It was something of a lucky surprise to visit Japan. The country had only recently opened up to tourists, and our trip was only possible due to the amazing work of our contact, Nao-san. We arrived in Osaka and Nao-san showed us around the city’s historic sights before we turned in for the night.
Our time in Japan was busy, but there are a couple of standout highlights. The first: our visit to Kyoto. We took the bullet train from Osaka to Kyoto (the train puts Amtrak to shame—we made the trip in just 30 minutes). Kyoto is an amazing small city that showcases traditional Japanese architecture and history. We explored a beautiful Shinto shrine; indulged in street food; and ate too much mochi. One memorable moment: Felix and I shared some fugu, a pufferfish that is highly toxic if not prepared correctly. Fortunately for us both, this fugu was apparently up to snuff. Though I wouldn’t write home about the taste.
Second: we visited a traditional Japanese theater. We saw an amazing play based on a folktale about a hero who battles a monstrous giant spider; afterwards, we had the privilege of meeting with the actors one-on-one. The next day, we returned to the theater to stage our own performance to a sold-out audience. It may have been one of the best performances of our tour; the incredible acoustics of the space certainly helped.
