So why are Kevin and Courtney traveling to Japan?

Well, Courtney serves as the Chair of the Rohnert Park Sister City Committee, and we are going to visit the Sister City for the first time in several years. We will be spending 4 days with our friends in Hashimoto City, Japan, about 1 hour southwest of Osaka

During this time, we will be touring the city and the surrounding area, participating in cultural activities like Tea Ceremonies, calligraphy and ikebana (flower arranging) and the Bon Dance, and staying in a traditional Japanese home. We will be meeting with Mayor Kinoshita, and visiting Mt. Koyasan, home to ancient Buddhist temples. We will also be spending an afternoon at the Kinokawa River, which runs through the middle of Hashimoto. We may also take a day-trip to Nara, an ancient capital of Japan, dating to 710 CE. We will be renewing old friendships and creating new ones, and celebrating the 23 years of friendship and exchange between our two cities.

After our stay in Hashimoto, we will travel to Kyoto for 2 days. While in Kyoto, we will be attending a Geisha dance performance, partaking in another Tea Ceremony, taking a private tour of the highlights of Kyoto while accompanied by a newspaper reporter who will then be writing about our visit. We will also be dining at a very exclusive, invitation-only supper club, featuring Kaiseki Ryori, or Japanese Haute Cuisine. Courtney’s hashi (chopsticks) skills will certainly be tested!

After Kyoto, we will be traveling to Tokyo via the Shinkansen (bullet train). During our brief stay in Tokyo, we will be touring famous sites, and trying to appreciate as much of the Tokyo neon as possible. After 2 days in Tokyo, we fly home on Saturday, with pictures and stories to share!

Click Here to see a map of where we are going