Depression and Hope

by | Jan 28, 2016 | Uncategorized

It seems like since before our trip even started, everyone in our group was getting sick. One girl missed the flight because of illness, and it seems like there hasn’t been a single day that my roommate hasn’t been dealing with a migraine, a cold, or both....

Living Communities

by | Jan 27, 2016 | Community, Energy, Farming, Pollution

Grappling with Disaster On Monday, our class toured the communities surrounding the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant. There is no way to accurately describe the experience we had, but I can say with confidence that it was undoubtedly sobering. As we traveled from...

Food alienation

by | Jan 27, 2016 | Food

Today, I began writing my final paper on food alienation and its effects on perceptions of and interactions with the natural world. It has been so revealing to sort through my thoughts and experiences with various food cultures and attempt to compile them into a...

Fukushima: Hope and Loss

by | Jan 27, 2016 | Uncategorized

As we are nearing the end of out month-long excursion in Japan, everything’s getting busier. People are writing papers and finishing up their research, but we still have time for one more trip off ARI. Tomorrow, we are heading for a place that almost everyone...

Onsen: Japanese public bathing experience

by | Jan 26, 2016 | Uncategorized

  In Japan, it is popular for people to enjoy taking baths to clean themselves or relax after a long day, rather than taking a shower. There are two ways in which people in Japan choose to bathe, either in public or private. Many Japanese people have private...