There are two main travel oppertunities With the Kanazawa program.
The first comes during the program. This is a long weekend where everyone
is free to go where they wish. The teachers incorperated planning and
researching activities for the weekend in their lesson plans, but you should
have a general idea in what you are interested in. Staying in Kanazawa
is actually a great option since there are many nearby cites, no
transportation and overnight costs, and the SGE students may be available
to spend time with you. This year some students also went to Kyoto to see
historic sites there while others went into the mountains, to the ocean,
or other nearby towns. The second oppertunity to travel is for 10 days
after the program. During this time you can go further away from kanazawa
and actually practice all you've learned. Where you want to go during
this time is very much up to you.
Japan's National Tourist Organization Site
COMMON DESTINATIONS
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Tokyo
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Being the largest city in Japan, Tokyo is a great center of japan. It
the classical image of modern Japan. Tokyo can be reached by train easy
enough from Kanazawa, with one stop to change trains along the way.
Interesting spots to see include the large shopping areas such as Ginza,
Akiabara, and Shibuya. There are also many large temples and shrines in
the inner city. Boat tours are offered that take you to the bay, although
these are usually quite crowded. In all there is so much to do in Tokyo
it is best if you visit some tourist cites to look for you interests.
I would recommend
The Japan-Guide.com cite.
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About a two hour bus ride from the center of tokyo is the fifth station
up mount fugi. From here many people climb up to the top during the time
of year, right after the program. This hike/climb is really to be taken
serious. You walk all night (starting at 10pm) to reach the top at sunrise.
It is freezing cold on the top, and you should probably pack for this trip
if you are interested, with an extra winter coat, gloves and anything
warm you can find. It is a great variation from the massive city centers
to be on a mountain that is just as famous if not more famous than tokyo.
I took a bus from shibuya to the fifth station, it was quite conventient.
For more climbing information please take a look at this page by Scott Keehn.
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Kyoto
Kyoto is a good place to go for your dose of Japanese temples, shrines,
and religions ceremonies. The history can be seen there through the
buildings and people. Although many people told me I would need to stay
in Kyoto for at least a week to make full use of my visit there, I disagree.
After three days of seeing mainly one shrine or temple after the other,
it was clearly time for me to move on. I would recommend choosing the
cites which look the most interesting before you go, don't come intending
to see all there is in Kyoto unless you are spending all of you travel
time there. Kyoto's offical page is very nice and can be found here.
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Osaka
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It is almost essential to spend time in Osaka since this is where the
the flight back home leaves. Osaka is a very youthful city with many shopping
malls perfect for getting gifts to bring home. Osaka also has a nice
castle/museum and shore front that make for a nice day trip. Many students
really enjoy the night life here. Finding a place to stay can be a challenge
though. For more information of Osaka click here.
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Takayama
I visited Takayama on my long weekend. It's a small town that is nice to get
to know, and make you feel at home. Not only is the town packed with nice places
to look at, the streets have many small shops, and the japanese enjoy trying
to ski on the little bit of snow in the nearby mountains. It is an nice
excursion to go see these too. The best cite for information on this is
here.
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