This post features student writing from James B., Sophie N., and Ari S. Here’s what they have to report:

When we arrived in Japan, our fatigue from the long flight was immediately swept away by the flashing lights of Tokyo. We split into groups for varied culinary adventures. Be it shabu shabu or okonomiyaki, we were already trying new things. That sounds cheesy, which is ironic considering the relative lack of cheese in Japanese cuisine. The next morning we got to know both our neighborhood and other students. After gorging ourselves on unique pre-wrapped snacks from local convenience stores, we ascended to a higher state of being: the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. After lunch, we had our choice of たくさん activities, including an arcade and Don Quixote, famous in Japan not as an idiotic Spanish knight-errant, but as a mega-store. We topped off the day with a taste of the wacky Japanese metro system and a visit to the Shibuya crossing on our way to a lovely group dinner. Overall, we had a ton of fun on our first day and can’t wait for what’s in store.

さようなら！

James, Sophie, & Ari

And here are a few photos from our first day of classes: