Current News
07/26/2007
City Delights Family Tour Group
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From July 15 to 26, 2007, 19 participants traveled to Japan to take part in Wright Way Japan: A Family Adventure, sponsored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, with generous assistance from Osaka Sister Cities and the City of Osaka. The specially designed itinerary included family-friendly activities such as visits to interactive theme parks and museums, in addition to curator-led tours of Wright-designed buildings.
The tour ended in Osaka, where the participants enjoyed a special family presentation at the National Bunraku Theater. They play featured Kintaro, the legendary nature-loving muscle-boy, in a battle against evil. Set in a spooky forest, children and adults alike were amazed when the villian transformed into a gigantic spider.
But the highlight of the tour was VIP access, made possible by the City of Osaka, to the finale of the Tenjin Matsuri on July 25. The festival, (which started on the 24th) is dedicated to Tenman Tenjin, the patron saint of learning and art, and has been held for over 1,000 years. It is known as one of Japan's three main festivals, and attracts over three million people annually from all over Japan. Osaka City generously donated VIP seating in a prime location just steps from the Tenmabashi bridge, where the group enjoyed a procession of gaily decorated boats holding over 3,000 participants, dancing and clapping to the beat of drums, chanting and cheers. At dusk, several boats were ignited in flames, lending a dramatic atmosphere to the procession, while fireworks provided the perfect backdrop. The group could not have asked for a more fitting finale to an exciting adventure in Japan.
On the day of departure, several of the young participants commented that they loved Japan so much, they planned to return as exchange students, thus paving the way for creating more lasting friendships between the U.S. and Japan.
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