101 Things to do While Stationed at MCAS Iwakuni
1
GET 2014 OUT THINGS TO-DO WHILE STATIONED IN MCAS IWAKUNI 11 weekend day trip overnight Finding yourself bored & restless? Here are 101 activities to get your mind, body and soul rejuvenated and charged! Check off each activity as you eat, travel and play your way around Japan. PERSPECTIVE # 1 REASON: Have a positive attitude. There are many advantages of being stationed overseas. It is up to you to make the most of it. Let MCCS help you make Iwakuni feel like home. Whether your interests are in learning and understanding the local culture, food and entertainment, advancing your education or fitness and health—Marine Corps Community Services is here for you. MCCSIWAKUNI.COM FOOD Live dangerously and try fugu (blowfish) sushi at the Shimonoseki market. Enjoy an unforgettable meal at the Chicken Shack. Grill your meat to perfection at a yakiniku restaurant. Sample Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. Enjoy fresh sushi at a sushi-go-round or try Iwakuni-style sushi. Grab lunch at a convenience Store. The options will amaze you! Sample oysters, a local specialty, at one of the many oyster festivals held each winter. There are numerous ways to enjoy them from fried to grilled. Miyajima’s oyster festival is one of the largest. Sample tasty pastries at one of the local bakeries. Slurp a big bowl of noodles! Have lunch at one of the outside cafes. There are many along the river or ocean. Taste fresh mikans (mandarin oranges) from Oshima Island. Eat kobe beef in Kobe. Try all things lotus (root)! Iwakuni lotus root is unique and can be found in a variety of dishes from curry, chips, tempura, ice cream and more. Better yet, learn to cook it yourself at a cooking class offered by Cultural Adaptation. Enjoy ice cream on a hot summer day by the Kintai Bridge. Japan has more than 80 different types of Kit Kats! Sample as many as you can find. (Tip: some flavors may be regional and/or seasonal.) ENTERTAINMENT Climb the Tokyo Tower. Visit the Tokyo Sky Tree. Stay at New Sanno hotel in Tokyo and experi- ence American comfort in Japan’s largest city! Experience the thrills of Hollywood in Japan at Universal Studios Osaka! Check out one of Japan’s numerous summer music festivals. Karaoke with friends! Hand feed a koi (carp) fish at Asa Zoo. Have your picture taken at a mini photo booth. Visit the Yamaguchi flea market and see what treasures you can find! Hold a rhinoceros beetle at the Insectarium in Hiroshima. Have your picture taken with Kitty-Chan (Hello Kitty) at Harmony Land. Ride a rollercoaster at Space World. Get in the holiday spirit at the Bihoku Christ- mas Illumination. Go to an auto race. (JGTC, rally, drift, etc.) Travel to another country in Asia. The options are endless, let Academy Travel help you out. Head to Osaka for the weekend. Don’t miss the aquarium! Ferry from Yanai to Matsuyama City on Shikoku Island. Take a ITT tour or drive yourself to Akiyoshi- do Cave and Safari. Visit one of many aquariums within this area. There’s the Shimonoseki Aquarium, AQUAS and the Miyajima Aquarium. See several hundred thousand people on MCAS Iwakuni for the annual Friendship Day event. Start your own business! Explore the coastal town of Hagi. Enjoy fresh seafood and purchase some of their famous Hagi-yaki pottery. Catch a Space-A flight to Okinawa and experi- ence another Japanese island. Visit one of many Japanese fireworks festivals. Attend the Sapporo City Jazz Festival in July - August, the largest jazz festival in Japan. SPORTS Experience “America’s favorite pastime” while in Japan at a Hiroshima Carp baseball game. Be sure to stick around ‘till the 7 th inning for the traditional balloon release! Hit the epic slopes of Japan! There are several local ski resorts as well as the world renowned resorts of Nagano and Hokkaido. Surf at Hamada Beach. Save yourself the drive and let Outdoor Recreation take you! Experience Japan’s National Sport of Sumo during their tournament season. Go whitewater rafting down Yoshino River. Get fit while in Iwakuni by taking advantage of the excellent gym facilities. Take sailing lessons and get certified on sailing offered by Outdoor Recreation. Enjoy stunning views of the Seto Inland Sea by biking the Shimanami Kaido. This 70km bike route links the main island of Honshu to Shikoku via six islands and bridges. NATURE Conquer Japan’s highest peak, Mt. Fuji. Stroll among the beautifully colored autumn leaves on the Sandankyo hike. Beat the heat with a day at Yuu Beach. Throw a hanami (cherry blossom viewing) party with your friends in the spring. Soak in the famous Beppu Onsen. Conquer the Three Peaks hike! Beat the heat by hiking Seven Falls and cooling off in the water! Check out the quaint Yanai Flower Park. Bike through the tulip fields at Huis Ten Bosch in Kyushu during their annual Tulip Festival. Take photos of the lotus flowers when they’re in full bloom. (Tip: morning time is best) Explore another island of Japan. There are the larger islands of Shikoku, Kyushu and Hokkaido, or head to the one of the several small unique islands scattered through the Seto Inland Sea. Go dolphin watching in Kyushu. Float down the Nishiki River. Drive to Oshima Island. Enjoy the hidden beaches, great camping, museum, fresh mikans (mandarin oranges) and more! Japan has great outdoor opportunities! Go on your own or sign up for an Outdoor Recreation trip. Hike Miyajima’s Mt. Misen each season. Autumn is especially beautiful with the changing leaves but winter and spring offer great views over the Seto Inland Sea. Go snorkeling near Susa on a camping weekend getaway. Go camping with friends at Yasaka Dam. Experience large snow sculptures at Sapporo Snow Festival. ITT has a yearly trip. Soak away your tension at an onsen (Japanese hot spring bath). Visit Tottori city for the sand dunes, the largest in Japan, camel rides and sand surfing. SHOPPING Enjoy dining and shopping options at Hondori street in Hiroshima. Rub the incense smoke over you at the Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo and then shop in the numerous stalls lining the streets to the shrine. Explore the vast assortment of items at a ¥100 store. HISTORICAL & CULTURAL Head to Hiroshima to view the A-Bomb Building and tour its Peace Memorial Museum and Park. Schedule a tour of the Emperor’s Palace while in Tokyo. Or you can enjoy the palace gardens for free! Sharpen your Japanese by attending Cultural Adaptation’s free Survival Japanese 4-Day Class. Experience old world Japan in the city of Kyoto. Shrines, temples, traditional cuisine, Golden Pavilion, Gion District and more! Explore an actual Japanese submarine at the JMSDF Museum in Kure. Purchase a traditional yukata/jimbe and wear it to a summer festival. See an impressive Inari shrine, a Catholic church and koi fish swimming along the street canals of Tsuwano. Get a picture with a Harajuku girl and then head into the peaceful Yogi Park and Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. Explore the 88 temple pilgrimage, a 1200 km loop around the island of Shikoku. Achieve enlightenment by fitting through a hole in the pillar at the Daibutsu-den, or Big Buddha, in Nara. Enjoy the Kintai bridge and park during one of its festivals. Some of the annual events are lantern festival and fireworks festival. Ride the trains every chance you get! Japan has a very efficient train system. Nervous about the ride? Learn the ropes with IRR’s Venture Out tours. Watch a taiko drum performance. Head to the Iwakuni Castle on January 1st and take part in the Japanese tradition of watching the sun rise from a mountain on the first day of the new year. Participate in a traditional tea ceremony. Stay overnight at a Buddhist Monk lodge. Watch a traditional Kabuki performance at the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima. Take a boat ride and learn about the ancient art of cormorant fishing at the Kintai bridge area. Experience a Japanese fertility festival. Learn to use chopsticks. Make an origami crane and give it to a Japanese friend. Get your hands dirty (not really) with the Japanese flower art of ikebana. Purchase a shuin book and collect unique hand drawn calligraphy and stamps from various temples and shrines. Stay at a traditional Japanese inn called ryokan. Some famous ones are in Miyajima, Kyoto or Hakone lake region. Enjoy the festivities of Yanai’s Goldfish Lantern Festival on August 13. You can even purchase a goldfish lantern as a souvenir! Learn to make momiji manju (stuffed maple leaf cakes) at the Miyajima Cultural Center. Reservations are required. Spend a day exploring Miyajima Island with its famous floating torii, shrine, roaming deer, momiji manju cakes and much more! Plant rice in the spring and harvest it in the fall. (Tip: Cultural Adaptation/ Youth Cultural Adaptation programs offer this trip each year.) wanderlust in Japan DO YOU ENJOY PHOTOGRAPHY? Share your pictures from your Japanese adventures and have them published in an upcoming Preview Magazine! Contact [email protected]
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Transcript of 101 Things to do While Stationed at MCAS Iwakuni
GET
2014
OUTTHINGS TO-DOWHILE STATIONED IN MCAS IWAKUNI
1 1
weekend
day tripovernight
Finding yourself bored & restless? Here are 101 activities to get your mind, body and soul rejuvenated and charged! Check off each activity as you eat, travel and play your way around Japan.
