NUFS has a buddy program which you can join before going to Japan. You’ll be assigned a few Japanese students who are supposed to be your buddies and help you in case of trouble, show you around interesting spots or just become your friends. What people make of it really depends on you liking them or not. In my case, I met them in October for the first time and we went to Inuyama, a city in northern Aichi.
The area we were in was kind of traditional, with lots of Japanese-style shops on each side of the road. We went around for a bit and found a good-looking restaurant where we ate lunch. There was also the entrance to Inuyama castle which we visited afterwards.
We wandered around the streets, got something to drink and explored the area before finding something to eat.
Lunch was really tasty. I had Kishimen (flat noodles with rough edges) noodle soup, rice, some side dishes and Sake which filled me up completely and, thinking about it now, might’ve made the climb up the castle even more difficult than it already was.
After waiting in line for a few minutes and taking off our shoes, we entered the castle which was way smaller than expected. It had four floors connected by very steep stairs which, although easy to climb for me due to my size, meant even more physical exertion. The ceiling was really low too so I had to basically crawl up the stairs. After reaching the top floor and going on the outside balcony, we were greeted by a beautiful view of the city and surrounding area. It was a bit scary too due to the railing reaching only up to my knees and the floor being slippery with only socks on.
