 16th, was a day of transportation and reflection. The delegation started off with a short bus ride. We swapped modes of transportation at Toyota City, near the home of Ichiro of the Seattle Mariners. The bullet train lived up to its reputation: on time, quick station stop, and smooth sailing for 2.5 hrs. We arrived in Hiroshima and a city guide by the name of Enime gave us all a living history lesson. At 8:15 AM, August 6th, 1945 the city stopped. It was a bussling port with families going about their business. Amid air raid signals and all-clear signals, the atom bomb was dropped, ending 350,000 lives instantly and prolonging pain for another 150,000 for years to follow.

The students toured Peace Park, and island where ground zero occured. Numerous memorials fill the gardens, but the Peace Bell and a display of origami cranes are a focal point. We added our own chain of cranes to the multitude. A self-guided tour of the Peace Memorial Museum brought many to tears and made the mission of People to People Student Ambassadors a living testimony.

Half of the delegation ventured beyond the hotel with 2 leaders to the neighboring bustling train station. The bright neon lights and every-moving bodies mezmorized the learning visitors. A quick pop into the ever-familair Mc'Ds always brings a smile. Menu offerings amuse and either soothe longings for familiar tastes or challenge others to try new items. I had the Shaka Shaka Chicken.

The delegates know the end is near with only 2 more nights followed by a couple of long flights.

They are doing great and you'd be very proud of your ambassadors.

Hiroshima after the atom bomb

Hiroshima

Homestay Farewell

My favorite moment in Japan......

(John Hewitt) My greatest moment in Japan so far is the authentic dinner we had on the last night in Tokyo.
(Dana Rasmussen) My greatest moment in Japan so far is standing next to the crater on Mt. Fuji and then looking back behind me over my shoulder at the dynamic and vast view. It was amazing!
(Ian Dampac) My greatest moment in Japan so far is exploring the city of Tokyo. There was a lot to see and I enjoyed the hot, humid weather.
(Will Knehr) My greatest moment in Japan so far was trecking up to the 6th station on Mt. Fuji and getting to the crater. It was the first time I did it, but it won’t be the last. ROCK ON!
(Preston Sahabu) [My favorite moment in Japan so far was] visiting the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. It was a very peaceful and serene courtyard that had a very spiritual aura about it.
(Jonathan Fine) So far, my favorite activity in Japan was relaxing in our hotel’s onsen (public hot springs)
(Brittany Hall) My greatest moment in Japan so far is walking in Shinjuku on the way to dinner and taking in all the sights and sounds. It was quite marvelous.
(Lindy Ann Schmidt) My favorite moment in Japan so far was hiking along Fuji and learning about its history.
(Evelina Vaisvilaite) I really loved going to the anime studio and receiving the opportunity to try and use my voice for the characters. We had a lot of fun adding our own twists to the character’s voices!
(Rachel Lockhart) So far my favorite moment was walking and shopping in Tokyo because it was a really good way to experience the culture and get to know each other better.
(Shannon Barnes) I’ve finally slept in a tatami room and sat in an onsen, and it was amazing~!
(Brittany Dorkin) My favorite moment so far was going to the Buddhist temple during the festival.
(Amy Sipanthong) I really loved walking through Harajuku and seeing all the amazing outfits and the cosplaying.
(Robbyn Pilon) The anime studio was super fun  I enjoyed using my man voice for Ken.
(Maddy Gentry) My favorite moment of the trip so far was the Meiji shrine in Tokyo, it was so peaceful and gorgeous. (Plus there was a nice, cooling breeze)
(Erin Voyk) My favourite moment was when we went to the voice dubbing in the anime studio. It was so funny it brought me to tears!
(Hong Ha Hoang) My favooritee part of the trip so far was…the last hotel we went to. The onsen was a great experience and I really loved the bonding time the whole group had <3
(Shanice Duong) My favorite part of the trip was when we were dubbing the anime show. We all had so much fun and we all had a good laugh 

