Study abroad programs open our doors to the entire world. They give us a new vision about how we can keep our minds open, ready to accept new challenges throughout our lives. Korea and Japan, marvelous countries with hundreds of years of history, opened its arms to receive us with a warm welcome. It’s fascinating to remember how the few short weeks we planned were transformed into an experience of a lifetime that will be impossible to forget. Today, all that remains in each one of us are good memories, new friendships, and the joy of having been part of a cultural exchange that gave us the opportunity to leave a part of our lives in Korea and Japan.
South Korea and Japan, two beautiful countries visited in the unforgettable summer of 2015. These are some of thefavorite moments of the University of Illinois at Springfield students, captured in a collage of photographs as they meet new people, visit historical sites, and simply have fun in both Asian countries.
Bus ride from the airport, June 5th, Korea
Changdeokgung Palace, June 6th, Korea
Trying traditional clothing, June 8th, Korea
Meeting with students planning to study at UIS , June 8th, Korea
Dinner with students planning to study at UIS, June 8th, Korea
Martial arts demonstration at Golgulsa temple, June 9th, Korea
Downtown Tokyo, June 27th, Japan
Meditation at Johrin temple, June 13th, Japan
Welcome party at AIT , June 15th, Japan
“Ikebana� flower arrangement class, June 16th, Japan
Calligraphy class, June 16th, Japan
Meeting the Mayor of Ashikaga, June 19th, Japan
At the entrance of the Boys Hugh School , June 19th, Japan
Karaoke party, June 19th, Japan
Lace Doll Studio, June 22nd, Japan
Lunch at a restaurant / Music shop , June 24th, Japan
Ashikaga Gakko, June 24th, Japan
Matumura’s House, June 24th, Japan
Bsaketball game, June 24th, Japan
Sayonara party at AIT, June 26th, Japan
Downtown Tokyo, June 27th, Japan
Dinner during last day, June 27th, Japan
Throughout the trip, everyone created memories, some were good and some were bad. Many of them were captured through the lens of a camera. Each one of the pictures everyone took on this trip tells a story, whether it was the disgust for some food we tried in Korea that we saw in a K-Drama, or the serene beauty of the falls at Nikko. These Photos are and archive of the special memories tha each one of us made on this trip that we will live with for a lifetime.
Francisco the Fly This picture is one of my favorites for a few reasons. The first being that Francisco was just an awesome fly that followed me around for a short time, in this short time I made him into my pet. The picture also represents the incredible hike that part of the group made up the mountain. I do not remember the name of the mountain, but the hike up to the spot where an old Japanese castle was a blast. This was the first time I really hiked up a mountain in my life and it was a new experience that I would love to do again.
Host Family’s Meal This picture is one of my favorites for a few reasons. The first being that Francisco was just an awesome fly that followed me around for a short time, in this short time I made him into my pet. The picture also represents the incredible hike that part of the group made up the mountain. I do not remember the name of the mountain, but the hike up to the spot where an old Japanese castle was a blast. This was the first time I really hiked up a mountain in my life and it was a new experience that I would love to do again.
Natsuki, Yoshi, and I I enjoyed this picture because this was what I felt the highlight of my stay with my host family was. They took me to DisneySea near Tokyo and we had a wonderful time that day. This is an amazing picture of me and my host siblings that I can always look back on and think about that day. This picture simply makes me happy and I felt that was worth enough to be considered one of my favorite pictures.
Huge Vases These vases blew my mind and that is why I consider them one of my favorite pictures. Never in my life have I seen vases so big and to think that each vases is roughly worth one million dollars (What Shinji told me) is insane. The artwork on the pair of vases was incredibly detailed and full of beautiful designs. If I had two million dollars, I would love to have these vases in my house. For heaven’s sake, both vases were the size of a person if not bigger.
Waterfall at Nikko I doubt I will be the only one with a picture similar to this as one of the favorite pictures, which is understandable due to the beauty of the picture. It is not often that we here in Springfield or anywhere in Illinois for that matter are able to see such amazing natural formations. It is incredible to think that samurai in the past stood near where I stood and took the awe of the falls just as I did. I think my favorite part of this picture is how the green clashes with the white of the water. . That is why I chose this as one of my favorite pictures because of the sheer beauty seen in the falls.
