Conifer Travelers

This morning after waking up and having more fish for breakfast we headed out into the chilly morning weather to the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine. After picking up lunch from a small marketplace we head over to Nara where we walked through Nandiamon Gate  and pet lots of deer at Nara Deer Park. You were able to feed the deer crackers and sit with them in the park. Some people even got deer kisses. We explored the shrine and experienced the start of a Japanise style wedding at Kashuga-taisha shrine. Then we drove down to the hotel in Osaka to drop off our things before heading to the Osaka Akihabara canal road for shopping and dinner.  The road was so crowded but the food was wonderfull. Our group stopped at a revolving sushi bar for dinner, got tanghulu, and got very lucky at some claw machines. Over all, this trip was absolutely amazing. Parents- please connect with your students group leader at Denver Airport, so we can account for pick up. Thank you, we will see you all on S...

  Many of us woke up early this morning to get food without any difficulties, as there were multiple other groups of similar size staying at the hotel. We started our day with a serene walk through a bamboo forest. It was super calm and beautiful, making it the perfect place for great photos. After some time wandering around the town outside the bamboo forest, we hopped back on the bus and went to a mall for lunch. There, we picked up a tour guide named Yoko who taught us some Japanese language and culture, especially surrounding the shogun, which was a military led government. The Samurai had become rich and gained a lot of political power, causing the rise of the shogun as leaders in the Kyoto area. The shines were amazing and the garden was immaculate. We were able to see the inside of the shogun building, or at least a recreation of it, which we actually had to take our shoes off for, but it was interesting to read all about the shogun. Our final event was a massive mall that w...

Was not the best night’s sleep on a shikibuton, at least for the adults. The kids thought it was a big sleep over, but we survived. Still getting used to the breakfasts consisting of many types of raw and cooked fish, rice, noodles and other unrecognizable items. Today we lost the sun to clouds and rain but still headed up to Fuji Hakone Izu National Park. Here they use the natural volcanic sulfur gas as a way to infuse food items like eggs to help prolong life. They say eating one black egg will extend your life by 70 years. We trekked down for a boat ride on Lake Ashi over to Hakone, a town known for intricate master woodworking. We had a lesson from a master on mystery boxes and how they make the paper thin wood patterns. It was also here that served as a check point for travelers between Tokyo and Kyoto during more tense times. Then we stopped into observe Odawara Castle. We had free time before grabbing the Shinkansen bullet train for a two hour ride to Kyoto. We settled in at our...

Today was our last morning in Tokyo.  After consolidating our luggage into a small backpack, we made our way to Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura.  It is a large buddha built by the emperor. The bronze statue is massive, and along with the buddha, the cherry blossoms were amazing.  We then explored the town and got lunch on our own.   We then continued on the bus to Hakone.  Our next hotel is a traditional Japanese-style inn with tatami sleeping mats.  The hotel features a traditional Japanese-style bath called an onsen.  Tattoos and swimsuits are not allowed and men and women are separated.  We had a traditional Japanese dinner in the hotel with many different dishes.  After dinner, we took a walk through town and enjoyed the beautiful views of the ocean. 

Today was our last day in Toyko and what a day it was. We had to navigate our way through their subway system, don’t worry we didn’t lose anyone. Our first stop was the Japanese style garden, where we saw a gigantic weeping cherry tree. Then we headed to the famous Shibuya crossing, and the kids got to have free time, which they loved because there was so much shopping, sorry parents. Then it was the Ginza district where we saw a traditional Japanese theatre and went to see the Sony experience. Finishing off the day at the Akihabara area know as the electric town where the students were given money to buy dinner of their choice.  They weren’t allowed to talk on the subway Our kids did such a great job at navigating  Daniel bought a Pikachu hat

We started off our day with a wide range of breakfast items: from squid salad to rolled eggs. Then we left to explore the Asakusa Kannon Temple, where we saw a beautiful cherry tree with fresh blossoms.  Our guide Shige holding up Tofu for us to follow  Next we went to the Meiji Shinto Shrine, where they made a man made forest over 100 years ago.  We walked down with the locals in Harijuku shopping district where students were able to have free time to explore. Then we headed to the Toyko Metropolitan Center where we got to see Toyko from the 45th floor observatory.  Ended our day with a Sumo Hot Pot dinner. Everyone seems to be having a great time and are soaking in the culture.