2/18/16 Blog by Jason

Thursday, we did two things. We started the day off by observing the application of kabuki makeup, and then later in the day we visited Miyajima. 

The kabuki makeup workshop that we got to observe was attended by a group of middle school students. The process started with white face paint and ended with drawing elaborate patterns in red, blue, and black. We got to try applying it on Isabel, who was a very good sport and looked very good when it was finished. Thankfully we had Megan and Karina available, whose skills made her look fantastic. 

After this, we left for Miyajima via train. We took the train to Miyajima-Guchi station and then got on a ferry that took us to the island. Once we were there, we had free time to explore the island and buy souvenirs before we visited Itsukushima Shrine as a group. There were many wild deer wandering around the island, which was interesting to see. They were very hungry and got after everyone's food; one of them even tried to eat Ben's pamphlet. Itsukushima Shrine itself was absolutely gorgeous. I'd never seen a shrine or a tori (the gates that stand in front of shrines) of that size before in my life.

Overall, it was a very fun day and all of us learned a lot about Japanese history and traditions! 

2/17/16 Blog by Karina （花里奈）

Today was a pretty calm day. We didn't have any field trips today and instead of being with our host brothers/sisters in their classes, we spent our time in the library doing homework. 

When it was time for lunch, I had brought candies for the class and cookies for the homeroom teacher. We opened the candies and everyone said that they were delicious and thanked me. When I left, Yuki told me that everyone in the class said that I was a very kind person.

After school I went to a sauna and Onsen with my host mom and Yuki. We were mostly in the saunas and entered the onsen for just a little while. When even went into the hottest sauna for a special service they were having. I felt so relaxed and sleepy. It was a great bonding experience. This will be one of the many moments spent with my host family that I will never forget.

Okonomiyaki

2/19/16 Blog by Benton

The End

Although we aren't leaving Japan until tomorrow morning, our goodbyes began today with our homeroom. Saying good-bye is (almost) always hard. It depends on whether you like whomever you are parting ways with, but in the case of the Nagisa students it was indeed hard.

After we said our good-byes to our homeroom classes, we spent some time getting organized and doing some homework. Then around noon, we switched gears to something more fun. We took a short bus ride to the Wood Egg (what a fun name) to make okonomiyaki. If you've never had it before it's basically like a pancake sandwich with noodles, cabbage, ham, bean sprouts, and toppings such as seaweed and fish powder. Here at the Wood Egg we got to make our own on an open stove top which was a unique experience. 

We also attended another speech contest later in the afternoon but this time instead of middle schoolers, high school students gave speeches (some in Japanese and some in English) in a hall to the audience of other students and us. Once again everyone did a great job! Yuto, a friend I met at the exchange party we had, won first place out of the English speeches! 

Now there are more good-byes to follow soon, as well as packing to do before we get on our 13+ hour flight home so, sayonara! 

Kabuki make-up lesson and Miya-jima visit

2/16/16 Blog by Isabel

Today was an historical experience for all of the CGS students. We took the day off of school to visit the Hiroshima Peace Park. Four Nagisa  students guided us around the area. We visited the Genbaku Dome, the Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students, the Children's Peace Memorial, the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound, and the Memorial Monument for Hiroshima. The Children's Peace Memorial struck out to me the most. 

The Children's Peace Memorial was surrounded by glass containers filled with thousands of beautifully made origami cranes. The monument itself shows a bronze statue of a young girl lifting a golden crane entrusting with dreams for a peaceful future. The description on the stone block under the monument reads: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. For building peace in this world". This quote struck me the most. It made me realize how many children actually died and suffered through the atomic bomb. It was overwhelming and heart braking to see this memorial and remembering the horrible events of what had happened in the past. The cranes for me, represented what the quote said; building peace in this world. 

The overall message of the Hiroshima Peace Park is to inform others of the dangers and aftermath of the events of the atomic bomb and to never let this tragedy happen again in the future. The museum does a very good job at informing visitors of the actual damage an atomic bomb does to a city. Walking though the museum there was many shocking things I witness. There was actual behinds of clothing, personal items, damaged metal and rooftops showing the damaged the atomic bomb did to the city. It was an horrifying and scary site to see. I never knew how much the atomic bomb really affected the town until I went to this museum.  

My overall experience of the Hiroshima Peace Park was a sense of hope for the future. The atomic bomb was a horrifying incident that should never happen again. I hope that many people get a chance to visit the Peace Park to witness and educate themselves the damage that was done to the city and people. 

calligraphy