PERSPECTIVE #1 REASON: Have a positive attitude. There are many advantages of being stationed overseas. It is up to you to make the most of it. Let MCCS help
you make Iwakuni feel like home. Whether your interests are in learning and understanding the local culture, food and entertainment, advancing
your education or fitness and health—Marine Corps Community Services is here for you.
MCCSIWAKUNI.COM
FOOD Live dangerously and try fugu (blowfish)
sushi at the Shimonoseki market.
Enjoy an unforgettable meal at the Chicken Shack.
Grill your meat to perfection at a yakiniku restaurant.
Sample Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.
Enjoy fresh sushi at a sushi-go-round or try Iwakuni-style sushi.
Grab lunch at a convenience Store. The options will amaze you!
Sample oysters, a local specialty, at one of the many oyster festivals held each winter. There are numerous ways to enjoy them from fried to grilled. Miyajima’s oyster festival is one of the largest.
Sample tasty pastries at one of the local bakeries.
Slurp a big bowl of noodles!
Have lunch at one of the outside cafes. There are many along the river or ocean.
Taste fresh mikans (mandarin oranges) from Oshima Island.
Eat kobe beef in Kobe.
Try all things lotus (root)! Iwakuni lotus root is unique and can be found in a variety of dishes from curry, chips, tempura, ice cream and more. Better yet, learn to cook it yourself at a cooking class offered by Cultural Adaptation.
Enjoy ice cream on a hot summer day by the Kintai Bridge.
Japan has more than 80 different types of Kit Kats! Sample as many as you can find. (Tip: some flavors may be regional and/or seasonal.)
ENTERTAINMENT Climb the Tokyo Tower.
Visit the Tokyo Sky Tree.
Stay at New Sanno hotel in Tokyo and experi-ence American comfort in Japan’s largest city!
Experience the thrills of Hollywood in Japan at Universal Studios Osaka!
Check out one of Japan’s numerous summer music festivals.
Karaoke with friends!
Hand feed a koi (carp) fish at Asa Zoo.
Have your picture taken at a mini photo booth.
Visit the Yamaguchi flea market and see what treasures you can find!
Hold a rhinoceros beetle at the Insectarium in Hiroshima.
Have your picture taken with Kitty-Chan (Hello Kitty) at Harmony Land.
Ride a rollercoaster at Space World.
Get in the holiday spirit at the Bihoku Christ-mas Illumination.
Go to an auto race. (JGTC, rally, drift, etc.)
Travel to another country in Asia. The options are endless, let Academy Travel help you out.
Head to Osaka for the weekend. Don’t miss the aquarium!
Ferry from Yanai to Matsuyama City on Shikoku Island.
Take a ITT tour or drive yourself to Akiyoshi-do Cave and Safari.
Visit one of many aquariums within this area. There’s the Shimonoseki Aquarium, AQUAS and the Miyajima Aquarium.
See several hundred thousand people on MCAS Iwakuni for the annual Friendship Day event.
Start your own business!
Explore the coastal town of Hagi. Enjoy fresh seafood and purchase some of their famous Hagi-yaki pottery.
Catch a Space-A flight to Okinawa and experi-ence another Japanese island.
Visit one of many Japanese fireworks festivals.
Attend the Sapporo City Jazz Festival in July - August, the largest jazz festival in Japan.
SPORTS Experience “America’s favorite pastime” while
in Japan at a Hiroshima Carp baseball game. Be sure to stick around ‘till the 7th inning for the traditional balloon release!
Hit the epic slopes of Japan! There are several local ski resorts as well as the world renowned resorts of Nagano and Hokkaido.
Surf at Hamada Beach. Save yourself the drive and let Outdoor Recreation take you!
Experience Japan’s National Sport of Sumo during their tournament season.
Go whitewater rafting down Yoshino River.
Get fit while in Iwakuni by taking advantage of the excellent gym facilities.
Take sailing lessons and get certified on sailing offered by Outdoor Recreation.
Enjoy stunning views of the Seto Inland Sea by biking the Shimanami Kaido. This 70km bike route links the main island of Honshu to Shikoku via six islands and bridges.
NATURE Conquer Japan’s highest peak, Mt. Fuji.
Stroll among the beautifully colored autumn leaves on the Sandankyo hike.
