We got good history and heard many sobering tales of tragedy and survival. 
We left paper cranes at the Children’s Peace Memorial, many from Ms. Chiba’s school.
Then we had some traditional Hiroshima cuisine!
Dinner was at Kyoto Ninja!
Tomorrow is our final day of Kyoto sightseeing and then we board our flight home!
We have just arrived…
We bade farewell to host families early on a cold morning ( we have been so lucky with the weather!)
We boarded the metro and then the bullet train to continue our adventure…
And arrived in Kyoto for lunch, crafts and a visit to the Heien Shrine and gardens…
Then we checked into our Kyoto hotel, went to dinner and had our planning meeting for the next day. They told us our meeting room was called the Chapel but we had no idea we would be meeting in the hotel’s wedding chapel, complete with piped in music. There was a lot of giggling while Reverend Roquet described our next day’s itinerary.
Tomorrow: Hiroshima!
A great final day with host friends!
Lots of rides
And a fun party
Today was a big day with many opportunities for a fun time in classes. Dissecting a squid in junior high school? Check. Basketball tournament in a lower school? Check. Walking on stilts? Check. Signing Autographs? Check. Calligraphy? Check.
A great final day of school visits with all of our 8th graders discussing their expereinces and what they learned.
Another great day! Many groups spent time at elementary schools today with lots of cuteness. And there is nothing like an 8th grader feeling like a rock star in front of a bunch of first graders!
Today, each group visited a different school, two groups to Junior High Schools and two groups to Elementary schools. Music, English, PE, Art, Technology, Judo, Koto training were just some of the options on the various itineraries.
There was also Ikibane: flower arranging.
and some jump rope (just like Jump Rope for Heart Back home!
It was a full and fun day, with teachers checking in at the beginning and end of day back at the Kita City Offices.
Some of the students were part of chorus practice. They are getting ready for graduation in March.
In the evening, the teachers had dinner with the officials from the Board of Education. We reflected on the evolution of our program with the move to February and the growth in the number of students attending. Another wonderful day of connections in the books.
The Junior High School did an amazing job of welcoming us! From the moment we entered the gym, we knew we were in for a treat.
Our students performed well. Then there were various activities at the school followed by a visit to the Mayor’s Office. Everyone is in good spirits and seemed to be excited for another day tomorrow!
Head's Up, Kathleen McNamara 