TanjyobiOmetedouNagoya!

Title: Happy Birthday Nagoya!

This is the day after we got back from the field trip (Oct 16 & 17), Nagoya's 400th birthday. There were festivals all over the city, super fun! Japanese jumping house!!! Abby said I was too big though. :(








Rauchelle and Abby with their candied apples.


Abby in her Kimono. Right then we were in an open air shopping district called Osu Kannon. This is a particularlly nice used Kimono shop.



And if I could read this I would totally try and get tickets! Kanji you are my downfall!!!!


Oh yes, and the height of fashion.



I've seen them in shops everywhere, and people wearing them as everyday clothes, may be I should pack mine for next semester. Next day we went to Nagoya Castle for more festival stuff.



Like a fair, sort of, I some places they had flower art of display.









And the Castle.



You may not be able to see them very well, but this is what used to be the moat around Nagoya Castle, now its a ditch, and there is a family of deer that live in it.



And here's the view from the top.




Pretty much, Nagoya's mascots are these two golden dolphins that used to be on top of the castle, they drew a lot of attention when they were unveiled at the world epxo in Tokyo years ago. I love this picture so much.



Here's your picture Grama, frame it as proof I'm here. Lol, no I waiting for the leaves to change, it will be really pretty then.

All is well.
Love Gretchen

yamatoonsenboukenda!

Title: Mountain and Hot Spring Adventure!

Sorry I haven't updated in such a long time, there's been quite a lot! Get read for a doozy of a post. Thursday the 14th and Friday the 15th was the field trip for us exchange students. Thursday we got up early as got on the bus, and promptly fell back asleep.


The Japanese countryside was so beautiful, well not the country, the mountains. Japan is way more mountainy than I thought.




oh yea, and



Our first stop was a place where display food was made. Yes, display food. In a big restaurant you won't get menu's, at the front there is a display window with a wax version of the meal, and a little description card. It was all super realistic, some of it I couldn't tell was wax, and best of all we got to make some!


These are practically works of art, sometimes it was really hard to tell what was plastic and what wasn't.


and individually wrapped fake toast, I love Japan.


They had a few different things we could make, little candle, tempura shrimp, but my favorite was the lettuce.



Next was fishing, traditional Japanese fishing with a bamboo pole and line with no reel. It was fun, but kinda rigged, the second a fish bit onto my line it broke. oh well.

But it was deep in the mountains so it was really pretty.




Next we stopped at a mountain town, that I'm pretty sure their only income was tourism, but hey it was pretty.















That night we stayed in a Ryokan, a traditional style inn with tatami mats, and futon.



The hot spring itself was sooo nice. Of course I couldn't take pictures, as all of us were naked. Surprisingly enough it was really relaxing and not awkward at all. And the futon were so comfortable, be nights sleep I've had in a while. Next morning we rode up a mountain. Nope, not confusing verbs here, we rode in a rope way car all the way up a mountain.









Field Trip, Owari (done)
Sooo much more going on though, haven't even talked about Nagoya's Birthday yet.

All is well
Gretchen