Over last summer, students in Liberty High School took a trip to the land of cherry blossoms and rich cultural history: Japan. World history teacher, Peter Kurtz, described the unique natural sights.

“We’re up in the clouds. Mount Fuji is over to our right. We’re looking down over the peninsula area to see all of the lake,” Kurtz said.

Senior Marcus Johanson also recalled the beautiful scenery. 

“The Mount Fuji area was amazing. It was super beautiful. It was a little cloudy when we went, but it was just right there,” Johanson said.

Even beyond the physical scenery, the travelers also noticed other differences.

“One of the things I really admired was the respect for collective space,” Kurtz said. “I think you should have the freedom to live your life doing the things you want… but you should still contribute to society and not be destructive of it.”

Seeing the multitude of temples and amazing scenery left a lasting impact on the travelers as well. Many students also mentioned loving the souvenirs and good food, emphasizing how much they appreciated the change of pace.

“I think Japan’s Disneyland was my least favorite because I like the culture of Japan, and Disneyland just felt like it was Westernized,” junior Aiden Brown said.

Junior Jackson Taylor commented on the differing customs that he had seen, mentioning the quietness of the streets, the food, and the cleanliness in the community.

“They have a lot of customs that stem from our culture, but also ones that are their own and completely alien to us,” Taylor said.

After the trip, Kurtz encouraged the students to reflect on the entire experience. Walking away from the trip, it was important to him that the students had lots of takeaways and lessons.

“One of the lessons that I wanted them to learn at the very end was about gratitude. Thousands of people work tirelessly to make sure that all the pieces connect for them to have this amazing experience.”

In the end, the travelers left feeling both more knowledgeable and more inspired about the land just across the Pacific Ocean. Kurtz left them with one last lesson as they returned to Seattle.

“Money comes, money goes, but they can’t have that experience again,” Kurtz said, “Nobody will ever have that again.”