Picture with President of AIT I chose this picture as one of my favorites because of the symbolism represented by this picture. The first piece of symbolism in this picture is simply the fact that I met the president of AIT. I do not often meet important people or even take pictures with them for that matter. I also thoroughly liked this man because he pulled me aside to have a short conversation with me about another set of Voigts back in Germany that own a company he works with. They are not family I directly know, but with the same last name we are related somewhere down the bloodline. The second piece of symbolism this pictureshows is the
connection between the United States and Japan. Never would I have thought I would end up meeting the president of college overseas and this just shows that anything can happen in the world we live in today.
Entrance to Shrine at Nikko The entrance to this shrine at Nikko was just amazing to me. Never in my life have I seen an entrance with such artisanship. I cannot imagine how long this entrance took to build when it was initially crafted at Nikko or how expensive it must have been in comparison to today’s prices. The gold accents against the white marble is what really just makes me love this piece of artwork. Everything about thisdoorway just puts me in awe, mostly because I could never do anything close to this in a million years. I think my lack of artistic talent is why I appreciate true art so much more.
Group Picture in Tokyo This group picture really meant a lot to me because it showed that a group of strangers in the beginning turned into a group of friends. Although many of us came from different backgrounds we all came together and shared a single bond. That bond I believe will last a lifetime not only this trip. People I met in this trip I now am good friends with and will do my best to see as many of them as I can while they are at UIS or nearby. This picture was our swan song, at least we stole the show.
Gundam Front I know it’s probably silly for most people, but going to Gundam Front in Tokyo was a great experience for me. Ever since I heard of the place when I was 7 years old, I had wanted to go, but, of course, I couldn’t make a whole trip around visiting one place that I would spend maybe an hour at. Since we were heading there anyway, I was ecstatic to go there. I also thought it was very interesting to see how popular something like Gundam is in Japan. People like TV series in the US, but you don’t really see whole shopping centering around one of those shows.
Ashikaga Gakko This is the central area of the Ashikaga Gakko. While there are some historical sites that I’ve visited in the US, none of them matched the age of some of the sites that we visited in Japan. However, what I found even more interesting was how the sites remained preserved through the turbulent times of Japan’s feudal history. The mutual respect for the preservation of ancient cultural sites that continues to this day is something that I really appreciate.
Japanese hot springs When I went to and stayed with my host family, we took a trip to a town known for its hot springs about 2 hours away from Ashikaga. While I was there, I felt a profound sense that I didn’t quite belong. It wasn’t as if I was being treated poorly by the people there or I was getting strange stares. I just sort of felt out of place when I was the only foreigner that I could spot. When I was with the group, I at least knew that there would be some people around who I could talk to or go to for help. There, I only had my host family to talk to and it was just a strange time.
Homestay Family The few days that I spent with my host family was an interesting look into the Japanese lifestyle. I went with them to go shopping, for trips, and even for family dinner. Through all the differences that there are between our two cultures, spending time with the family made it clear that, at its core, it was just like any other family. I was very thankful for their hospitality and welcoming me into their home.
View from the Mountain
The view that we got while climbing the mountain to the castle ruins. I really appreciated how Ashikaga was just covered with interesting recreational activities. Everywhere you went had tons of parks or natural trails and such that gave you plenty of things to do to stay in shape. It just seems refreshing that cities in Japan place such a high value on physical exercise.
View from the bay while visiting Nikko
I took this picture when I was sitting aside the bay while we were visiting Nikko. I’ve visited some places around the US, but they’ve all been big cities or places that have fairly unremarkable features. Going to Japan was the first time that I experienced natural beauty on a scale that comes close to Japan. Looking out a window in the city and seeing the mountains shrouded in fog was a sight that I was happy to get used to in the morning.
English class activity Hearing about the likely future of the students in the English class was something that really got me thinking about uncertain futures in general. The time that we talked was short, but they seemed like normal college kids who had chosen the difficult path of being elementary school teachers. The dismal pay and the hard works that those girls have committed themselves to is something that I truly admire. I don’t think that I could ever muster up the courage and determination that those girls had.
Travel partners One thing that certainly made the trip worthwhile was the people that I was traveling with. As usual, I’m not the most sociable guy and one thing that had me concerned was getting along with everybody else during the trip. Luckily, not only was everybody nice to me, but they actively tried to get me involved in everything that was going on. I couldn’t ask for better travel partners than I had for this trip. Thank you.
Wearing a traditional Kimono This picture was taken at “Casa Blanca”, one of the most famous Kimono shops near Ashikaga. This place is known for the quality of the fabrics, the beauty of the patterns, and of course the extremely high prices. I think it was an interesting experience to be part of this “ritual”, and I say it that way because of the careful steps taken everytime a woman wears a Kimono. One of the most exciting moments I had at that shop was heading to the top floor of the building where thousands of kimonos were folded, creating a colorful atmosphere that invited me to admire such an amazing place. After choosing the Kimono I wanted to try on, I had the chance to learn about each of the extra clothes and accesories that made part of the outfit, which I never imagined were that important to make the Kimono look perfect.
