For our afternoon activities, we were all in small groups that had four Wind Ensemble members, and two to three Ryukoku band members. While many of the groups did similar activities and ate similar foods, each group had their own unique experiences.

My particular group first visited a shrine called Fushimi Inari. It was a very pretty shrine, and was filled with many Torii gates. We first cleansed our hands and mouths as we walked through the beginning stages of the shrine. We then made a monetary offering before praying.

We then headed towards the famous gates. The one thing I was excited to see were the Torii gates. Before the Wind Ensemble had left for Japan, I did a presentation on this specific shrine, and specifically talked about the gates. Each gate was actually donated to the shrine, and each and every single one is inscribed with the donor’s names. What also makes Fushimi Inari special is that the collective paths lead to Mount Inari, if you have 2-3 hours to walk up and then back down. My group did not go to Mount Inari, however.

We ate supper at a restarting that specialized in Kushiyaki, which is skewered food. It’s like a Shish Kebab, for reference. It was absolutely amazing! I still don’t quite know what I ordered, because they didn’t have English menus, but I’m glad I ordered what I ordered. It was rice and cabbage in a bowl, with teriyaki covered pork skewers on top, and a miso soup, which I had never had before.

All in all, even though we only went to a shrine and dinner, it was tons of fun. It was a great bonding opportunity with the Ryukoku students, and enabled us to learn more about their culture. They loved us asking them questions about themselves and they returned the favor. If I could do it all again, I would!