Reflections on Japan

There is a feeling on the ship that we have reached a turning point in our voyage. No one wants to say it or talk about it just yet, but it’s still there. With less than a month now until we return to Florida, it’s a mixture of sadness that we’re nearing the end of our journey and excitement to return home after being abroad for so long.

Our visit to Japan capped off an incredible few weeks in Asia. We couldn’t have picked a better time to be there. Cherry blossoms throughout the entire country were in full bloom and it was an incredibly beautiful landscape, wherever you were. Everyone was amazed. Dalia Auerhahn described the petals falling to the ground as appearing “like snow from a distance, but then as you moved closer, you realized they were pink flowers.”


As picturesque as the scenery was though, that was not what impacted the SAS voyagers the most. What mattered were the people they encountered. As one student, Kara Zucker put it, “It’s not necessarily the sites you see or the museums you go to, or the mountains you climb, it’s the people that you do it with, maybe that you know from Semester at Sea or the people that you met in that country.”

For those looking for a genuine living experience with a Japanese family, Semester at Sea offered a home-stay field trip, where students were paired up with Japanese families for an overnight stay. Dalia’s family joined together with others for a dinner party where everyone made sushi together. They also taught the SAS students to make origami and dressed them in traditional kimonos for a tea ceremony. Another student, Greg Lessans, discovered the complexities of a Japanese style bath, when his host mother invited him up to the bathroom to bathe. He looked at the bath, realized he had no idea what to do and quickly ran downstairs to google “how to take a Japanese style bath.” (Check it out here).

In addition to the welcoming embrace of its residents, Japan also offered voyagers with a rich history. One of the more moving trips for all who undertook it was to the memorial in Hiroshima. Michael Sene described what he felt during the post port reflection earlier this evening. “I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the people, if there would be resentment…I didn’t know what the attitude would be like.” Like many others who visited, Michael was unsure what the Japanese response would be to Americans. He went to the museum and came out of saying that it was, “very powerful, unbiased, and just pitching peace the whole time. It was very inspiring.” As Michael explained, the museum does not attempt to be anti-American or biased in its account of the war. Rather, it aims to prevent the use of nuclear weapons again in the future.

The other major destinations for voyagers were Kyoto and Tokyo, and I’ll be posting tomorrow about some of the experiences there. My apologies to you all again for the gaps while we are in port.

Arrival in Kobe, Japan

The MV Explorer arrived in Kobe, Japan a few hours ago. The customs procedures to enter the country are very similar to those in the U.S., and we probably have a few more hours to go until the whole ship is cleared to disembark. We just finished receiving our diplomatic briefing from the U.S. Consulate and everyone is excitedly preparing for our time in Japan.

As was the case in China, Voyagers had the option to sail between Kobe and Yokohama or find their own way between ports. For most of those who are traveling independently, this will mean a ride on the Japanese Shinkansen, or Bullet Train. This high speed rail system connects most major cities in Japan, and can transport its passengers at speeds of upwards of 185 mph.

The most popular stops for Voyagers in the coming days seem to be Kobe, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka, and Tokyo. This is our last stop in Asia and for those of you back home, today also marks 30 days until our arrival in Ft. Lauderdale!