Mountains of Seoul
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I chose this picture as one of my favorites because to me it looks like it has different layers of beautiful visual content: The mountains on the background, a group of trees behind the wall of a palace ¬and right in front of the picture a pond that shows a mixture of colors over the water, without forgetting about the small yellow boat that gives a nice spark of color to the scene. Everything that can be seen in this picture represents the beauty of Seoul, the magic of it’s culture and history that has been preserved for hundreds of years.
Italian restaurant in Korea This is a picture of the interior of an italian restaurant where we had dinner the last night in Korea. I was surprised to find such a different architecture in comparison to the traditional houses we saw around the village where we stayed for a week. Also, something that caught my attention was the height of the roof, and how everything was designed based on that. For example, it had book shelves on the very top of the walls right under the roof. The restaurant had something like a Reading area and it also had those tall shelves full of books of any kind. There was always someone using a long wooden ladder to reach the top shelves.
Interior of Johrin Temple The second day in Ashikaga we woke up early to visit a temple to practice meditation. It was a great experience because it allowed me to compare it with the kind of meditation practiced in Korea during the temple stay. One of my passions is interior design and decoration, and ive always liked to learn about asian traditional and modern interiors. Thats why i liked this temple so much; all the architectural aspects, the materials used around the house, and of course the wooden furniture and special objects used during the meditation. It was also a nice experience to get to talk to the Monk after meditation, so we could ask some questions we had about the experience of that day.
Garden of Ashikaga Gakko Japan is known for having beautiful gardens and landscapes, full of colors 365 days a year. This is another of my favorite pictures because since the very first moment we got to Ashikaga Gakko, I was completely impressed by the beauty of this garden and also the story behing the shape of the pond. Again, the reflection of the trees’ color from the water caught my attention and also I could’nt stop looking at one of the ducks families that were walking around the garden.
The beauty of Nikko’s nature I’ve always been fascinated in Photography, specially when it comes to capturing colorful landscapes. I would say what I find more interesting about this picture is how the nature blends with the architecture of that house. The red leaves of the trees that surround that house match perfectly with the red tone of the exterior of the house. Also, the color of the roof matches with the trees that are seen at the background of the picture. Even when the days aren’t completelly sunny, the nature makes everything look amazing in that beautiful country.
Palace in the middle of Tokyo While walking around Tokyo during the last day of our trip we got to this place. We did’nt have the chance to go inside, but just admiring it from the outside was enough for me to love that place. This kind of places make me think about the history behind them, it’s surprising that we can look at a palace that has been there for hundreds of years and it still is breathtaking. Even during a rainy day, the beauty of this place catches everyones attention.
Walking around Tokyo
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This is a picture I took while we were walking around Tokyo. Visiting hat city was by far one of the best experiences i’ve ever had, not only because of everything it has to offer, but because of the amazing people I was with during the whole trip. They all made of this experience something I will keep with me for my entire life. I would just like to say thankyou to everyone for their kindness, friendship and uforgettable memories we made during this trip.
Shiraito Waterfall This picture shows me and my host mother standing in front of the Shiraito Waterfall in Karuizawa, Japan. When my host family was taking me around Karuizawa where they have a summer cottage, I did not expect them to take me to see this waterfall since we started out at the oldest Catholic Church in Japan and a major tourist shopping center. I was initially was not happy when I saw that we would have to climb up a hill, however I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed that the waterfall was only a short way away from where we parked. This was the first waterfall that I have ever seen in person, and even though it was looked very short, it still looked magnificent
Waterfalls at Nikko This is a picture of a waterfall that was taken in the mountains of Nikko, Japan. Our group went to Nikko about one day before we were set to leave Ashikaga for Tokyo. The first thing I remember about going to see this waterfall was how cold it was and how much I regretted not bringing a jacket or even my sweater which I left on the bus with me. It only hit me how much of a tourist attraction this waterfall really was when I saw the hordes of school children lined up to take the elevator down to where this waterfall was. By the time our group got down to the waterfall, I was in pure shock and awe at how beautiful this waterfall was. I find it simply amazing that I was able to see two waterfalls in the same trip, but this waterfall in particular was more than I ever expected.
