Moments from Our Japan Diaries

From the moment we boarded the flight on 26th June from Delhi to our return on 3rd July after seven days of adventure, Japan felt like a dream.

When we first arrived in Tokyo, we were left mesmerized by the structure of the city, the grace of the people who bowed to greet, and the silence even in its busiest corners. We practiced the ancient art of calligraphy, saw the city from atop the Tokyo Skytree, and walked through the streets where each neighborhood had a different vibe and every corner housed a vending machine. After watching so many videos of Shibuya Crossing online, when we finally got to visit it, it felt unreal. It is the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, surrounded by bright lights and endless motion. The best part about Japan was indisputably the harmony between tradition and innovation. Tokyo’s Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa beautifully demonstrated this contrast through its blend of centuries old history and architecture with its modern technological adaptations to enhance the tourist experience.

On day 4, we travelled to Nagoya, which is often referred to as the heart of Japan’s automotive industry. Being car enthusiasts, we were all so excited while looking at the evolution of Japanese cars at Mitsubishi Auto Gallery, while Nagoya Castle showed us beautiful golden roof tiles and wide open grounds, giving us a glimpse into Japan’s Samurai past.

Following that, we took a bullet train to Hiroshima which was a place with an immensely dark and sad history. The Atomic Bomb Dome and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum reminded us of the horrors of the nuclear war. Photographs and artifacts of the martyrs like clothes, shoes, personal belongings made everyone emotional. Standing where history shook humanity, we didn’t just learn about peace, we felt the pain that demanded it.

During lunch we engaged in making okonomiyaki by hand, which truly taught us joy in simple things, and the elegance of Osaka Castle and the thrill of Universal Studios balanced reflection with fun. Every day, we worked on media projects, capturing our thoughts, stories, and learnings. We didn’t just travel, we understood. We saw that Japan’s magic lies not in technology alone, but in how it holds silence sacred, respects age old traditions, and values community over chaos. We learnt punctuality, humility, sustainability, mindfulness, and how culture can be preserved while embracing change. I would go back in a heartbeat, not just for sushi or sakura, but to breathe that unspoken peace again, to bow again, to walk those silent streets where vending machines say more about society than speeches ever could. Everyone should visit Japan, not to escape life, but to see what life could be when respect becomes a way of living, when trains arrive to the second, when every bento box is made with care, and where even in a crowd of thousands, there’s silence, order, and harmony. Japan changed us quietly, deeply, beautifully.

Living in Japan for a week with our school friends was an experience that no photo could truly capture. Every morning was a mini adventure, group breakfasts with chopsticks in hand, experimenting with miso soup and Japanese omelets while laughing at our expressions when someone tried natto. Travelling together in buses, trains, and even bullet trains, we sang, played games, clicked goofy pictures, and sometimes just stared silently out the window at landscapes we never thought we’d see. We lived like a family, one roommate had the snacks, one had extra tissue packs, one was always in charge of Wi-Fi passwords, and one somehow managed to lose their charger every day. The bond between us grew deeper, and by the end, our group wasn’t just a group. We were a team and a shared memory. A circle of inside jokes, friendship bracelets, and stories that we’ll still bring up ten years from now, like “Remember that moment in Disney when we got lost?” or “You still have that paper crane from Hiroshima?” We didn’t just visit Japan, we lived it. So, if I don’t stop talking about my trip, blame it on Japan.

Writen By (Venkateshwar International School – Sec 10).

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