November was a very tame month as the weather began to cool down. Our main, and only, field trip during this month was to the Asahi Beer Factory. We learned about the history of the company as well as the process of making beers; we were even able to see inside the factory distillery. Afterwards all the students were able to buy beer from the factory's open tasting room. Though winter weather was setting in the trees were still changing their colors and losing their leaves. One of the International Center employees, Akiko, suggested that we visit a very famous town know for the vibrant and beautiful maple leaf trees known as Mino Park. The park features a hiking trail that runs along side a long river which eventually leads to Mino Waterfall. As the tree leaves were at the peak of their cycle, the park was incredibly packed. The hike to the falls averages around 45 minutes and that's just one way! It was well worth the hike though as the entire journey we were surrounded by beautiful, rich colored trees. The view of the waterfall was breathtaking as well (not to mentioned crowded). The hike back to the entrance was the challenging park. Due to the large number of people the main road back became very packed, very much like rush hour on the freeway with stop and go traffic, so we decided to take the scenic route back which was a bad decision on my part. The path was incredibly steep and winding and my feet were absolutely killing me by the end of the day. But overall this was one of the best destinations I had been to during my time in Japan. The iChat Lounge arranged one last field trip to Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto where a special seasonal viewing of the bamboo forest could be had. The international students met in the evening as the special viewing was set at night with the temple, its surrounding maple trees, and the bamboo forest lit up. We were able to take a tour of the entire grounds, from the inside of the temple to the surrounding bamboo and maple tree groves. It was especially beautiful as the trees still retained their fall colors which looked very beautiful even in during the night. Pictures of each described event can be found below! One final personal accomplish I achieved was finding a Mexican restaurant, which was harder than it sounds. As a born and raised Californian living in Japan, I cannot tell you how much I missed and craved Mexican food and Japan is not the best place to go in search for this kind of food. One of the International Office employees was able to search around and found a Mexican restaurant by the name of El Pancho in Shinsaibashi. The food and margaritas were divine, though I imagine my deprivation from genuine Mexican food for four months could have an influence.
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Authorまいど!おおきに! Archives
December 2014
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