Japanese Sword This is a picture of a Japanese sword that was taken at a museum in Ashikaga. I'm not entirely sure that words can describe how excited I got when I saw this sword since one of my main missions while in Japan was to get myself a samurai sword (well at least I got a decorative one, now I have to go back to get a real one). I could really appreciate how simple the design of the sword was while I gazed upon it, and I wondered how it would feel in my hands. I think this sword sealed my fate as far as getting a sword to bring home because it reminded me how much I wanted to have a sword to call my own.
Archery instructors This picture shows our archery instructors showing our group how the perform archery in a ritualistic manner. This was done right before they taught us how to shoot an arrow using a bow the proper way. This was another thing that I had never done before and was very excited to try. The stance they had us doing to shoot the arrow was very awkward and left me feeling like I was going to slip and fall since I was wearing socks on a shiny hardwood floor, but I discovered that archery was strangely relaxing for me. I was very surprised when I managed to hit one of the targets, especially when I had no idea where I was aiming; I was so focused on making sure that I did not fall and that I pulled the bow far enough to propel the arrow somewhere. I think I may have found a new hobby for when I am not working.
Shiraito Waterfall This is a picture of a mask that our group saw in the mask museum. I know this sound weird, but I really connected with this mask in particular like the person depicted on this mask was either me in a past life or my ancient spirit animal. I found it really hard to relate to the other masks because they all appeared too dainty and delicate, but when I saw this mask it spoke to me. I think my favorite thing about it is the devious look it has with the cure of the eyebrows and the smirk it has which reminds me of a face I would make when I want to irritate somebody or I know something that I’m not expected to know. I definitely need to bring this face with me to finals week during the school year.
Koi Fish outside Banaji Temple This is a picture of the koi fish swimming in the mote outside of Banaji Temple in Ashikaga, Japan. I really enjoy this picture because the colorful koi fish are clustered together in the center of all the brown fish. If there’s one thing I absolutely love, its colorful animals. I’ve seen an orange koi before, but I have never seen a white one or one that was black and orange. The only bad thing about this picture is it reminds me of the one thing that I did not get to do while overseas in Japan which was to get a traditional Japanese tattoo. I guess that is just one more thing that I will have to go back to Japan to have done, or maybe I could even get one in South Korea because I had found a tattoo artist in Seoul, South Korea that specializes in traditional Japanese tattoos. I just hope that I wouldn’t be mistaken for a member of the Yakuza (this is the main reason I wore long pants and dresses during the trip if I’m being completely honest).
City of Ashikaga This picture shows the city of Ashikaga. It was taken while climbing the “hill” to the boy’s shrine. This was taken near the top of the hill, so not only does it show a great view but it shows an accomplishment for me because I had never really climbed any hills prior to this trip. Since we climbed this hill right after going to the girl’s shrine, I was not looking forward to it and my anguish only increased when I saw how steep it was. Honestly, I was not even sure that I was going to make it all the way up the hill, and there was a huge part of me that just wanted to hang out in the shade and wait for the rest of the group to come back down. I am so happy that I climbed up this hill because not only did I get this gorgeous photograph but I also got to take a great picture of the boy’s shrine. Ashikaga is really a beautiful city.
Crossing in Shibuya This picture shows a group of buildings and a crossing in Shibuya within Tokyo. This crossing is where all traffic stops and all the pedestrians from each corner are allowed to cross. Some members of our group and I got a chance to make this crossing not once but twice, and it was absolutely amazing. It reminded me of Chicago but on a grander scale, and it gave me a rush because it reminded me of true urban life which I miss so much living in Springfield. I was exhilarated to be around so many people in one moment of time and loved how even with so many people crossing the street at the same time nobody bumped into each other or became hostile. The best part about this picture is that the sun was starting to go down and the city was starting to light up. Photo 8
This is a picture of me eating what I had thought to be fishcakes from a food truck. The day of this picture was the first day that the group and I had been on the prowl on the streets of Seoul. We had just finished touring Changdeokgung, which is a palace in Seoul, and we were Goo Jun Pyo looking for a place to eat lunch. On our way to the area with restaurants, I ended up buying the food that I am holding in the picture above. I was very excited to eat it because I thought it was fishcake on a stick. Now, I”ll explain why I wanted to eat fishcakes on a stick Eating “Mistery food” so much. In the first Kdrama that I ever liked, Boys Over Flowers, the male lead character (Goo Jun Pyo) tries fishcake on a stick for the first time and loves it. In the Kdrama, the fishcake on a stick looked soft and fluffy. Because Goo Jun Pyo enjoyed it so much, I thought that it must be delicious. So, I told myself that if I ever went to Korea, I would definitely try it. The mystery food that I bought had looked soft and fluffy, which is why I thought it was the fishcake that I was looking for. Once I ate it, I wanted to throw up. It was slippery and rubbery, and the black sauce that came with it tasted bitter. Now that I look at this picture, I find it hilarious that I ended up mistaking the “mystery food” as fishcakes. This picture has become one of my favorite pictures because of the mishap and the story behind it, as well as how decieving it looks. The picture looks like I probably enjoyed the food, but in reality , it was not palatable to me. This is a picture of me finally getting to eat actual fishcake on a stick. On the day that Sun and Park showed us around Seoul, I spotted what I thought would be actual fishcake on a stick. This time, the food did turn out to be fishcake on a stick, which is why this is one of my favorite pictures. I finally got to eat it! However, it was not as good as I thought because this particular fishcake had sausage in it and was a little greasy. The one in the Kdrama did not have anything in it and did not look greasy. Still, I was very happy that I at least got to try it, which meant that I had met one of my goals in Korea in regards to food.
