Posted on 03.17.25 by Mariah Johnston '25 in
College of Arts & Science
A time to remember
Traveling with students and professors who are just as curious and excited as you are creates the perfect environment for learning new concepts and a new culture. This January, I experienced just that while taking the 2025 January Term course, The Story of Japan’s Health and Food Innovations, which explored storytelling and food in Japan.
This trip was life-changing for my studies (and my taste buds). We explored many temples, shrines and cities, making lasting memories. We also participated in cooking classes, where we learned about traditional foods and healthy eating. The hands-on learning was invaluable. I learned so much about a new culture, and that’s something that isn’t taught in the classroom.
From subway station to subway station, every stop brought something new. By the end of the trip, Rocco, Marco, Kami, Tina and the rest of our class were professional subway surfers.
Our most fun cooking class was the ramen-making class at the Cup Noodle Museum in Osaka. We made the noodles from scratch, decorated our noodles’ plastic wrap and made a customized cup of noodles. Our arms started to hurt from running the ramen dough through the press, but it was all worth it when we watched our ramen sizzle in the deep fry machine and get packaged for us to take home. Plus, we got awesome chicken bandanas courtesy of the cooking class that Kami, Emma, Ethan and Salem are rockin’.
Geikos and maikos are both traditional Japanese performers — maikos are apprentices, on their way to becoming geikos. Maikos will play music and perform, and geikos will entertain the guests. It was a special moment for all of us to see them walk by.
As a class, we also had the opportunity to see many castles, shrines and temples. Here, Emma is posing in front of Himeji Castle in the town of Himeji. We climbed nearly 10 floors to get to the top of the castle, and along the way, awed at the beauty of its architecture. Every excursion brought new information about Japanese history.
Sensoji Temple was the first temple we visited in Tokyo. There is a giant lantern at the entrance that Karl, Maro and Emma are touching for good luck. Leading into the temple, the streets were packed with visitors perusing the small shops selling souvenirs.
The Buddha statue at the Kotoku-In Temple in Kamakura stands over 30 feet tall. The temple sits right next to the Pacific Ocean, so the view also includes the beaches along the Yuiga-hama Coast.
Most temples have wooden plaques visitors can write their wishes on. At this temple, they use oysters because of the legend that oysters guided the Buddha statue to shore. The Oyster Shrine was a unique photo opportunity for us, and one of my favorite shrines.
The smell of savory seafood wafted through the air as I walked through the Kuromon-Ichiba Market in Osaka. You can also find almost any type of seafood there. Our class did a food tour where we got a set amount of money to spend on any food we wanted. One of my favorite dishes I tried was the squid-ball food item, takoyaki.
The Tsukiji Fish Market is another popular fish and retail market where the streets are packed with people. Many visitors come to buy whole fish, but many others are there to try the different types of seafood available and buy from retail markets selling t-shirts, tote bags and souvenirs. I bought a bag screen printed with a fish riding a motorcycle.
One of the last temples we visited before leaving Japan was the Hasedera Temple in Kamakura, where we all posed for a photo. This was a lot of my classmate's favorite temple because of the ocean view and intricately designed shrines. I had an amazing time in Japan with a great group of people and faculty. I will never forget my time in Japan!
