Author: amartinez2@rollins.edu

Over spring break I visited the cities of Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. My trip began with me taking the Shinkansen, a bullet train, for the first time towards Tokyo. It was interesting to utilize a form of transportation that I have never before needed to take. This particular trip forced me to become familiar with…

My visit to the Fushimi Inari shrine was one of my first sightseeing experiences in Japan. Seeing such a magnificent structure for the first time was an incredible experience, and it was perhaps the first time I realized that photographs can only capture so much of the grandeur of reality. It was also my first…

On February 3rd I went to the famous Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture. This particular spot is unique because it is the location of several Shinto shrines, and is considered to be the “soul of Japan.” On our way to see the shrines, I was amazed by the giant trees that overlapped the walkway. I found…

Though I am completing my first blog post during my last opportunity to do so, I believe this allows me to accurately capture my thoughts and emotions before I depart for my study abroad experience in Japan. Throughout the past few days, the realization of spending a whole semester far away from everything I have ever known…