2025 Ranney Japan Cultural Journey

Beautiful Day in Niseko

Today we woke up and enjoyed a delectable breakfast at our hotel. We quickly boarded our bus and headed to a trail along the foothills of mount yotei. There was beautiful fauna and animals along the way. The culmination of the trail was a beautiful lake with an amazing mountain view. For lunch, we enjoyed different options like pizza and pasta. I had a coffee and unique herbal tea blend. After lunch, we ascended niseko resort mountain and found ourselves above a 1.7km long zip line! After the adrenaline rush, we enjoyed an italian inspired dinner with both pizza and shrimp. After dinner, we reflected and tired to our beds. – Team Mustard

– Josh, Julia, Zahra, Thomas

From Sea to Snow

Today, we continued our trip with some fun activities and a change of scenery!

First, we visited the famous Hakodate morning market, home to a variety of local delicacies. We tried new seafood such as squid, king crab, and even sea urchin! Others enjoyed local produce such as melons, strawberries, and apples. The hustle and bustle of the morning provided a dynamic start to our day!

After our morning expeditions we began our 3 hour travel by indulging in some Shabu Shabu or more commonly know as hotpot. Presented with a large pot in the middle of the table we dipped and cooked a variety of food including fresh pork loins. With our stomachs now full of food and some dessert we laughed and talk our way through our drive preparing for the upcoming adventure.

Next we arrived at Niseko, a famous village known to open their doors to Olympic athletes from around the world to train and get ready for the skiing events. We visited a vibrant flower garden home to bright pink, white and purple flowers scattered around. Many pictures were taken of us posing in the flower gardens, as well as some shots of the flowers by themselves as they were such a unique landscape.

After our beautiful view of the flowers, we hopped on the bus and headed to our new hotel: Hilton Niseko. This hotel is situated in a cozy spot on the outskirts of the town, giving its customers a peaceful stay with breathtaking views of Mount Yōtei. There, we unwound in our rooms, then headed to the hotel’s buffet for a delicious and comforting meal with dishes ranging from curry to a chocolate fountain. At the end of the night, we said our goodnight’s and settled into our beds, finishing off the travel-filled day in a calm manner.

–  Jackie, Liz, Sophia and Brendan

From Tokyo to Hakodate

Today we started bright and early, as we had a long journey ahead of us moving from Tokyo to Hakodate. We left our hotel at around 8:30am to head over to the Tokyo station. When we arrived, we picked up some bento boxes to eat on our smooth 4 hour bullet train ride. Showcased during our ride were gorgeous landscapes of the country side, and our train went through an underwater tunnel to reach Hakodate.

Reaching Hakodate, we were greeted by its cooler temperature, a nice change from Tokyo’s hot and humid weather. Our first destination in Hakodate was Fort Goryokaku, which is an old fortress that was an important site for military activity. Goryokaku tower, a 107 meters tall tower, provided a birds-eye view of the star shaped fortress. The fortress itself, which is now a beautiful garden, featured traditional Japanese buildings as well as a myriad of plants, such as wisteria and nearly 1,500 cherry blossom trees.

Once we were finished strolling through the lush garden of Fort Goryokaku, we went shopping in the Red Brick Warehouse near the bay. The Kanemori Warehouse, which is a shopping complex renovated from an old red brick warehouse, is made up of several stores, including cafes, souvenir shops, and stores that sell goods from local artisans.

Dinner consisted of mostly seafood. Some of the main dishes were clam, fried chicken, noodle salad, and roasted fish. All of the food was fresh and good quality.

Our last activity was a ride along the Hakodate Ropeway where we got to see a gorgeous sunset over the city of Hakodate. The sun reflected off of the calm waves in the water while the lights of the buildings twinkled against the dusk sky.

We ended the day at a new and luxurious hotel, where we slept comfortable and soundly.

