Weekend Adventures and Trips

On the weekends, I had the chance to explore Japan and all of its wonders. Below you will see my pictures from my first weekend exploration into the heart of Osaka to Osaka Castle, all the way to our final trek up Mt. Fuji. There are hundreds and hundreds more pictures to share, but I hope these few will give you a glimpse of the memories that will stick with me forever.

PICTURES: Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Kyoto, Ise, Fuji-san

My first weekend in Osaka – Osaka Castle.	Pagoda in Osaka	The neon lights and canal in downtown Osaka.
Petting the tame deer at Nara Park	The whole lab gang in Nara	In front of my favorite temple in Nara
Miyajima, or 'Shrine Island'	A couple dressed in wedding kimonos being carried around Miyajima in a rickshaw.	My dad and I in front of picturesque Miyajima.
The Atomic Bomb Dome, preserved as one of the only buildings that survived the blast.	Paper cranes at the Children's Memorial in the Hiroshima peace park.	Hiroshima peace park memorial with my parents.
Learning how to mix the green tea at a traditional Japanese arts workshop.	Walking through the tori gates in Kyoto at night.	Drinking from the waterfalls at a shrine in Kyoto.
Kyoto Gion-Matsuri festival parade with elaborate floats and people dressed in wonderful traditional clothes.	Kyoto Gion-Matsuri festival: faces, young and old	To turn these floats around the corner takes 10 minutes of pushing and shoving the wheels on a sheet of bamboo.
My delicious lunch of shrimp and vegetable tempura and sashimi.	Huge trees in Ise – lab road trip!!!	Shrine in Ise – a story of two rocks that represent a husband and wife.
Meeting a friend to tour more shrines in Kyoto.	Lotus flowers in a Kyoto garden	Posing with two Japanese girls in Kyoto while walking on the street with the geisha tea houses.
Catching up with an old friend while riding in a rickshaw around Arashiyama near Kyoto.	Adorable monkey faces at the monkey park in Arashiyama.	From the top of the monkey park overlooking the scenic view of Kyoto.
Climbing the 3,770 m of Mt. Fuji, starting at 10 pm, reaching the top at 6 am.	Watching the sunrise from the top of the mountain was a surreal experience.	Looking over the crater of Mt. Fuji and warming up with some hot coffee.

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