Wearing a “turd hat” while eating “ Poop-Bread”
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The picture here was taken at a bread stand at a small mall in Seoul. This is one of my favorite pictures because I think it is really funny how I am wearing a “turd hat,” while eating “poop-bread” in front of a bread stand with a picture of a cartoon pooping out what I am supposed to be eating. Poop-bread is just warm bread that is shaped like a turd and is filled with chocolate. The entire concept of poop-bread is hilarious, but would probably not fly in America. Regardless, I love the sense of humor in South Korea, and every time I look at this picture, I think of how soft the “poop-bread” tasted and how the chocolate inside melted in my mouth. I would definitely eat it again when I revisit South Korea.
Waterfall at Nikko This is a picture of a waterfall when we went to Nikko, Japan. I like this picture a lot because it was the first time I saw a waterfall. It was actually my first time seeing streams of water like that. I love the shot that I captured of the gushing waterfall along with the many mini streams of water flowing from the sides. The picture is very serene and is a photo that my family members really like.
Shiraito Waterfall In this picture, I am standing next to a club in the Hongdae area in Seoul. After the Korean barbeque, the Korean students took us to explore the Hongdae area in Seoul. In Hongdae, Jay pointed out NB, which is the club that my favoirte Kpop group, Big Bang, used to club at. This is one of my favorite pictures because I was at a place that my favorite artists had been at. It is me fangirling, so I enjoy this picture very much.
Redlight District This is a picture of the entrance to the Redlight District in Japan. I like this picture because I secretly wanted to go there just to see what it was like. We ended up going there, so I like that I have proof. I also like the bright and Japanese-styled entrance. I did not know the Redlight District entrance would look like that.
First bowl of Ramen This is a picture of my first bowl of ramen. It is ramen with corn, other unknown vegetables, and slices of soft pork. I enjoyed this moment because it marked a first time experience for me. I have never had ramen before, and the first time that I did was at this particular, authentic ramen restaurant in Japan. The meal seemed more delicious than the plastic bowls I see being sold at the stores. At the restaurant, I even got to see chefs prepare the ramen.
Chicken Delivery This is a picture of me with the chicken delivery guy on my my last night at the Kundaemunjip Hanok Guesthouse in South Korea. This is one of my favorite pictures because during my entire stay in Korea, I had been wanting to have chicken delivered from a chicken restaurant. One of my goals was to experience the Korean lifestyle, and I knew that chicken delivery was a “thing” that Koreans did from watching Kdramas, which is why I wanted to try having chicken delivered from a “chicken place.” Also, while chicken delivery from chicken restaturants is common in Korea, it is not common in America, which is another reason why I wanted to try chicken delivery. Thus, Jay helped order chicken for me. When the chicken delivery man brought me my chicken, I was filled with excitement and joy. Finally, I felt like I had really experienced the Korean lifestyle and culture. I felt like I had properly immersed myself within the culture.
Flip Flops for visitors This photo was taken on our 2nd or 3rd day in Korea. Almost every school, hotel and public area provided flip-flops for visitors in both countries, and not a single pair fit me. I also know that this problem affected another student, as well. It wasn’t annoying or frustrating; it was comical if anything. I talked to a few students about this and they said that anything about a size 11(American size) is very unusual, and you probably won’t be able to find shoes that large in Japan.
First bite of octupus This is a picture of the first bite of octopus I’ve ever had. It was at a lunch/buffet restaurant, and it tasted surprisingly good. I was a little nervous prior to eating it: I had never had it before. What if I had an allergic reaction? What if I got sick later from it? Thankfully, nothing like that happened, and I even went back up for seconds. And thirds. It tasted like a cross between salmon and sausage. We also had a chance to try various kinds of sushi, local produce and meats and even some friend squid at different points throughout the trip.
