DAY 28

Hello all from the East China Sea!
Or dare I say, konnichiwa? No, I dare not. Last time you have all heard from me I was mere centimeters away from Japan (on a map of course). Now, Japan and I have parted ways and China is within my reaches!
        I honestly do not know how to begin describing Japan. Fascinating? Immaculate? I’ll let you decide. From the moment my size 11 Newbalances hit the pavement it was nonstop amazement.  We arrived several hours late due to the rough weather but we all were still exuberant to see. As we moseyed in to the harbor, an entourage of Japanese drummers pounded away from atop the port terminal in Yokohama, greeting us with some native sounds of their culture. It was a picture perfect day, as we set off for the train, eager to get to Tokyo. After tackling our first language barrier in the station, we hopped a train and an hour later we were walking the streets of central Tokyo. Our hotel was located in the Ginza district, which, by its appearance, looked like Fifth Avenue of New York City. “Gucci”, “Prada”, “Louis Vutton”, and “McDonalds” were some of the ritzy names the lined the streets. Need less to say we were a little surprised, but after dropping our bags and grabbing a map, we hit the town looking for the real Tokyo. A few of the local residents recommended a very tasty sushi bar. Since it was more of a local’s place and not too touristy, we stuck out like sore thumbs upon arrival. However, thanks to menus with pictures (and “sushi” pronounced the same in both languages) we were soon diving in to some of the best raw fish wrapped in seaweed I’ve had. Afterwards we explored the town and visited a bar also infected with fellow SAS students.
        The following morning we awoke with our legs fresh and camera batteries charged, and began exploring. My roommate and I visited the Roppongi district (which is referred to as the Time Square of Tokyo), and saw the Mori Art Museum, which blew our minds. We were fortunate to see the “Art and Medicine” exhibit which featured a history’s collection of medicine paintings, beliefs, ideas, practices, and tools. From the first x-ray machine to wheelchairs that moved simply by thinking, this place had it all. Including a set of George Washington’s false teeth! Weird, I know. We had a great two hours there looking at all kinds of weird and powerful displays.. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed. The exhibit was located 52 stories above Tokyo so we got an amazing panoramic view. Afterwards, we explored the rest of the area stumbling upon a few Shinto Shrines (which are literally just tucked in between buildings on the street) and wondered underneath the Tokyo Tower. But what is Tokyo without a little karaoke? Oh yes, my golden windpipes came out. Following a quick bite of dinner, we visited a local karaoke bar and sang the night away. It was a lot more fun than I thought; I highly recommend you try it (video of my miraculous display of talent may be provided upon request).
        Well, I just started a second page, which means this post is getting long so I’ll move quickly. From Tokyo, we rode a bullet train over to cold and rainy Kyoto. After a mix up of plans, most of the day was spent traveling so we had another quick but amazing dinner (where a table of Russian senators sent us a bottle of sake, I kid you not) and turned in early. The next morning we visited a beautiful shrine and the imperial palace. At midday we grabbed another train to nearby Hiroshima and spent the afternoon experiencing the very powerful monument park. Despite it’s devastating history, it was actually one of the most beautiful cities I have been to. The monument park was gorgeous and served as a perfect tribute to the city. At the top of the park stood the “A-bomb Dome” which was an old treasury once topped with a beautiful dome. It was also the exact point over which the nuclear bomb was detonated (600 meters above known as the hypocenter). It was a bone chilling sight. I’ll let the photo above describe the rest. The rest of the park consisted of a remembrance hall, a children’s memorial, and a massive museum. I don’t think I can concisely cover every detail of it all but I would love to share with you in person. All I can say is that it was quite moving and very beautifully done. The rest of the city itself is just as nice. After seeing photos of what looks like the surface of Mars after the blast, it is still so hard to believe the city is what it is to today.
        From Hiroshima we went to our final city of Osaka and enjoyed it’s nightlife. This doesn’t mean bars per say, but rather how active the city still is at night. All over were food stands and shops and markets. It was quite fun to walk around and see it all. The next morning, my buddies and I went to Osaka Castle (pictured above) and visited one last museum before trudging over to Kobe. After a mouth-watering Kobe beef meal, we re-boarded the Explorer, dropped our bags, and crashed harder than Black Tuesday. Even as I type my body is still exhausted. But, it was worth every second and I’d do it again in a heartbeat!
        Annnnd breathe! Phew, that was a long one and I apologize. As you can tell, Japan had much to offer and we took incredible advantage of it! It’s hard to believe that it was only our first international stop and we still have much of the world to see! We will be arriving in Shanghai, China on the 16th. I will be making my way to Beijing shortly after, to sleep/ hike on the Great Wall for two nights, explore the town, then fly over to Hong Kong where I will visit a monastery in the island of Lantau (home to one of the world’s tallest Buddha statues). It is shaping up to be another mind boggling few days. If you’ve hit this sentence I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking this one out. I hope all is well back home and that everyone reading is doing great! I miss you all and look forward to hearing from some of you. Stay tuned for more (not that you need any) and be sure to enjoy my photos!

-       Chris