My 17-year old daughter Maggie just returned from a homestay/high school exchange to Yokohama, Japan. Last year she was in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and she compares Tokyo to New York City and Yokohama to San Francisco. Here she is with her class on her last day there:
And a close up:
A shot of the empty classroom. High school students stay in the same classroom and the teachers will rotate to them vs. the opposite with the American system.
Her good-bye message to her class, don't ask me what it says, I can only read 3 of the words!
With her little "brothers" from her host family:
In Yokohama's Chinatown, which is the largest Chinatown in Japan:
more with classmates:
She was able to buy a summer kimono and attend a festival. Here she is trying to catch goldfish which I guess was not easy to do:
Photo of how her obi is tied so we can hopefully replicate it at home:
Some things are universal:
One of the things she loves about Japan is how they love "cute". She said these pigs are fish paste and very tasty:
Another example of "cute" with an everyday object:
The Yokohama Costco, just as overwhelming in any country:
One difference is there is kanji on the cakes:
