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!