By Simon Benca and Karolina Mroczek, Grade 11
On Friday, April 11, while the rest of the Lourdes community was preparing for another school day, a group of about 20 students chaperoned by Mrs. Ross, Mr. Crittenden, and Mr. Tanner woke up early and made their way to school. They were not planning on starting class early; they were grouping up to take a bus to the airport. Their destination was Tokyo, Japan.
Some highlights from the trip included a walk on the grounds of the Imperial Palace, a sumo wrestling workshop, and a visit to the Tokyo Skytree Tower, the tallest building in Japan. During the sumo wrestling workshop, three students accepted the challenge of wrestling the sumo wrestlers. Later in the trip, the travelers enjoyed admiring gardens full of cherry blossom trees, trying new foods, and shopping for unique souvenirs. Students broke off into groups: one of which visited several Pokémon centers throughout the country, others toured various animal cafes, while some searched for anime and pop culture merchandise.
The itinerary for each day was packed with exciting activities, which accounted for ancient and modern tourist attractions. They enjoyed the modern activities of karaoke, virtually limitless shopping in Harajuku, and walks through Shibuya Crossing as well. One night, the students went to the Aeon Mall in Kyoto, where people went to Uniqlo, one of the few Toys R Us stores, the Bandai Namco Arcade, and other stores. Students took numerous pictures of Mt. Fuji, explored peaceful temples and shrines, and bowed to the famous deer in Nara, Japan’s old capital. In addition, the group spent time in Atami, and some members woke up early to see the rising sun over the beach. The group also was able to immerse themselves in Japanese culture by attending a Yuzen dyeing workshop and a sushi making class, all while practicing their Japanese.
Although the group is unable to agree on a favorite activity, they can easily concur that there was not a single dull moment on the trip. Every traveler agrees that the week-long vacation was not long enough, and that Japan is worth visiting again someday.