Urakawa-Hokkaido

Hokkaido is the north island of Japan's main island. It takes 1 1/2 hours to get to by plane from Tokyo.

It was February when we arrived in Urakawa, Hokkaido. The average temperature was -3.6C, but we didnt care! WE WERE IN JAPAN!! this was the best school trip ever before it even started.

We stayed at a hotel first, I think it was the hotel Aeru. It gave us the chance to have a tour of Urakawa, mainly areas equestrian interest. Being from a horse racing town ourselfs this wasn't anything special, I don't think me and Alice really cared. We didn't sleep at all! Our first sleep was on a bench outside a museum. The hotel was where we discovered the washlet toilets. We heard a scream in the next room! It was because the toilet had squished one of the boys up the bum! The toilet was highly fascinating with it's many options, a quick squirt to wash your bottom or a more gentle spray for ladies to wash other areas, it's warming seat was a god send in the morning. After a couple of days we moved on, it was time to go to school!

There were around 8 or 9 of us and we were split into groups of what school we were going to, we were all around 14 and 15 years old, 2 groups were to go to junior high and the other 2 to go to senior, a groups of boys and girls for each. Me and my friend were selected for senior, It was a bonus! We went to senior school straightaway.

We mention our host families, the people we would live with for the next few days. Me and Alice were staying with 17 year old Ayuko Onozato and her parents, and architect and nutrionist, her friend Hisako was always with us too! Their house was really nice and Ayuko had a typical teenage girls room with photos and mementos stuck onto the wall.

We went to school with ayuko for the next few days, we had a few lessons in Japanese, after all, we were going to introduce ourselves in Japanese to the entire school and also to our class. We had origami lessons, a tea ceremony, cooking lessons, music lessons and lots of fun! The night before we had a meal with our host family and had made sushi, the leftovers were packed beautifully in bento boxes for our lunch. We made so many friends at school!

We became part of a crazy Japanese prank when we went shopping. The family had one car, so Ayuko, her dad and me, Alice and hisako went food shopping to the supermarket. As were were going about mr Onozato forgot something, suddenly Mrs Onozato appeared with that item, this happened a couple more times until she disappeared completely. We had some photos done in purikura (print club) then went back home, where Mrs Onozato remained!! From then on she was super mum!

We went to an award ceremony where we all go dressed in traditional kimono and samurai outfits, we took part in nihon buyo (Japanese dance) and did flower arranging. We also sang on stage. It was so fun, though one geisha wouldn't stop getting me plates of food!

Super mum and ayuko wanted to get us a gift so they took us to a fun shop selling so much stuff, they got us a few things including a photo album. Later that night they filled it with all the photos that had been taken.

We were on our last day in Hokkaifo and we went to the town offices to meet the mayor, me and Alice ended up on the front page of the town magazine and local newspaper, something to do with her golden red hair maybe? After leaving the office we had to say goodbye to our host families, it was harder then saying goodbye to our class at school. At this point we were all crying but super mum was there patting our eyes with tissue. We soon had to go.

Off to Kyoto...