Kyoto

So, Kyoto was very different for me than Tokyo. I have always imagined Kyoto to be a very historic and well preserved city, but it didn't really feel that way for me. The city where I was staying was old but not in a historic way, it was in a more rundown sort of way. The safe feeling that I left with from Tokyo, wasn't as assured in Kyoto. I saw a few homeless people sleeping on the streets, a dead cat on the sidewalk and the stores and buildings that I saw were not very well kept nor modern, which was very different than what I had seen in Tokyo.

A highlight in Kyoto was the people we were able to meet at Ritsumeikan University and the Kyoto World Peace Museum. They were so kind and welcoming. It was a really cool experience to meet the students and have lunch with them. The Director of the Museum took us out for dinner and that was a great, fun and memorable experience. I loved the yaki soba. They showed us such wonderful national hospitality.

We did get to visit some of the historic, touristy places too. That was very cool and made for some great pictures. Another highlight of the Kyoto experience was the Karaoke. It was awesome. We had such a fun night. It was great to have some of the Japanese students there also, to kind of show us the way. That is a night I won't forget anytime soon.