Beat the heat with a day at Yuu Beach.
Throw a hanami (cherry blossom viewing) party with your friends in the spring.
Soak in the famous Beppu Onsen.
Conquer the Three Peaks hike!
Beat the heat by hiking Seven Falls and cooling off in the water!
Check out the quaint Yanai Flower Park.
Bike through the tulip fields at Huis Ten Bosch in Kyushu during their annual Tulip Festival.
Take photos of the lotus flowers when they’re in full bloom. (Tip: morning time is best)
Explore another island of Japan. There are the larger islands of Shikoku, Kyushu and Hokkaido, or head to the one of the several small unique islands scattered through the Seto Inland Sea.
Go dolphin watching in Kyushu.
Float down the Nishiki River.
Drive to Oshima Island. Enjoy the hidden beaches, great camping, museum, fresh mikans (mandarin oranges) and more!
Japan has great outdoor opportunities! Go on your own or sign up for an Outdoor Recreation trip.
Hike Miyajima’s Mt. Misen each season. Autumn is especially beautiful with the changing leaves but winter and spring offer great views over the Seto Inland Sea.
Go snorkeling near Susa on a camping weekend getaway.
Go camping with friends at Yasaka Dam.
Experience large snow sculptures at Sapporo Snow Festival. ITT has a yearly trip.
Soak away your tension at an onsen (Japanese hot spring bath).
Visit Tottori city for the sand dunes, the largest in Japan, camel rides and sand surfing.
SHOPPING Enjoy dining and shopping options at Hondori
street in Hiroshima.
Rub the incense smoke over you at the Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo and then shop in the numerous stalls lining the streets to the shrine.
Explore the vast assortment of items at a ¥100 store.
HISTORICAL & CULTURAL Head to Hiroshima to view the A-Bomb
Building and tour its Peace Memorial Museum and Park.
Schedule a tour of the Emperor’s Palace while in Tokyo. Or you can enjoy the palace gardens for free!
Sharpen your Japanese by attending Cultural Adaptation’s free Survival Japanese 4-Day Class.
Experience old world Japan in the city of Kyoto. Shrines, temples, traditional cuisine, Golden Pavilion, Gion District and more!
Explore an actual Japanese submarine at the JMSDF Museum in Kure.
Purchase a traditional yukata/jimbe and wear it to a summer festival.
See an impressive Inari shrine, a Catholic church and koi fish swimming along the street canals of Tsuwano.
Get a picture with a Harajuku girl and then head into the peaceful Yogi Park and Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.
Explore the 88 temple pilgrimage, a 1200 km loop around the island of Shikoku.
Achieve enlightenment by fitting through a hole in the pillar at the Daibutsu-den, or Big Buddha, in Nara.
Enjoy the Kintai bridge and park during one of its festivals. Some of the annual events are lantern festival and fireworks festival.
Ride the trains every chance you get! Japan has a very efficient train system. Nervous about the ride? Learn the ropes with IRR’s Venture Out tours.
Watch a taiko drum performance.
Head to the Iwakuni Castle on January 1st and take part in the Japanese tradition of watching the sun rise from a mountain on the first day of the new year.
Participate in a traditional tea ceremony.
Stay overnight at a Buddhist Monk lodge.
Watch a traditional Kabuki performance at the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima.
Take a boat ride and learn about the ancient art of cormorant fishing at the Kintai bridge area.
Experience a Japanese fertility festival.
Learn to use chopsticks.
Make an origami crane and give it to a Japanese friend.
Get your hands dirty (not really) with the Japanese flower art of ikebana.
Purchase a shuin book and collect unique hand drawn calligraphy and stamps from various temples and shrines.
Stay at a traditional Japanese inn called ryokan. Some famous ones are in Miyajima, Kyoto or Hakone lake region.
Enjoy the festivities of Yanai’s Goldfish Lantern Festival on August 13. You can even purchase a goldfish lantern as a souvenir!
Learn to make momiji manju (stuffed maple leaf cakes) at the Miyajima Cultural Center. Reservations are required.
Spend a day exploring Miyajima Island with its famous floating torii, shrine, roaming deer, momiji manju cakes and much more!
Plant rice in the spring and harvest it in the fall. (Tip: Cultural Adaptation/ Youth Cultural Adaptation programs offer this trip each year.)
wanderlustin Japan
DO YOU ENJOY PHOTOGRAPHY? Share your pictures from your Japanese adventures and have them published in an upcoming Preview Magazine! Contact [email protected]
