Osaka Castle and Aquarium

I went into Osaka with the regular crew plus my next door neighbor Rebecca and saw the Osaka castle & Aquarium. We finished up the day eating all you can eat Shakey's pizza for under $10! Click the pic on the left to see more.

Nara

Today I saw Todaiji Temple in Nara. At Todaiji, Japan's largest bronze Buddha sits in the largest wooden structure in the world. I can add it to the list of amazing places I've visited since having come to Japan!

Himeji Castle

I took a long train ride past Kobe today to go and see Himeji Castle. The commute was pretty long and expensive, but seeing the castle made it completely worthwhile. On the way home, we treated ourselves to some incredible Indian food. Click the pic on the left to see how amazing the castle is!

The Danjiri Matsuri

Today I saw the most dangerous festival in Japan that the police have been trying to stop for years now, The Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri!!! It's hard to actually describe what the Danjiri festival is, so click the picture on the left and you'll get a better idea of what it was like!

Kyoto with the Girls!

I had a fun day in Kyoto today! A Swedish friend from my Japanese class invited me along on the trip, and I lucked out being the only guy in a group of six! We spent a lot of the day meandering through Kyoto doing things like purikura (personizable photos), eating new Japanese food, and stopping in pretty much every souvenir shop imaginable… it reminded me how much of a shopper I'm not! Ultimately, we made it to The Golden Pavilion. Click the photo to the left to read more about it!

My Homestay

Today I moved in with my new homestay, the Nagao family. The house is about 20 min away from Kansai Gaidai by bike. I have to cross several busy streets in route, but overall it's a pretty simple ride. Getting my one large and heavy bag into the house wasn't easy, but I managed. From there, my host mother, me, and a kansai gadai staff member sat down and discussed the homestay regulations / rules. After making our agreements, crossing the t's and dotting the i's, I unpacked my bags.

My room is small compared to an American style room - 6 tatami mats big and has a nice desk and dresser unit. When the father got home from work, we ate dinner. Okaasan made a Japanese feast that definitely filled me up. My host father even gave me a beer and told me that we were having a "werucamu patee". The kids, two younger brothers in middle and elementary school, are great. Both are into sports and want to try to learn some new English. I think they'll be able to help me and me them. I'm very relieved to finally be settled in to my new home! Check out the pics by clicking the picture on the left.

Orientation trips to Osaka and Kyoto

The final two days of orientation week... Thursday began with a grand opening ceremony held in Kansai Gaidai's auditorium, where the president of the university and some other keynote speaker's, including America's consulate general, gave speeches and wished us the best luck for our semester in Japan. The ceremony was followed up by a banquet held in one of the campus cafeterias, where we feasted on some delicious Japanese cuisine.

That afternoon we were joined by some Japanese girls who took us to a fun area of Osaka call Namba, a place that reminded me a lot of Shibuya in Tokyo.

On Friday we joined up with another group of Japanese girls and took a trip into Kyoto. They showed us around a couple different shrines, including Kiyomizu temple, one of the more famous ones in Kyoto that has an incredible panoramic view back on the city. I ate okonomiyaki for the first time - take a look at the pics and tell me if you think you'd be able to eat it with chop sticks. It wasn't easy for me!