This story originally appeared in the fall 2013 Harker Quarterly.

This year’s upper school summer adventure to Japan had students visiting many of the country’s famous landmarks and historical sites. During their first couple of days, the students headed to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima to hear an account from a person who survived the first atomic bombing; they later visited Miyajima to enjoy the scenery and wildlife.

After disembarking the bullet train in Kyoto, the students had a great time in the former Japanese capital, spending the night at a temple and attending a morning prayer session. While in Kyoto, they visited a number of famous temples, including the Golden Pavilion, and interacted with the locals in Japanese.

During their visit to Harker’s sister school, Tamagawa Academy in Tokyo, the students met their host buddies for the first time and began their homestays. After a few days of fun and bonding with their Tamagawa buddies, the students said their goodbyes and headed home.