Dining hall of Golgulsa Temple This was the dining hall of Golgulsa Temple, a Buddhist temple near the Southern coast of Korea. We stayed there for about 2 ½ days, eating, training, sleeping and meditating like monks. It was quite a lifestyle change, and I really liked it. We learned that some people can stay up to two years at a time if they wish, and become ACTUAL monks. My favorite part was the meditation. We woke up at 4am (that part wasn’t so good) and walked up the side of a mountain to a building near the top, and performed Buddhist chants for about 15 minutes and meditated for an hour. It was an exhausting but absolutely beautiful experience.
Enormous Buddha Statue This was an enormous Buddha statue that I got to see with my host family. It was about 2 ½ hours’ North East of Tokyo, but was completely worth the drive. It was clearly a well-known tourist location, as there were crowds of people there (although the picture doesn’t show it.) You could even go inside the statue and look out the windows near the top. The majority of the inside was a museum and timeline of the development and construction of the statue. There were even shrines and small private areas for Buddhists to give offerings and prayers. In the walkway right outside of the statue was a massive incense burner/fire pit about the size of my car. There were maybe a dozen sticks of incense in there, and the smell was heavy, even where I stood while taking this picture. (the trees are hiding it.)
Opening ceremony at AIT This is a picture from our initial exchange at Ashikaga Institute of Technology, our sister school in Japan. We participated in the opening ceremony by introducing ourselves, our year in school, and our major/field of study. We first met faculty and staff, but we had plenty of time to interact and hang out with the students. Most of them had studied abroad at UIS in the past, but a few were planning future trips. We also got to meet students from the Asian mainland, the Middle East and Africa. They were an unbelievably kind group of diverse students, and I hope I get to see them again someday.
Saiboat-themed sundial This is a sailboat-themed sundial from the AIT wind and energy park. AIT is an engineering school and a lot of students are working on projects focusing on solar power and wind energy. Near campus there was a small park that also served as a museum for past projects and future endeavors. I thought it was fascinating because I’ve never seen a park/museum like this before, especially not one for students. Although it was all in Japanese, we could still follow along with the timelines and pictures.
Before Japanese Launguage class This is a picture of our whiteboard about 5 minutes before our Japanese language class. We had about 7 classes during our time there so we could learn rudimentary Japanese and learn how to get around on our own. The teacher was amazing (she even tolerated our around Tokyo drawings) and the classes were pretty fun. We later learned that she is an English teacher at the community college in town, and teaches basic language courses for students and adults. I can speak German and some Spanish, so it was interesting to learn an Asiatic language and see how it works grammatically, linguistically and structurally.
Square watermelon The final and one of my favorite photos of this whole trip: a square watermelon. I learned about these shortly before my trip. The watermelon are grown in a box, to give it the square shape. I didn’t think I would actually see one, but it was a fun and novel surprise. I was completely shocked at the price: it was $120 dollars (American dollars). The other fruit at the vendor’s stand was completely outrageous as well; $50 for a peach, $80 for a vine of grapes. I don’t think any of us figured out why they were so expensive, but no other food we saw in Japan cost that much. It was still a fun sight to see.
Turtles! The turtle – called kame in Japanese – is a sacred creature, symbolizing longevity. Considering how much I love these animals, you can imagine how delightful it was for me to see them just about everywhere we went. Here, four of them spend some time sunbathing in the pond at AIT.
Ashikaga What a city. My first picture feels like it’s setting the stage for an amazing experience, and that first day really did so. I took countless pictures of Ashikaga, doing my best to capture its careful harmony between people and nature that isn’t often seen this side of the Pacific. This is the first of those pictures, taken while hiking up to the boys’ shrine. It may not be the best I took, but this moment of seeing all of Ashikaga for the first time made me start to fall in love with Japan.
At long last We all had our trip goals, right? Well, here’s mine – trying octopus. This is takoyaki, and my goodness was it delicious. The octopus wasn’t terribly prominent, as this was essentially a meatball made of fish, but I took extra care to pull out those tentacles and savor them. I’d eat it again in a heartbeat. In fact, aside from the sweetened cement they gave us at one of our tea ceremonies – and aside from wasabi, no thank you – I’d eat just about all the food in Japan regularly. My parents worried I wouldn’t eat in Japan, but the truth is the food was one of my favorite parts of this whole trip.
