This post contains student writing.

Over the course of the 2nd and 3rd days of our trip to Japan, we traveled through the Japanese countryside to the city of Hiroshima. We spent the second day touring the Hiroshima Peace Park, enjoying uniquely flavored bagels as we explored the dark history of this beautiful town. As we continued on, we met a group of Japanese students in high school who were on a global peace program. We decided to all have lunch together, becoming friends as we learned and shared one anothers’ cultures! We later went to the Hiroshima Castle and explored the complex building system. We finished our day at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, where we all ate our hearts out, and poured coins into the claw machines.

Starting off the third day, we hopped onto a train and made our way to the shipping dock that would bring us onto the island of Miyajima. We explored the island, viewed the incredible Shinto temple on the ocean, and walked around the quaint, fun town. There we ate all kinds of food, from clams to shaved ice. We ended the day at an amazing ramen spot and had an impromptu dance celebration with some locals. It’s been an awesome couple of days to start off the trip — some that will definitely not be forgotten!

– Written by Kayla and Julian