– Cameron, Gwen, Jason

Experiencing the Fish Market and Digital Culture of Japan

Today started with a trip to a fish market which was super cool and really different from anything we’ve seen so far. It was busy and kind of chaotic but fun to walk through. There was so many types of seafood, some we’d never even seen before. The smell was really strong but we kinda got used to it after a while. Some of us tried samples and took a bunch of pictures.

After the market we went to a soba noodle making class. It was actually harder than it looked but still really fun. We had to mix the dough and roll it out and then cut it into noodles. Our group’s noodles turned out kinda uneven but they still tasted good. It was cool learning how to make something traditional from scratch.

Later in the afternoon we went to Akihabara (Electric Town). It’s a place with a lot of anime stuff and electronics. There was so many bright signs and loud music and just a lot going on. We had free time to walk around and shop. Some people bought souvenirs and snacks and other stuff. One person in our group lost 10000 yen on claw machines which was kinda funny but also kinda sad. It was still fun walking around and seeing everything.

Then we went to TeamLab Planets which was probly one of the coolest things we’ve done so far. It’s like a museum but you walk barefoot through rooms with water and lights and mirrors. It was really peaceful and pretty and we took a lot of cool pics there.

After that we had dinner at a Japanese Mexican restaurant. The food was really good and kinda weird in a good way like tacos with Japanese stuff in it. We were all pretty tired by then but the food made us happy.

Overall today was super fun and had a good mix of old and new stuff.

– Dylan, Mike, Jameson, Jonny, Josh

New Heights

Our journey today commenced at 7:45 – earlier than most of our previous adventures in Japan. After a delicious breakfast of smoothies, pastries, and croissants in the hotel, we embarked on a ~3-hour road expedition through Tokyo and the Japanese countryside, broken up by a delightful pause at a local rest stop.

Our destination: Mount Fuji – the highest peak in Japan. At this time of year, the usually thoroughly coated snowy peak thins to reveal the rock below. After arriving at the iconic geological landmark, we split into groups to explore the mountain landscape. We chose to hike up a portion of the rocky terrain, eventually escaping the treeline to gain beautiful views of the countryside below. Along the way, we took advantage of the ephemeral nature for photo opportunities, filling our cameras with images of the amazing scenery.

Following our exploration of Mount Fuji, we drove to a restaurant that served a combination of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine. The food was delicious, and the staff were kind and accommodating. We then took a cruise on Lake Ashi – a beautiful and placid body of water nestled between the hills surrounding Mount Fuji. The views from the cruise were breathtaking, and the boat itself was a fascinating and ornate pirate ship style boat. We departed from the boat at a stop that provided easy access to the Hakone Ropeway, which provided an aerial view of the sulfur mines of the Owakudani Valley through the windows of a gondola. There were numerous stops along the way, one of which even served blackened eggs that were cooked in the sulfur of the mines, giving the eggshells their unique dark shade. The eggs were scrumptious, and tasted unexpectedly similar to a standard hard-boiled egg.

We then embarked on the long journey back to Tokyo, stopping at a renowned rest stop on the way, where many of us purchased Japanese Pokémon cards – a fun and nostalgic experience that gave way to several entertaining conversations on the way back. Our final stop of the day was a restaurant in Tokyo that served Italian style Japanese cuisine. Our food here was exceptional, and included pizza served with egg yolk, sherbet, steak, and more.

After this delicious meal, we returned to our hotel to rest and prepare for the exciting adventures to come.

– Jonathan, DJ, William, and Ryan

Immersing Ourselves In The Japanese Culture

Hey blog!

What an amazing day! We woke up bright and early for a packed day. First, we visited the Sensoji Temple where we explored the market. We saw handmade crafts, souvenir shops, and viewed the beautiful architecture of the temple.

Next, we traveled to lunch where we ate more Japanese cuisine. We marveled at the culture as we took off our shoes. Eating chicken liver, neck, shoulder, and meatballs was definitely something we would never experience in the United States.

After that, we walked to the Shibuya Crossing. We got great photos strolling across the streets and caught Thomas dancing on a famous Japanese television station.