The biggest ‘WTF’ moment I never had a “bad” experience in Japan, but that doesn’t mean some things didn’t seem really, really weird to me. Enter “Doctor Fish.” For a few hundred yen, my host sister, Hitomi, and I spent something like ten or fifteen minutes with our feet plunged in a pool filled with tiny fish. Those fish came around and scooped bits of dirt and dead skin from our feet and legs. Did it tickle? Absolutely.
Park’s dysfunctional umbrella
When I snapped this picture, just about everyone reacted with “That’s just so… Park.” It’s very “Park,” and this type of hilarity demonstrates that even rain wouldn’t keep him – or the rest of us – from having the best time we could.
First bite of octupus Sorry, I cheated; one of my eight pictures is actually two. But it was such an interesting thing to come across in my photos that I couldn’t not include it. At the top is a picture from the Tokyo Skytree, looking down on that weird little beer company building with… well, something on top. My host mother brought me to the observation deck, where I got an awesome view of Tokyo. At the bottom is a shot from across the river, looking back at that building and – what do you know – the Tokyo Skytree. This wasn’t planned – I’d no idea we’d end up anywhere near that building. But I thought it was cool that I took a picture that ended up capturing somewhere we’d be about a week later.
The John Billingham Fan Club Whether John was more amused or uncomfortable with the dozens of high school girls following him around all day is hard to say, though his expression here seems to point more toward the latter. This whole experience, though, was interesting to me because it demonstrated that, no matter how fascinated we are in coming to a completely different country, we can be just as fascinating in the eyes of our hosts.
‘Today was a good day’ Not to get terribly sappy here, but beating out the food for my true favorite part of this trip was everyone else that was a part of it. This is us at a bar maybe a hundred feet from the hotel’s entrance. We went out a few times over the course of our stay in Japan, and it was a lot of fun exploring Ashikaga, though sometimes it took a little while to find a place to enjoy some adult beverages. These excursions helped us become very close over the course of our trip. I’ve been abroad before, and on that trip it was difficult to keep everyone together. It was high school, and everyone was cliquey. With this group, not so much; everyone talked to everyone, and I like to think we all became friends. Not to mention this photo doesn’t even include the dozen or two students we met and our wonderful host families. I’ll be making a return; in the meantime, though, Park’s raising that glass to a reunion, everyone!
Practicing archery Archery was the one of things I always wanted to try. Korea has the same culture of archery, but it seemed like Korea and Japan use different types of bows. Fun to explore the cultural differences! The bow was much bigger and heavier than I imagined because I thought about the modern bows like those used for Olympic Games. Also, I like this photo because my face looks so serious and focused on the target even though I failed… If I have chance to learn archery in Korea, I definitely will learn more.
First night out This photo was taken from the first night out to the Japanese bar together near the New Miyako Hotel. We all tried “a lot” of Japanese food and drinks. I loved sparkling sake with the watermelon ice cream in it. Going to the restaurant or bar in Japan inspired me to learn Japanese even more seriously. In Japan they write English in Katana which is their own characters for marking foreign languages. If I don’t know how to read Katakana, basically I’m an illiterate in Japan. I was impressed that it was hard to find English words in Japan.
Wearing a Yukata I got this Yukata from my homestay family. I love to try different countries’ traditional costumes. On my first day of homestay, I asked my host mom if there was a Kimono or Yukata shop where I could try them on and take a picture. And she gave me this Yukata as a gift and taught me how to wear the traditional Yukata belt which I forgot right now... Anyhow, my host family was extremely nice to me and they tried to do whatever I wanted. I feel like I have other parents in Japan.
Flower arrangement I got this Yukata from my homestay family. I love to try different countries’ traditional costumes. On my first day of homestay, I asked my host mom if there was a Kimono or Yukata shop where I could try them on and take a picture. And she gave me this Yukata as a gift and taught me how to wear the traditional Yukata belt which I forgot right now... Anyhow, my host family was extremely nice to me and they tried to do whatever I wanted. I feel like I have other parents in Japan.
Tiny bar near the hotel This is one of my favorite photos because I can feel the Japanese atmosphere. Japan has its own atmosphere which I cannot clearly describe, but I like it. This tiny bar was located near the New Miyako Hotel. We were trying to have couple of drinks there to celebrate our last night at Ashikaga, but this bar was too small for all of us to have a seat. It was funny that when we got there, Dr. Goldbergbelle and Shinji were drinking and Shinji seemed like he was a bit drunk.