(Tyler Jergenson) My favorite part of the trip so far was shopping in Harajuku. The stores were very small and open to the street and there were a lot of unique things to buy. It was very different from any shopping I’ve ever done in America. People there dress in very unique and abstract ways, it is a great feeling to not have to worry about being judged for what it is that you are wearing.
(Andrew Irwin) My favorite part of the trip was going to the Shinto shrine, it was beautiful, and I fell in love with the peace and tranquility of the area. You don’t find many places like that in Seattle.
(Jasmine Mueller) My favorite part of this trip so far has to be our stay at the hotel in Hakone! Hakone itself is so beautiful; it just seemed more relaxed than any town I’ve been to. The view from my room was gorgeous, it seemed like I was in another world. I saw the water and the green hills covered with clouds, I couldn’t stop looking. Sleeping in a Japanese style room on tatami, with a futon was the best sleep ever. It even had the Japanese style summer humidity, it really was a picturesque night.
(Emma Payne) My favorite part of the trip so far is probably when we went shopping in Harajuku. To me the clothes of a country is a great way to get a feeling for how the culture is. In Harajuku you could find everything from graphic tee shirts to Lolita dresses to kimonos. It showed just how unique Japan is and how everyone can dress however they want without being judged for it.
(Kaytlyn Eckerdt) There’s been a lot of fun that’s been going on in Japan so far, but I think that my favorite part has been when I was sitting in the lobby at the Grand Prince Hotel with a bunch of the other delegates. We were just sitting around telling jokes, making friends, and meeting the delegates from Virginia. It doesn’t sound like much but it was great to get some downtime and just be teenagers for a couple of hours. It was especially hilarious because just before we headed off to our rooms for curfew, a group of locals ran by and they were laughing really loudly and seemed to be having an even better time than we were, especially when one guy starting running and then prancing through the lobby hahaha priceless 
(Brandie Canales) There have been too many memories to count that have made my experience memorable, but one that is unforgettable would have to be the dinner in Hakone. I sat by some new people that I hadn’t previously had the chance to get acquainted with. I just started telling stories and they started sharing theirs. We got a little crazy there were multiple food challenges and I lived up to my title as the fearless dare devil. I know you aren’t supposed to play with your food but how can you resist if it’s still looking at you!? I spilled some soup on my lap and ate some eye balls!!! Haha you may only be able to live the moment once, but you can remember the moment forever. :)
(Kristina Arndt) My favorite memory so far was definitely the second night when Brandie and I were walking back to our room for curfew. We ran into one of the leaders from the Virginia. She was in her room and some of her delegates were talking to her. When we walked by she called after us. She was like, “Hey People to People people.” We turned around and she gave me and Brandie their umbrella. She said we were gonna need in. We brought it back to our room and we knighted ourselves. It was a blast, just like the rest of this life changing experience.
(Shelby Nell) My most favorite part so far is when our delegation hiked up Mt. Fuji-san. We hiked up about seven thousand feet above sea level, give or take. It was so beautiful and not to mention windy. It makes me appreciate short hair. I will never forget Mt. Fuji-san! :3
(Michael Vasil) My favorite memory so far was shopping in the tech capital of Tokyo, Akihara. It was very interesting to see the vast selection of electronics and the flaunting of the Japanese anime sensation. There were many video game, anime, video and comic book stores that we wandered about in. Everything was so foreign to us, the delegation, with the exception of the anime fanatics. It was such an adventure running around with Emily, Sara and Michael through the endless stores and not knowing a word of Japanese. The aura of the tech Mecca was exhilarating. I felt lost in translation, but to me, that makes the adventure more of a thrill. There are so many crazy, different things in this country! I’m a little intimidated by all of the alien things, but I know in a couple of days they will seem everyday for me.
(Emily Perkins) My favorite part was when we were in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office. Michael Vasil and I went to go to the recycling machine during lunch and we got lost! All the elevators went to different parts of the building and for the life of us we couldn’t find the one that went back to the cafeteria. One of them we went in was stuffed with Japanese business men and Michael went “Hey guys, do any of you speak English?” Every single one of them looked at him at the exact same time and glared at him. When they got off he said to me, “I’ll bet every single one of those guys spoke English.” I laughed so hard I almost peed.
(Sara Miller) So far, my favorite part of the trip has to have been the hot springs. I thought they were quite picturesque. I also enjoyed meeting and making new friends, who I will hopefully keep close for a long time. 
(Michael Mekonen) Well, I have to say my favorite activity about this trip would have to be when we visited the electronic street full of anime, manga, and everything that would satisfy all the men in Japan. It was an adventure with my new friends and an interesting experience with all the Japanese culture we saw in the back of the shops. There was plenty of things to buy and I’ve founds lots of souvenirs that would keep my friends laughing for a very long time!

July 14 & 15 Homestay Farewell & Hida Folk Village

Hi, this is Shanice Duong, I'm going to tell you what we have done the last couple of days in Japan.
On Wednesday, it was our last day at our homestay. :( We had to get all of our things packed up and ready to go. It was a sad day for everyone, we really loved our host families, they made it feel like a home for us. When the day was almost over, we had a farewell party near the 1998 Nagano Olympics. There was dancing, drums, and fireworks. Some of our delegation members got to play them.
On thursday, we went to Hida No Sato, a folk village and saw these very old fashioned houses. They're all made out of wood, and no nails. They were really amazing, these houses are still very strong and are able to survive in the winter. For lunch, we had a bento box, and udon.

