Fall 2018 Registration is going on!

COD Japanese language classes are now waiting for students!

Japanese 1101  Mon/Wed  10am-12noon   19 students as of 7/30/2018
Japanese 1101  Tue/Thu    10am-12noon     6 students
Japanese 1101  Tue/Thu    12noon-2pm     11 students
Japanese 1101  Tue/Thu      7pm-9pm          2 students

Japanese 1102 Mon/Wed     5pm-7pm         3 students
Japanese 2201 Mon/Wed    2:30pm-4pm     1 student  (10 max)

Japanese 2251 (5th semester class)  Mon/Wed   1pm-2:15pm    9 students

This fall is unusual as students of 5th semester are more than 3rd semester!

Night students (1101 and 1102) are welcome!

Spring Break Sakura Japan Trip is also accepting students
The trip is from 3/22/2019 to 3/31/2019 and two class meetings will come before the trip!

Japanese 1100 is the trip class in Spring 2019!

Commencement and Farewell Party

Today was literally the last day at school, so we had the commencement where everyone got the certificate of the merit.

Each group performed its final project at the farewell party where all the host families were invited.

We all together eat some snacks and lunch while every student read his/her thank you letter to the host family.

The climax was the watermelon smashing that gave a piece of watermelon to eat!

We all must be ready to go back to the United States!

Nanzenji Main Gate Tower to the City Zoo!

Historically hot and humid day continued today but our excursion also continued to find some shade on top of the main gate (Sanmon).

Walking along the water canal to get to the city zoo where we were comforted by many animals which also are struggling with this heat!

Tomorrow will be the final day for commencement and farewell party!

Gion Festival Float and portable shrines marched!

Last few days of the program began with Gion Festival Main event in a very hot and humid (over 100F) day!

Giant floats were pulled and march in the middle of the city.  Students fatigue are getting to a peak so everyone must endure few more days!

No major sickness and injury so far.  But must be cautious until the end.

Our final afternoon destination is the city zoo so that everyone be comforted by cute animals!

The EIKANDO and its garden!

It is hot and humid as usual.  The temperature is going beyond our body temperature.    Every time I bring students here, toward the end of the trip, We visit EIKANDO temple, which is famous for its autumn color.

We come in Spring and Summer so no maple can be enjoyed but their main building structure and top of it Tower (TAHOTO) gave us great feeling of being in Kyoto.

Final long weekend is coming up and students will be ready to wrap up their trip!

Monkey Park!

As the end of the program is nearing, everyone got physically tired and now it is getting into the survival mode.

But we must visit the Monkey Park at Mt. Iwata in Arashiyama, where many monkeys welcomed us.

We were in the cage and monkeys observed us!

Han'nya Shingyo Buddhist Scripture Writing at Daikakuji

It was rather cloudy good day today.  After getting off the Randen train, we walked up to Daikaku-ji temple via Seiryoji temple.

At Daikakuji, everyone had a chance to perform Buddhist Scripture Calligraphy.  At the large garden with a huge pond, there was film shooting of Japanese Samurai Drama "MITOKOMON" and some famous actors and actresses were performing in the hot humid weather!

Nice day again.  Now many students are getting tired from daily excursion.

THe giant Buddha welcomed us in Nara!

The giant Buddha welcomed us in Nara with so many deer after rising the Kintetsu train for about 50 minutes from Kyoto.

We also stopped by the April hall and February Hall of Todaiji where we could see the entire Nara city!

Heat index of 39 degree Celsius now began attacking us!

1001 Buddha of Mercy greeted!

Though the weather recovered and Kyoto city function is normal, other parts of Western Japan were still suffering from the storm and it will take a bit longer time to recover.

Our afternoon trip was resumed and Keihan train took us to Sanjusangen-do temple where 1001 statues of Buddha greeted.

Two weeks are left in our program and everyone's energy is now going down to the end but....

Once in a lifetime heavy rain stoped us!

Japan has been attacked by historically heavy rain and it stopped train lines and all the highways and also even local road!

We left Kyoto on time heading to Hiroshima but before getting out from Kyoto prefecture, all the roads got closure and gave up going to Hiroshima.

Besides, it was very dangerous over in Hiroshima, so this was the first time in our study abroad history.

It was pitiful but students got "once in life time" experience, too.

Hopefully the weather recovers and we resume daily routine tomorrow on Monday!

Heian Jingu Shrine in the storm.

The western Japan has been attacked by the storm and many people evacuated but not too much effect on us except for a few student who could not come school due to no train service.
We visited Heian jingu shrine garden to enjoy the rainy garden.

Rain continues.

Nijo Castle and the traditional performances

With the storm passing, it had been heavily raining.  Foreign students in Kyoto can visit Nijo castle and the Manga museum free with special ID.

At night we went to Gion Corner to taste traditional Japanese performances, such as Bunraku, Noh, Gagaku, Tea, etc.

Creating the origial cup noodle!

A typhoon is passing nearby so the weather wasn't good but it did no negative impact to creating one's original cup noodle at the place where it was invented by Momofuku Ando.

It was a fun experience!

KIA--Saiin Station--(Hankyu train) --Ikeda--Cup Noodles Museum

Kyoto Suntory Brewery

The famous snack factory ad affected by the recent earthquake and so We altere the plan to visit Suntory Brewery.
Those who are under age got some soft drinks while others enjoy tasting Japanese real beer.

We will make our original cup noodle tomorrow.

KIA--Saiin Station--(Hankyu train)--Nishiyama Tennozan Station--Suntory Kyoto Brewery

The Phoenix Pavilion in the shower!

Under the heavily clouded sky, we managed to reach the Phoenix Pavilion.  We could see the beautiful Amidado, the pavilon just like our Ten yen coin.
Then strong shower attacked us and we had to stay in its museum for half an hour.

Yet, the mission completed.

KIA--Demachiyanagi Station--(Keihan train)--Uji--The Phoenix Pavilion--Ujigawa Park