The gymnasium and meeting hall. The seven "peaks" on the roof represent seven peaks in the distant mountains
Part of the Suzuka campus
Commuting to Suzuka Secondary with our host students
Hayden and Ethan with some Suzuka students. They gave us a tour of Kyoto.
Cydney and Bonnie with Suzuka students.
The last moments with our host families before the train to Takayama arrives.
Nagoya station and the Shinkansen. On the fast track to Kyoto
Kyoto station. Our hotel is right across the street. Very convenient for travel, shopping and some cheap good food.
Kiyomizu (pure water) temple in Kyoto. One stream for health, one for the mind and one for the heart. We tried eachone.
Todaiji in Nara near Kyoto, home of the Daibutsu - a 15 meter high statue of the buddha.
The "Daibutsu" (big Buddha) in Nara. The hand posture shows the Buddha "giving instruction".
Jesse tries to pass through the hole which is said to be the same size as one of the Daibutsu's nostrils. Legend has it that those who pass through it will be blessed with enlightenment in their next life. Children usually have no trouble getting through but adults sometimes get stuck and need to be pulled out.
In front of Todaiji in Nara.
On our way from Kyoto to Hiroshima we stop at the town of Himeji to see Himeji castle. This castle dates to the 15th century and is the biggest and most interesting castle in Japan.
The "Genbaku Dome" (atomic bomb dome) in Hiroshima. This is ground zero for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. The bomb exploded in the air almost directly above this building. It has been left as it was after the explosion.
Memorial to Sadako in Hiroshima. Sadoko was a child who died from radiation poisoning a few years after the bombing. We make and bring 1000 paper cranes for her memory.
The eternal flame for peace in Hiroshima.
Hiroshima is famous for its "okonomiyaki" kind of a cross between a pizza and an omlette.
The tori, gate, leading to the Miyajima shrine. We took a short ferry ride from Hiroshima to get here.
Monkeys on Miyajima. Had to climb a mountain to find them. Don't look them in the eye.
Map of Miyajima. We were tough so we hiked up the mountain rather than taking the ropeway. The summit is at the end of the ropeway.
The summit of Mount Misen on Miyajima. Took a hike up the mountain looking for monkeys and found a 1000 year old shrine at the summit with incredible views along the coast and deep into Japan.
The Shibuya shopping district in Tokyo. The most famous and perhaps the busiest intersection in Japan.
