My school went on an overnight field trip to Osaka. We spent the first day at Universal Studios, spent the night in a hotel, then went to Kidzania (an adult world for kids) on the second day.
We met at Nagoya Station very early in the morning, then took the Shinkansen (high speed bullet train) to Osaka. We had to take another 2 trains to get to Universal Studios. Managing 24 students with only 4 teachers through 3 train stations during rush hour was incredibly stressful! But when we finally arrived, everyone was excited.
Picture of my group at Universal Studios. Ms. Yuki and I had 12 children in our group, ages 3-5 years old. It was a very hectic and stressful day! There weren't too many rides that the kids were tall enough to ride, so we spent most of our day going to different shows. After spending the day at the park, we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner - then headed over to the hotel. I had 8 kids in my hotel room that I was responsible for all evening, including bathing and getting ready for bed. There was never a dull moment! It gave me a little taste of what it would be like to have 8 children!
On the second day we headed over to a place called Kidzania. It's literally an adult world for kids. They were able to experience a variety of different jobs, get paid for their work, and spend their hard earned "money" at the end of the day. Jobs consisted of: chef, baker, police officer, fireman, doctor, dentist, banker, security guard, construction worker, fashion designer, barber, salon stylist, magician, train operator, car repair.... you name it, they had it!
A few of the students learning how to make sushi. They were very proud of their hard work.
Here the students are learning how to be a fashion designer - they were able to design their own outfits!
It was such a great learning experience for the kiddos. I think that the U.S. should have one of these parks! :)
Miyoko welcome us into her home, and allowed us to wear her kimono. She helped us dress - I never knew wearing a kimono was such a complicated process! It was very tight and a bit uncomfortable... but very fun to wear, especially to a Japanese Tea Ceremony.
The man in this photo is the teacher, apparently it takes several years to become certified in tea ceremony. The women we attended with have been practicing for many years, and are still learning! The tea ceremony is a well orchestrated series of events, each part of the ritual is symbolic. I love that the kettle is in the floor. They use a bamboo ladle to pour and serve the water.
These are the three women we attended the ceremony with, Miyoko and her friends. All learning and practicing the tea ceremony process. It was a very interesting experience, and I'm interested in learning more about the meaning behind the movements in Japanese Tea Ceremony.
After the Tea Ceremony, we headed over to a local karaoke "box" for some good ole' singing! Karaoke is one of the main social activities of Japanese people. Many karaoke bars are open 24 hours, and often feature all-you-can-drink deals. Each group has their own room with access to all karaoke paraphernalia... far more private compared to U.S. karaoke since it's just you and your friends in a room. They have a wide variety of songs to choose from - my mom enjoyed singing oldies, especially the Beatles.
