Leland sports a big smile in the pouring rainfall at Himeji Castle's 400th anniversary.
The Brocade Sash Bridge in Iwakuni acted as a moat drawbridge. One of the arches was constructed so that the entire span would collapse by removing one key board.
The river flowing under the Brocade Sash Bridge is calm and peaceful on the day we visited. Five years ago, however, a storm in the mountains caused a flood that wiped out two spans of the bridge.
Sakura, or cherry blossum, viewing is a favorite time all over Japan. Our trip usually occurs at prime cherry blossum time. Families come out to picnic and enjoy the blossoms here along the river at Iwakuni.
The high school boys and Mr. & Mrs. J. all went to Iwakuni for their exploration day out of Hiroshima. We crossed the bridge, walked through the samurai village, took the ropeway up to the castle and explored the sword museum in the castle.
Dinner at the Iwaso ryokan, or traditional inn, was a kaiseki meal of more than 20 individual dishes.
Sebastian and Leland sport huge smiles after consuming baby squid.
A traditional Japanese breakfast is a little different from a western breakfast. It was very tasty, but the fish staring at us was a little unsettling.
Mr. B instructs the students on how to properly "cleanse" themselves in Japanese fashion prior to entering a shrine or temple.
The Inari shrine is sometimes called the shrine of the 10,000 torii. These gates are the entrance into a Shinto shrine. Some of our study group pause in the climb up the mountain to poke out between the gates for a silly photo.
At the Todaiji Temple, the group burn incense before entering the world's largest wooden structure to see the huge bronze Buddha.
The students on the study tour learn how to use public transportation. Sometimes the subway maps are even in English.
The Gion district of Kyoto still looks like ancient Japan with narrow streets, wooden buildings and maiko, or young geisha. They willingly pause for a photograph by one of our chaperones, Mrs. H.
The big Buddha in Kamakura looks benignly on two of our group posing for the camera. This Daibutsu once had a building covering it until a typhoon blew it away.
On a day trip from Tokyo, our study tour group visited the elaborate temple grounds of Nikko. The Japanese say that you cannot use the word "magnificent" until you have seen Nikko.
Leland contemplates the destructive force of the atom bomb that leveled the city of Hiroshima at the end of WWII. Across the river is one of the few surviving buildings, called the A-bomb dome.
Helen and Mandy spent many hours perfecting the art of eating with hashi, the Japanese name for chopsticks. Noodles, in a wide variety of forms, was our favorite food.
The floating torii marking the entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine is the first thing we see when the ferry drops us off at Miyajima Island. This is where we stay at the traditional inn.
Helen, Sydney, Amy, and Mrs. H stroll through the Sensoji Shrine in the middle of Tokyo. This was our last day in Japan and we spent it strolling, shopping, and enjoying the warm weather.
Emily and Hannah show off their team spirit with a home team shirt from the Tokyo baseball game.
The Imperial Palace grounds are open to the public for free. Part of the group enjoyed the gorgeous gardens here in Tokyo, the capital city of Japan.