July 10th Images

Konnichiwa, minasan!

Hello, everyone! This is Shannon Barnes, blogging from our hotel in Hakone.

We have had quite the day today! We started off in our hotel back in Tokyo, the Grand Prince, but left directly after breakfast on our three-hour (!!) bus ride to Mount Fuji. We were really lucky to be able to see it, because normally around this time of year the entire mountain is shrouded in clouds. It was clear today, and completely beautiful. The bus took us up to what's called the "Fifth Station," the highest point a car or bus can go, where we met our three guides for the day: Rugger, Mari, and Michi. The hike up to Sixth Station was ... intense. The path is unpaved and extremely uneven, so many people use something like short ski poles to keep their balance.

After Mount Fuji, we drove through a tunnel over to an area that has many hot springs. People boil eggs in the hot springs because the sulfur in the water turns the white part black! Once we'd had several of our delegates try the eggs (apparently better than regular hard-boiled eggs), we took a gondola back down the mountain. Seeing the peaks with the clouds in front of them was beautiful and absolutely amazing.

We then headed to our hotel, where we are now. The hotel is set up around an onsen, or natural hot springs, which form a sort of built-in hot tub. It's very relaxing after a long day hiking! Some of the delegates are also getting the opportunity to sleep on futon (mattresses) in a traditional Japanese tatami room.

July 9th Videos

Day 4 - July 9th

Hello family of the delegates! This is Lindsey Bouse, and I am the delegate from Oklahoma. Everyone here has been so great and I couldn't have asked for a better delegation to travel with.
Our day started off at the Imperial Palace, where we listened to our delegation manager Yoshimi talk about the history and the imperial family that lives there. It was amazing to see how big the palace was and also overwhelming to think of how much power and wealth the family has. After that, we shopped on a different street in Harajuku. Then we ate lunch at the Hard Rock where we were fed an American Cheeseburger and fries. It was yummy! After filling our tummies, we got on the bus and headed to Tokyo's Buddhist Shrine. There was some differences from the Shinto Shrine yesterday, like the incense burning. You would buy an incense stick for 100 yen, which is about a dollar, then heat the tip of it up. After that, you would put it into the big burning caldron. It is a Buddhist ritual, that you would put the incense smoke over your body to heal and protect your body parts from getting hurt or sore. Here is some of the local people worshipping




After visiting the Imperial Palace, we visited a different street in Harajuku with the top brands- Dior, Chanel, Lacoste, and unique shops. When we were dropped off by the bus, we saw a woman dressed in formal Komono being filmed where we were told not to take pictures and to stay away from the scene. Some of the delegates tried on hats in a trendy clothing shop.
The architecture of the shrine was magnificent and very different. The Shrine is one of the few that didn't get destroyed from the air raid in World War II. We so happened to visit the shrine during an annual festival. There was a lot of markets selling ornamental tomatoes, fish, and souvenirs. Everywhere we visited there was many people, shoulder to shoulder.

Overall the day was fun-filled with site seeing, great food, and lots of shopping.

Greetings from Tokyo

Hello from Tokyo.

The delegation is healthy and happy. The long flights were endured, and rewarded with a comfortable night in a hotel. All luggage made it with us...........yea! I hope to have delegates update and provide images and videa as often as possible. Internet access (wifi) is not readily available; so updating the blog may be limited. The temperature is very warm with high humidity. All are encouraged to keep hydrated. The itinerary is jam-packed full of time-consuming events. If the blog is not being updated, is simply means all is well and the students are having too much fun/adventure/education. Remember: no news is good news. :) You'd be very proud of your child, as they are doing a fantatic being an ambassador.

Dinner on July 8th.

Video of July 8th

In Tokyo

This is Jonathan Fine from Tokyo, Japan. After two plane rides (a ten-hour one and a two hour one, both with awesome entertainment screens for each seat), we took our bus to our current hotel, the grand prince takanawa hotel. that was yesterday. today we got up at 6 and ate a good breakfast at the hotel's buffet. After that, we toured a government building, made our way to the meijing shrine, did some shopping later, and even did voice-over for an anime clip! We ate dinner, and came back to the hotel and had a nice conversation. So, everything is going smoothly. We are getting a lot done, but also with tired feet and bodies. Plus, the humidity is uncomfortable, but maybe we'll get some rain soon. Ten days to go and tons left to do!

Korean Airline

Korean Airline.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_jEH61-GF8

Get Ready!

Japan, here we come!

Welcome to the Land of the Rising Sun blog.

Welcome to the Land of the Rising Sun blog.

It's going to be a great trip!

July 6th - July 19th

Stay tuned for more information and updates.