This past June, a group of 59 Rockbridge County High School students, their family members, and chaperones ventured to the beautiful island of Japan, where they experienced a fascinating contrast between ancient shrines and temples and modern, innovative cities while making countless memories throughout it all.
After a very long two days of travel, we set out into the prefecture of Osaka with our EF tour guides Mika-san and Hiro-san. EF, also known as Education First, is an educational tour company that organized our itinerary and provided us with our tour guides. Our first memorable stop was a visit to Osaka Castle, where we took in the breathtaking view of the city from the top floor.
We had the opportunity to visit the Todaiji temple, which housed one of the largest Buddha statues in the world, reaching 49.2 feet tall. This marvel of a temple is known for being a symbol of Buddhist faith and architectural achievement.
After being astounded by such beauty, we explored the surrounding Nara Park, which is home to approximately 1,300 deer who were not afraid to venture up to us. When they weren’t nibbling on tourists’ clothing, they showed their habit of bowing their heads to us. This act of bowing is regarded as sacred because these deer are acknowledged as symbols of the Gods in the Shinto religion, also known as “kami.” This day was definitely a highlight of the trip for us.
The next day, we traveled to the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, a true natural wonder. As we walked through the forest, bamboo shoots towered over us, the tallest reaching almost 100 feet.
Heading onto the next stop, we reached the Golden Pavilion, a structure covered in gold leaf. The pavilion was truly a beautiful sight as the gold leaf reflected off the shimmering water beneath it.
The last stop of the day was unforgettable, as it was our tour group’s first time having the local cuisine of ramen. The ramen itself was delicious, but getting to share that experience with friends was the highlight of the dinner, especially when most of us were struggling to use our chopsticks.
On day five of this adventure in Japan, our tour group of 50 travelers got to experience riding the bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo. Now, with 59 travelers and a three-minute window to allow passengers to get off and us to get on the train, it was a bit of a struggle, but we all made it. The bullet train is known for being quiet, if not 100% silent, so many took this time to relax from the business of our travels.
Towards the end of our journey, we were able to see the incredible Mount Fuji peeking out from behind the clouds. Since Mount Fuji was definitely a stop many of us were most excited about, this was particularly incredible.
Once off the train, we drove to a local supermarket to buy ourselves lunch. Of course, the supermarket parking lot had the best view of Mount Fuji. After we had briefly visited a recreated Japanese village to eat our lunch, we journeyed to the Narusawa Hyoketsu ice caves, which were created by a previous eruption of Mount Fuji. Though many of us were excited about this stop, few of us realized how much we would have to crouch to explore the caves. Many of us were close to being on our hands and knees crawling through the caves. The adventure of this was worth it though, as we got to see the beautiful ice formations within the depths of the cave. It was also a nice break from the heat of Japan.
page B2 Over the next two days, we spent our time exploring the rest of Tokyo, including both free time to shop and time to visit more cultural sites.
The Japanese Gardens were a highlight for everyone with their beautiful scenery and serene atmosphere. Amid such a busy city you wouldn’t think there would be such a peaceful place, yet there was a beautiful pond surrounded by delightful flowers and trees.
In stark contrast, most of our group chose to brave the seven-story, chaotic, overstimulating Don Quijote. This shopping center was filled wall-towall, floor-to-ceiling with anything and everything a person could possibly dream of. The flashing lights and headache-inducing music that changed with every step you took truly made it a once-in-alifetime experience - really only once.
While in Tokyo, we not only experienced culture through temples and shrines, but also through delectable foods. With a few of our chaperones, we stopped at a local restaurant during our free time for lunch. While we had intended to play it safe and order dumplings, our chaperones had other plans. We ended up all trying jellyfish for the first time, a very memorable experience. The gummy texture and salty taste were what some would call an unpleasant combination, but the shared laughter around the table made it worth it, kind of. Although the jellyfish was a delight to try, we stuck to our beloved 7-11 runs for the rest of our lunches.
Our last stop was Tokyo Tower, a well-known landmark of Japan. Witnessing the city of Tokyo from what seemed like the clouds was astonishing and a great way to end the trip. This week abroad has encouraged us to continue to experience the world outside of our hometown Rockbridge County.
AT FAR LEFT, students visited the Great Buddha at Tōdai-ji in Nara - one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in the world, standing over 49 feet tall. AT IMMEDIATE LEFT, travelers walked the sacred path through thousands of vibrant Torii gates at the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. The shrine is one of the oldest in Japan, established in 711 CE, and is dedicated to the Shinto god of rice. (photos by Zack Rhodenizer)
THE ROCKBRIDGE County High School travel crew takes a moment away from exploring Tokyo for a group shot in front of Taro Okamoto’s giant mural the “Myth of Tomorrow.”
RCHS students descend into a lava tube at the base of Mt. Fuji, where temperatures never rise above freezing, even in the summer. (photo by Zack Rhodenizer)
