Kakuda Travel Blog

June 11, 2007
The 2007 visit to Kakuda is underway, and chaperone Kim Kile has been blogging her trip for friends and family back here in Greenfield!

"...all is going well in Kakuda! The Welcome Dinner was lovely and everyone did a great job with their speeches. It was so wonderful to see all of the students who visited Greenfield in March there. We also met some of the students who'll be coming in August."

Click here to visit Kim's blog and read more about her travels in our sister city! Also, view Kim's photos from the trip, and some pictures sent by host Yasuko Kato in the photo gallery!

Off to Tokyo!

June 16, 2006
Today we went to Sendai for the day. We took the train and the subway to get there, which was a first for us. After taking a tour of the Miyagi Prefecture Capital building, we had lunch and then spent the afternoon shopping!!

Tonight is our last evening with our host families and there have already been many
tears shed. I think it will be a sad goodbye tomorrow morning at the train station. This will be my last post for the 2006 travel log. We will spend the next two days in Tokyo and will get back on the plane Monday.

We will see you in Indy!!

June 15, 2006
We have had two very busy days. Wedensday we went to several elementary schools and were greeted by very enthusiastic students. The younger children were especially impressed with how tall that Tyler is. After visiting the schools we went to learn about making paper. The students seemed to enjoy the hands on activity and were able to make several pieces.

After this we had a trip to a tomato field, after which we went home to our host families. Several of the families took the kids to see a baseball game, which we are told was enjoyed by all.

Today we went to Matsushima Bay and took boat rides. The scenery was beautiful and the we all loved being out on the water. In addition we were able to feed the seagulls, which was a lot of fun. This was followed by a trip to a temple and then on to the aquarium. Our day ended with a visit to the Kakuda City Museum.

Tomorrow, we will visit Sendai and spend our last evening with out host families. I have a feeling that Saturday morning will lead to very tearful goodbyes, as we have made many new friends and have become acclimated to our host families.

More new friends

June 13, 2006
Today we separated in to three groups to visit various junior high schools. At the school I visited we played a game like hot potato with two English classes in order to give introductions of our names in English. We also had various other activites to help the Japanese students practice their English. I think they enjoyed the interactions with our students, who did a very good job making friends and getting to
know the other students.

After this we all came together for lunch, which was followed by a short trip to a senior center. We all continued on to Nishine Junior High School, where we were greeted warmly. The students put on many presentations for us in they gym, which included singing ("Take Me Home Country Road"), skits about school life, a dance, and drumming. Two of our students also performed. Austin did a great job clogging and Chelsea sang beautifully.

After leaving Nishine we ended our day at Kozoji temple. In addition to seeing the temple, the students came across a snake and a pond filled with tadpoles, which
they enjoyed. Tonight is free time with host families and we will meet again in the morning to visit the elementary schools.

For those who saw news of the earthquake in Japan, do not worry Kakuda was not affected!

Together again

June 12, 2006
Today we gathered together again, after spending the weekend with our host families. We all had different activities over the weekend, but most of us spent some time at the ocean enjoying the beach. Saturday we had some sunny weather (it has been overcast and rainy here) so many of us also had barbeques.

Our first stop today was Kakuda High School. It is the first year for the school to be co-ed. After spending time getting to know the students and viewing classes we had lunch. After lunch we were treated to a demonstration from the karate club and then the choir sang for us. In addition to a Japanese song, they also sang an amazing version of Amazing Grace. Austin and Chelsea also performed for the students.

After leaving the high school we observed Kakuda from atop of the Space Tower, which was followed by some fun at the park. Even the adults enjoyed going down the slide. We ended our time together visiting the Keihin plant, learning some information about their products and taking a tour. We have separated to spend the evening with our host families.

Today we also realized that our time here will be over soon, as we will be home in a week. It is a short time to get to know the culture and we have all expressed that we would like to stay longer.

We made it!

June 09, 2006
After a very long flight, we made it to Narita Airport. The kids all handled the long flight very well. After a slight stop in Tokyo, we took the bullet train to a station near Kakuda, where our families met us, holding signs bearing our names. This was around 11:30 pm. Talking with the other travellers today, we all pretty much went to our homes and went to bed.

Today, we met early and took a bus to Mt. Zoa, but were unable to see the lake due to heavy fog. We headed back down the mountain after a short stop in the gift shop and went to the Kokeshi musuem. All of use were able to paint our own kokeshi doll and I must say the kids did a great job painting. After a short stop for lunch, we then went to a ceramics studio, where they fire a wood fire kiln. We were each able to hand-build a piece that they will fire and send back to us in 2 months. Tonight we are going to the Welcome Party and over the weekend we will spend time with our host families!

Welcome!

June 06, 2006
As the travelers make last minute preparations for their trip, we'd like to introduce the 2006 Travel Log. It will be updated when possible with news from the trip, so check back often!