One Week Away and Great News!

Hey everybody,

As you know, next Friday is the big day, and there's still lots to be done before we go. I recently got some very good news about our trip as well! One FAQ that came up when we first started talking about our trip was money, buying power, and how much things will cost when we shop. We learned that on average, one yen is about one penny. However, when we checked the values, 100 yen was worth only 79 cents, meaning we would get less yen for every dollar that we exchanged. However, soon after we finished our conversation, The Ministry of Finance in Japan announced that the would be weakening the currency in order to have more people buy Japanese goods, as they become cheaper. After this I got to see the ratio get better almost daily, and as of today 100 yen equals $1.01. This is really good because we will be able to buy more things and spend less money. Also, if it keeps dropping at this rate, we may have even more buying power come the 17th!

Be Genki!

Willem

Yokai Books and Movies to Check Out

 Hi guys! Here's a list of books and movies that feature Yokai and other spirits ~

Books:

Nurarihyon no Mago (Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan) by Shiibashi Hiroshi

Gegege no Kitarō (Spooky Kitaro) by Mizuki Shigeru

Natsume Yuujinchou (Book of Friends) by Midorikawa Yuki

Ao no Exorcist (Blue Exorcist) by Katou Kazue

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons by Matthew Meyer

Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai by Michael Foster

Movies:

The Great Yōkai War (Yōkai daisensō) directed by Miike Takashi.

My Neighbor Totoro directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Spirited Away directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Princess Mononoke directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Countdown Is Now Online!

Hey guys, I just finished the page for the countdown clock. Here it is! Enjoy!

http://countingdownto.com/countdown-page/show/Japan%20Immersion%202013%7C5195ab40%7C2

Money Situation

Hey guys, as you remember we got a sheet talking about money earlier, and Wise-sensei made a point that one dollar will get you 79 japanese yen. I just checked a few minutes ago, and it is still accurate at 81 yen to 1 dollar. However, thats not what's written on the sheet. For people trying to figure out how much to bring, you have to flip the exchange rate, meaning instead of getting 100 yen for 79 cents, you need to bring $1.13 for every 100 japanese yen that you wish to buy. Make sure you bring enough! Stay Genki! Willem

2013 Japan Immersion Itinerary

Hello All,

Below is a copy of our itinerary from Fourwinds, the company arranging our group flight and hotel accommodations.  Note that we will be adding in excursions on Days 5 and 6, the later being a day set aside for community service.

-Fedirko

Japan
8 days/ 6 nights

May 17 Day 1: Depart the USA.
UNITED AIRLINES
FLT 589 BUFFALO TO CHICAGO: 7:26 AM- 8:16 AM
FLT 661 CHICAGO TO LOS ANGELES: 9:00 AM-11:33 AM


MAYLASIAN AIRLINES:
FLT 93 LAX TO TOKYO: 5:15 PM – 8:30 PM

May 18 Day 2: Arrive in Tokyo, Japan.
Motorcoach transfer from the airport to the hotel. Welcome to Japan’s capital city. Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.
Dinner at hotel.

SAKURA HOTEL IKEBUKURO with Breakfast daily . (hotel has a perfect location near the train)

Address: 2-40-7 Ikebukuro Toshima-ku, Tokyo Japan 171-0014

http://www.sakura-hotel.co.jp/ikebukuro/rooms/ikebukuro_japanese_style

Girls rooms: 1 Japanese room for 4 girls and 1 Japanese style room for 3 girls

Boys rooms: 1 Japanese room for 5 and 1 Japanese room for 4 boys
Chaperones: 3 Single rooms    

May 19 Day 3: Tokyo.
Spend the morning exploring Japan's most modern city on this half day sightseeing tour featuring Tokyo's cultural and shopping highlights. Full narration and entry fees are included as you venture inside the Tokyo Tower, Asakusa Kannon Temple and other attractions. There's also time for a photo stop in front of Imperial Palace and a driving tour through the shopping districts of Nakamise and Ginza.

Dinner at hotel (or I can give you a cash out check and you can eat out)

May 20 Day 4: Tokyo.
Today you will visit Honda Headquarters on your own with own transportation
Head Office
1-1, 2-chome, Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8556, Japan
Tel: +81-(0)3-3423-1111
Dinner at hotel ( or I can give you a cash out check and you can eat out)

May 21 Day 5 Tokyo– Day free;
Dinner at hotel ( or I can give you a cash out check and you can eat out)

May 22 Day 6:
Community service day.
Dinner at hotel ( or I can give you a cash out check and you can eat out)

May 23 Day 7:
Morning at leisure for shopping On your own .
Shinjuku Shopping - Shopping in Shinjuku Tokyo Japan features the major department stores plus massive camera and computer stores.
The major department stores all have branches in Shinjuku, most of them along the wide Shinjuku-Dori avenue on the east side.
Dinner at hotel ( or I can give you a cash out check and you can eat out)

May 24 Day 8: Transfer to the airport for your flight back home.

MAYLASIAN AIRLINES:
FLT 92 TOKYO TO LAX: 8:40 PM – 310 PM

UNITED AIRLINES
FLT 463 LOS ANGELES TO NEWARK: 900 PM - 525 AM
FLT 5914 CHICAGO TO: NEWARK 624 AM- 0739 AM

*** I MAY CHANGE THE UNITED PORTION OF THE AIR NOT SURE YET.. WILL ADVISE NEXT WEEK

The total price for the services mentioned above are :
$2699 for 18 paying and 3 passengers free of charge

The airfare we are quoting is based on fares and taxes as of today. The fuel charge and rates are subject to change.

This tour includes:

• Roundtrip Airfare from Buffalo to Tokyo
  
• 6 nights hotel accommodations in a Japanese style hotel
  
• Continental Breakfast and dinner daily
  
• Tour of Tokyo
  
• All hotel taxes and services
  
• Roundtrip transfers to and from the airport (no other transportation provided)

Not included in tour:

• Tips
  
• Trip cancellation insurance (please request application)
  
• Any meals or extras not listed

Countdown Clock is finally done!

Get Ready.

Homework for December 20th

I would like each of our Immersion members to post to this Blog an introduction to their research.  The main goal of this assignment is to convey some sense of what you are researching and what is motivating that research.  The post need not be longer than a paragraph provided it is a "good" paragraph.  I look forward to reading all of your great ideas and please feel free to include anything else you would like to your post:  videos, links, photos, and the like are strongly encouraged!