Everyone got home safely despite the fact that there were students who suffered a bit from COVID-19.
Students' stamina is getting weaker and weaker, especially after the Pandemic.
The program had to be modified not only because of their stamina but also local weather and global warming.
The excusrion plan will be modified and will be suited to students next year!
Stay tyuned!
The commencement was successfully completed and everyone got the Certificate of Merit.
Each class gave the final performance, which is Singing the theme song of Evangerion and Drama act of Peach Boy. Both were excellent and everyone did well.
Lunch was catered from local Bento place and everyone got the nice gift from the school. The gift was the Seal (HANKO) which has each student name in Kanji and Katakana.
Everyone is now preparing for the departure tomorrow but do the final shopping, of course.
COD one month Summer Study Abroad program is about to end. It was difficult for us to plan daily trip as the weather here has not been very cooperative on top of the historically high temperature.
We, however, somehow survived and visited Okazaki Shrine which has been recently famous for the prospect finding and healty child bearing.
Rabbit is the symbol of this shrine as you can find Maneki Usagi (usually Maneki Neko, or fotune calling cat, happy cat). It was also timely since year 2023 is the rabbit year which is my zodiac animal.
After Okazaki Shrine, we walked to the city zoo where everyone enjoyed.
Now the commencement is waiting.
After school we left Hakubaicho Randen Train Stop to go to Arashiyama where monkeys were waiting for us in Mt. Iwata Monkey Park.
Under the dangerously hot and humid weather everyone climbed up the mountain to meet monkeys and stayed in the cage around which monkeys are watching and asking some food.
The program is getting closer to the end and somehoe all the students have been managed to get to this date.
Few more days!
The best cludy weather helped us to climb up the Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine 1000 Torii Gate to the top of Mt. Inari.
Everyoone made it to the top and had a great view of Southern Kyoto from the yop of Mt. Inari.
We went down to other side of the mountain to visit Tofukuji Temple.
Everyone seems ready for the long weekend to visit here and there before the final week coming up!
After Osaka Castle trip yesterday, we had a little light plan. From the Bus terminal, we went to Shimogamo Shrine where everyone could check their own zodiac animal and pray at the specific altar.
Some played water fortune telling as Shimogamo Shrine is famous for the god of water.
From Shimogamo Shrine we went to where Kamo river and Takano river meets and took some group photo and play with rock hopping in the river.
Finally the weather got on our side so that we could visit Osaka Castle Main Tower.
Everyone did good job to meet Shingo at the train station without follwoing me.
Keihan Express took us to Kyobashi Station where we walked through Osaka Business Park (Panasonic Bulding Twin 21) to get to Osaka Castle.
On the way back we stopped by at Hokoku Shrine which enshrines Hideyoshi, the boss of Osaka Castle.
Return trip was in the rush hour and we struggled to get on the train but everything went well, otherwise.
Original plan was to go to Osaka Castle but the weather forecast diverted the plan.
We went to Arashiyama where we had lunch and began strolling through Bamboo Road and had so-called Walking around Sagano area.
We were hit by sudden heavy shawer at Seiryoji temple and waited for a while then headed to Daikakuji temple where we had Hannyashingyo Caligraphy experience before going back to the city center.
Tomorrow hopefully no rain and our Osaka Castle visit be successfully completed.
Though the weather was not cooperating with us, our northen Kyoto Trip was quite successful.
Firstly, we visited Maizuru Port where we could see the histrory of aftermath of WWII.
Many Japanese POW Stayed longer in Russia after the war. Shingo's grandpa was on the last ship from Russia coming back to Maizuru in 1957.
Then we went to Amanohashidate, one of three scenic views of Japan (other two are Matsushima and Itsukushima). We were managed to go up to the mountain to see Amanohashidate(Heavenly Bridge)
After lunch at the Seaside Center, we went to Ine which is famous for funaya house built close to the sea surface of the Ine-wan bay
This trip was joined by some host families and school teachers, so it was nice.
After walking a lot yesterday in Nara, we had a little light day to visit Nijo Castle.
Today's highest temperature was 36.8℃(98F) but real feeing was 39℃(102F)
Squeaking floor of the Ninomaru Hall in Nijo Castle woke everyone up before walking through the hot and humid garden.
Tomorrow is the trip to Amano Hashidate by bus though may be raining.
We had a Tanabata (Milky Way Festival) event. Everyone made small piece of colored paper on which everyone wrote his or her wish and tied with Bamboo branch.
After the event we were headed to Kyoto Station where we had a lunch break. Kintetsu Railway took us to Nara and we visited Todaiji-temple while feeding many deer with their special snack.
After meeting with the Giant Buddha Image, we went up to Todaiji February Hall from which we could enjoy the nice view of Nara city.
Through Wakakusa yama mountain we reached Kasuga Grand Shrine before getting back to the Kintetsu train station through Higashimki Shopping Street.
Another hot and humid day. Probably 20000 steps total?
After lunch at the usual shopping mall, we went to Eikando temple to enjoy is complicated sturucture as well as a city view from the eastern part of Kyoto.
Though it was rainy a bit, we could visit Nanzenji temple after Eikando. We walked through Nanzenji temple and get to Heian Jingu Shrine bus stop. We walked in front of the Shingo's condo.
Eikando and Nanzenji were good places to vist even under rain.
Originally we planned to go to Todaiji temple in Nara but Kyoto City Subway accident forced to reschedule it and we went to Kiyomizu temple instead.
100F outside temperture challenged us to walk around but we managed to reach Kiyomizu temple.
Yasaka Shrine was the main shrine for Gion Festival in July. Kodaiji temple was where Hideyoshi's wife NENE resided in warrning states period in Japan.
From Kodai-ji temple we walked through Ninen-zaka and Sannen Zaka and climb up to Kiyomizu temple.
After school in the bus terminal, we had a quick lunch and headed to the Keihan Demachiyanagi Train Station to go to Byodoin (Phoenix Pavilion) in Uji city.
Only in the train and the musium in the Phoneix Pavilion are the place we can get away from the heat.
The beautiful Pavilion surrounded by many lotus flowers and leaves greeted us.
We went through the temple and got to Uji River Park where we could see many cormorant (for fishing).
We walk along with Uji River to get back to the station.
