Submitted by Carolyn Boyser on the 2012 summer session program in Kobe, Japan sponsored by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures…
This week has been so busy for all of us here in Kobe, Japan. We got to meet Hanada Takafumi Sensei, a Master at Shodo, the art of Japanese calligraphy. He even critiqued our own shodo work and gave us pieces of shodo he did on the spot for us! We went to Osaka and rode a ferris wheel which offered you a beautiful view of the city. Then we went to the Osaka Castle, which was a gorgeous historical palace that is now a museum. Friday night was the Himeji Yukata Festival where we all dressed in our Yukata, ate delicious food, and visited the castle in Himeji which although it was still under renovations was still a gorgeous site to see. This past Sunday, we went to Kyoto and visited four different temples and shrines. We even got to see Maiko and I was fortunate enough to have been able to get a shot of the graceful Maiko. Here’s to another busy week, during which I will continue to practice my Japanese in everyday situations and learn as much as I can.