In my previous post I introduced myself a little and as for this post, from my year abroad in Japan, it was difficult to choose, but here are some of my favorite moments and travels. I hope you enjoy reading! :)
鎌倉：Kamakura
長野：Nagano
Nagano is a prefecture farther west of Tokyo and is more within central Japan. Nagano is well-known especially during winter times for winter sports like skiing or snowboarding, and wonderful snow-covered landscapes. My dorm friends and I decided to take a trip here to celebrate completing a semester, and to spend more time with one another before some would have to leave to go back home. We decided on staying at an Airbnb of a local Japanese home in a place called Yudanaka further away from the the main city. It was quite close to the main area we wanted to go to which is Jigokudani Monkey Park. This famous park is known for its wild Japanese snow monkeys that would roam around and even bathe in the natural onsens. We spent a few days in Nagano and it became an unforgettable trip. We decided to visit the beautiful Togakushi shrine where we went on quite a trek up through the fresh, snowy woods, do grocery shopping to make home-cooked pastas and breakfast, played games and chatted at the dining table, and did a snowball fight in one of the fields. It was truly a glimpse into a simpler life of what the folks in Nagano experience and it was all very wonderful. The warmth I felt from the town and my friends was enough to forget about the cold.
千葉：Chiba
Chiba prefecture is another prefecture bordering Tokyo right to the east. Within is where Narita Airport along with Tokyo Disneyland and Sea are located, but besides those, there are magnificent views as well.
My dorm was right next to Chiba and I had the opportunity to hike a mountain called Nokogiriyama. At the top stands another Great Buddha Statue within Nihon-ji Temple. Along the way, the sun rays illuminated the greenery of the forrest, and clear skies were all to be seen. Chatting with my friend along the way made time fly by and we took our time to explore the entire area. It seems like there was an area where they worked on carving out the mountain so there were old machines still left there also. Once we reached the temple and Buddha statue, the open field was quite spacious and felt so nice to sit down to rest at. Afterwards, we scaled down the mountain with endless stunning views until we reached the town and decided to walk towards the coast. The entire time, I felt like I was in a Ghibli movie and was experiencing those aesthetic reels highlighting the nature of Japan.
広島：Hiroshima
Lastly, I wanted to share about my time in Hiroshima. Although there was the atomic bomb atrocity that happened in history, it has since recovered and become a beautiful place. I think it is a extremely important part of history to learn from, respect, and to visit if you have the chance. On the first day my friend and I arrived, it was a bright and sunny day so we decided to check out the city. There is the Atomic Bomb Dome which is a memorial site of the only building in the radius that survived the atomic bomb drop in 1945. Around the area is also a wonderful park leading to the Children's Peace Monument and other memorial sites that emphasize the importance of peace. There were multiple long strings of folded colorful paper cranes dedicated to story of Sadako Sasaki who was a survivor of the bomb, but developed leukemia and started folding cranes as a wish for health and peace. It was a surprise to see people from all of the world who came and brought their own folded cranes to add to the park. A bit further away is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum where remnants of the past were preserved to shed light on the disaster. I knew only the surface level of the effects that the city residents went through and after the museum, it was quite enlightening to learn about the depth and reality of the event. Personal recounts of the time, haunting photos, drawings, clothing artifacts, and more were spread throughout.