Funny picture of Dr. GoldbergBelle Who doesn’t love this photo? I just love his facial expression. It is just funny to look at it. Actually, I didn’t take this photo, but I found that one of Japanese student we met at the AIT uploaded this picture on Facebook. I guess this was taken at the AIT cafeteria.
Trying masks on Another group photo! I have no idea where Alex and Alexis went. It was ! very impressive that the mask maker spent more than a year making one mask. I could not even imagine how much effort he puts into a single mask. Korea has traditional masks used in performances, but they look completely different. Some of the masks look scary and it’s because those masks were made for expressing anger and sadness. We had fun trying masks on.
Last night in Japan This was the last night of Japan trip. We went to the restaurant/bar near the hotel in Tokyo. I learned a lot and had so much fun with those guys. I am such a lucky person for having the chance to travel with those nice people and had fantastic moments. At first, I was worried about traveling with unfamiliar people for two weeks, but my fear turned into great pleasure. Applying for Ashikaga program was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. Thank you.
Host Family This photo is precious to me because it is one of few pictures with Shimizu couple who were my host family. They were great people and treated me so nicely. Professor Shimizu is an English teacher of AIT, and his wife Yuko is also an English teacher. That day was a rainy Sunday. They decided to take me for a drive to a mountain load, and I enjoyed the mountain scenery a lot. The place where we took this picture was a resting area in the mountain. I still have vivid memories of that time such as conversation that we had in the car and the atmosphere of the mountain with a thick fog hanging around. Shimizu couple brought me to so many other wonderful places too, and I cannot forget their kindness.
Dinner with host family Japanese food is really popular in Korea. I’m used to Japanese food and I love it so much. A meal in the picture was what I had in a Japanese restaurant as the last dinner with my host family, and the food made it an outstanding meal. My host family ordered too many food for me, but I ate them all since I just cannot leave behind that wonderful food. I cannot even remember how many great food I had during the trip. The biggest reason why I will visit Japan will be food if I go to Japan again.
Indoor soccer game I took this picture while we played soccer at indoor soccer filed in downtown of the Ashikaga city. One of our fiends of AIT asked us to play with them, and we played soccer after our schedule of the day with them and Japanese players who we had never met before. I was so pleased that I had a chance to play soccer during the trip since my favorite sport is soccer and I always wanted to play soccer with Japanese people. The Japanese players were men and women of all ages, and they all played so well. I thought that Japan has an excellent sports infrastructure for public.
Hiking in Japan I took this picture during the hiking which was my favorite activity of the trip. I like this picture because it shows how the city view from the mountain was beautiful and Alex was enjoying the hiking. I never expected physical activities like a hiking from the trip, but we had a lot of fun from this unexpected event. Even though the day was hot and humid, everyone seemed to really enjoy climbing the exotic mountain just like I did.
Meeting the Mayor of Ashikaga I took this picture while we played soccer at indoor soccer filed in downtown of the Ashikaga city. One of our fiends of AIT asked us to play with them, and we played soccer after our schedule of the day with them and Japanese players who we had never met before. I was so pleased that I had a chance to play soccer during the trip since my favorite sport is soccer and I always wanted to play soccer with Japanese people. The Japanese players were men and women of all ages, and they all played so well. I thought that Japan has an excellent sports infrastructure for public.
Girls High School This picture shows how magnificently students of girls high school in Ashikaga welcomed us. All of us were impressed by what they prepared for us. Every student gathered into the school gym and performed a welcome ceremony for us for more than an hour. Performances of the school band wearing yellow uniform, chorus and cheerleader team were really nice. Every time they saw us when we walked around the school, the students smiled at us and wave their hands. They also gave us opportunities to experience their club activities such as a calligraphy class, tea ceremony and flower arrangement.
Origami & Japanese class One of the greatest things in the trip was learning Japanese. This is a picture of a worksheet for wiring my name in Japanese. We took Japanese classes seven times during the trip, and it made me to start learning Japanese in earnest. I attended class with interest and enjoyed it. Although we learned only the basics of Japanese, we could use what we had learned such as self-introduction and ordering in restaurants while we traveled. I think that Japanese letters are cute and I like the names in Japans letters too.
Favorite Picture This is my favorite picture among thousand photos that I got from the trip because the greatest thing in the trip was people. The reason why I had a lot of fun in every activity was people who I traveled with. Not only my friends but people who I met in the trip were so nice, and they made this trip perfect. I still appreciate their kindness and everything that they had done for me. Above all thing, however, I want to say thank you to everyone in our group. I am so happy to meet these wonderful friends. I feel good every time I see this picture because it reminds me how great time I spent in the trip.