Connecting with the Japanese culture, we prayed at the Meiji Shrine. We made sure to bow before and after each Torii Gate. At the shrine we tossed a coin, bowed and clapped twice, and made a wish. We were absorbed in the beauty, elegance, and simplicity of the environment.

Lastly, we headed to Harajuku District where we were all excited to shop, especially Brandy Melville. We got time to explore the surrounding streets before we grouped together for a traditional dinner. We grilled Okonomiyaki which is a savory pancake made out of majority lettuce and eggs. We ended the night with a stop at 7/11 right near the hotel and heard the plans for day 3 of the trip.

We can’t wait for Mount. Fiji tomorrow!

– Ilana, Herbani, Sasha, Valentina, Sari

The Great Migration

This is where our journey begins: 5 a.m. on a Monday morning at Ranney. We watched as weary parents sent off even wearier students, many clearly not used to such early hours. Once we boarded the bus, it started to feel real… we. were going to. Japan.

After what felt like a quick ride, we arrived at Newark Airport. Mr. Davé expertly dodged  all irrelevant small talk, he was locked in and focused. The rest of us radiated excitement we were one step closer. TSA was the last obstacle. A glob of Ranney students flooded the security line, and after sending our belongings through the scanners (once, twice, maybe even three times for some of us), we finally made it through.

With free time on our hands, we joyfully stocked up on snacks before waiting at the terminal. Then came boarding, our ride for the next 14 hours, a Boeing 777, our holding cell (with surprisingly good food).

Once in the air, everyone began settling into their own strategies to survive the long flight.

There were the sleepers. A solid choice, though risky; time it wrong, and you’re jet lagged significantly (I failed at this as I woke up early). Then came the movie watchers, trying to distract themselves with back-to-back films. A classic strategy , but one your eyes and legs might not thank you for. We also had the talkers, passing time through conversation with seatmates. Effective unless your partner decides to sleep, leaving you stranded and in search of a new talking buddy which requires wandering the plane.

As the final two hours approached, students scrambled to fill out their Visit Japan Web forms, hoping to receive their immigration and customs QR codes in time. Then… we landed.

Still tired, especially those who went with the movie strategy, we hobbled to baggage claim. There, we met Mr. Pablo and Ms. Mandy, who greeted us with enthusiasm, and outlined what was ahead, and guided us to our bus bound for the Super Hotel.

Rain greeted us at our destination, revealing who had packed properly and who hadn’t. We walked through the drizzle to the hotel, dropped off our bags, and headed to a nearby Japanese buffet full of savory delights (I stuck to salad and tofu skin myself). After dinner, we returned to the hotel and finally, we slept.

– Dhananjay

Touchdown in Tokyo: The Adventure Begin!

After a long flight from the United States, our group finally landed in the vibrant city of Tokyo, Japan. Stepping off the plane, we were greeted by our enthusiastic leaders—JP, Mandy, and Michi—who were waiting for us at the airport. Their warm welcome instantly set a positive tone for the journey ahead.

We made our way to the hotel in Akasaka, a district known for its blend of modern sophistication and quiet charm. After checking in and taking a moment to settle in, we gathered for our orientation meeting. During the session, we discussed program expectations, safety guidelines, and group dynamics—everything we needed to feel prepared and confident for the days ahead. There was a palpable excitement in the room as we realized the adventure was truly beginning.

Once the meeting wrapped up, we headed out for our first dinner together at a buffet-style restaurant. The spread was impressive—ranging from Japanese favorites like karaage (fried chicken) and miso soup to Western comfort food. It was a fun and relaxed way to bond as a group and share our first impressions of Japan.

To finish off the evening, we made a quick stop at a nearby 7-Eleven. It might sound ordinary, but convenience stores in Japan are a cultural experience of their own. We picked up all sorts of snacks—some familiar, some totally new—and headed back to the hotel.

Exhausted but happy, we returned to our rooms in Akasaka and settled in for the night. Tomorrow, the real exploring begins.

Welcome to the Walking Tree Blog!

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