Pictures from Japan

Hayley came home with 944 pictures! She also took some videos. So I'm just posting the highlights from her trip. I should mention that the Japanese like to give the peace sign when taking photos so you'll see alot of the people doing that.

View from the bus on the way to the hotel in Toyko

View of Mt. Fuji from the hotel

Hayley in her new frog hat and her roommate

Courtney in front of Mt. Fuji.

The whole group in front of Mt. Fuji.

Otaki Castle.

Banners advertising something.

I wish our billboards looked that cool!

A man working in his rice field.

Lavender ice cream.

I thought that was a scent not a flavor.

Hayley's first touch of the ocean.

More rice fields.

Hayley's first meal.

Chicken, some kind of sauce, and salad.

Big Buddha Statue.

View of one of the rooms in the host family's home.

Hayley's new cute little brother.

Hayley's bed.

She said it was very comfortable to sleep on the mat.

Playing Wii with the family.

Hayley playing with her new brother, Riki.

Ready for school!

Courtney, Shiho and Hayley.

Host Dad putting his son Riki on the bus for school.

Decorations at the school.

Hayley's Homeroom at School.

Kids from the grade school they visited.

Hayley's escorts around the grade school that they visited.

School lunch.

Musical performance at her school.

Learning how to play some new instruments.

Hayley and Courtney in Judo outfits.

Hayley in a wedding kimono.

Beautiful Japanese dress.

Sightseeing in Tokyo. A Statue of Liberty replica.

Dance and Welcoming Ceremony.

Another picture at the dance.

Shiho, Courtney, Mr. Clarenbach, Host Dad Nobuyuki, Hayley, other kids from the school.

Hayley and Courtney cooking dinner for their host family.

Host family.

Back row: Grandpa Haruo, Shiho, Courtney, Hayley, Mom Naoko.

Front row: Riki, Grandma Yoshie

It rained the last day, but Hayley had to take her first swim in the ocean.

On the way home to Wisconsin.

Hayley loved the experience so much that she said she plans to go back some day.

Hayley's Japan Trip

My daughter Hayley left for Japan on Saturday. She went with a group from her school and will be there for 10 days. They'll be touring Tokyo, visiting Mt. Fuji and attending school as exchange students.

Hayley is an aspiring photographer and promises to bring back an enormous amount of photos. I can hardly wait to see them. I'll be posting a bunch of them when she gets back. I'm a little worried that Hayley will come back skinnier than when she left. She's a little bit of a picky eater. Most of her second suitcase was filled with cereal, teddy grams, pop tarts and granola bars. She promised to at least try a little of everything.

Courtney (Left) - Hayley (Right)

Hayley and Courtney will be staying with a host family together.

This is the bus that they rode down to Chicago and that's the bus driver.

Here is the whole group. Hayley is fifth from the right in the back row.