25 things to see and do in Kyoto, Tokyo, and Hiroshima
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| 1. Head to Yoyoji Park to find some jugglers, |
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| some jammers, |
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| some (rare!) graffiti, |
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| the end of a lubricated dance party, |
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| an intense double-dutch routine, |
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| and a double-decker Kitty Chan bus. |
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| 2. Consider buying this shirt at a train station, knowing it won't fit.* |
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| 3. Visit Roppongi Hills at night. |
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| 4. Practice counting at Shibuya Crossing. |
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| 5. Get caught in a freak snowstorm. |
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| 6. Get really good at this. |
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| 7. Get lost in Tokyo. |
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| 8. Make a wish. |
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| 9. Learn from past mistakes... |
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| ...and pray for peace. |
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| 10. Covet a custom-made bicycle. |
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| 11. Visit Kiyomizu-dera. |
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| (Another beautiful photo courtesy of John.) |
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| 12. Eat a lot of sushi. (Beer optional.) |
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| 13. Spot Mount Fuji. |
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14. Admit to yourself that you are a tourist, and that, as such,
you actually do want this photo... |
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| 15. ...and this one. |
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| 16. Then, sneakily snap this one. |
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| 17. Eat okonomiyaki in Hiroshima. |
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| 18. Ride the shinkansen (repeatedly). |
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| 19. Travel in the best company.** |
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20. Sip a coffee or chocolate drink in the common room of
your hostel after a night of roommates' snoring. |
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21. Meet the third graders at Mochigase Junior High School
and spend the rest of the day answering fan mail. |
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22. Experience an enkai with enthusiastic teachers
eager to speak English. |
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| 23. Soar up sixty floors in fewer seconds... |
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| 24. ...only to realize that you're not such a big deal after all. |
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| 25. Return home to find your true love from Tokyo waiting for you! |
* Schroeder says, "Love songs? To me love songs are like eating too much ice cream. Lucy replies, "Play me some ice cream.
**John and I agree that the highlight of our week-long adventure was meeting up with Tejas in Tokyo. Ever the easy-going, fun-loving guy we remembered from high school, Tejas spent the weekend translating, tour-guiding and taking care of us. We just hope it won't be too long until the next reunion!
