For 10 days in June, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community members Cruz Lasiloo and Tizoc Lopez traveled across six different cities in Japan as a part of the curriculum for their Japanese class at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale.

 This was their first time traveling internationally for both Lasiloo and Lopez, who endured two 13-hour flights across the Pacific Ocean from Los Angeles to Tokyo, to Osaka and back. Other stops while in Japan were Kyoto, Takayama, Shirakawago and Kanazawa.

The two 15-year-olds traveled with a group of about 30 other people, all of them taking some level of Japanese at the high school.

Before traveling to Japan, Lopez reviewed some basic Japanese vocabulary and letters so he wouldn’t forget.

“I really like my Japanese class, and I was thankful for the opportunity [to go to Japan],” Lopez said.

Lasiloo has been studying Japanese for a few years now, so he claims to be able to hold a decent conversation in the language.

“We don’t just study the language; we also learn about the cultures and customs of Japan.”

On the flight from Tokyo to Osaka, Lasiloo had his first chance to speak some Japanese to the locals.

“However, I was still pretty nervous, so all I could muster up to say were simple phrases like ‘water, please,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘excuse me,’” said Lasiloo.

When they landed in Osaka, they retrieved their bags and met their tour guide, Shouko-san.

“She was very nice and extremely helpful in helping us manage through the city and telling us different facts and history about the different cities we were visiting,” Lasiloo said.

“Man was [Osaka] huge. Huge buildings, tons of people, all stretching for miles on end.”

After settling at their hotel, they stopped by a convenience store with “a much larger and cooler selection of things you can buy,” Lasiloo said, comparing it to the stores in the U.S. That first night, Lasiloo and Lopez ate their first authentic Japanese meal.

“I got some Shrimp and fish tempura with rice. It was pretty good. It was very crispy and full of flavor,” said Lasiloo.

While out and about, Lopez noticed that there wasn’t a lot of trash in public or trash cans.

“People [in Japan] don’t usually eat while walking,” said Lopez.

The group visited Osaka’s markets, shrines and castles, and Lasiloo enjoyed “probably the best ice cream I have ever had” out of a bag from a vending machine.

Osaka was one of the more memorable stops for the two of them. Lopez said the Osaka Castle “was really big and cool.”

Lasiloo noted some similarities and differences in culture when comparing Japan to the customs of the O’odham, Piipaash and the United States.

“I noticed that respect is a big thing and walking on the left instead of the right [side of the street]. You’re not supposed to hand people money directly. It is a very quiet country, so if you are loud, you are seen as sort of obnoxious,” Lasiloo said.

Lasiloo said he noticed that the native religion in the region, Shinto, has many spirits or gods represented as the natural world.

“People believe that these spirits are things like mountains or trees, and that’s why they have shrines generally in the same area as them,” he said.

Osaka’s hotspot for tourists, Dotonbori, included the Pokémon Center, which made Lasiloo reminisce and become reacquainted with playing Pokémon.

The next stop was the old capital of Kyoto, which Lasiloo said offered a good balance between modern and traditional elements. After sightseeing at the Fushimi Inari Shrine, a trip to McDonald’s across the street was a homesick must.

It was Lasiloo’s birthday, and he and Lopez got some fortunes and ice cream from a vending machine. After singing “happy birthday,” the group explored the underground mall and walked through the night market.

“The scale of everything blew me away, and it was so cool seeing the nightlife and what the city has to offer,” Lasiloo said. “I am confident that it was the best birthday of my entire life.”

The next day, the group headed to the new city of Takayama. The first stop was at a Zen temple for meditation, where a monk gave advice to Lasiloo and Lopez.

“One thing I remember him saying was, ‘The only time you can focus on your brain is when you are doing nothing.’” Lasiloo said.

Shirokawago was the next destination the group visited. It’s one of Japan’s oldest villages, featuring traditional houses. The group didn’t stay long; they had to travel to Kanazawa, located on the far western side of the main island. Here, the youth enjoyed gold-covered ice cream, arcades, and bantered in Japanese with locals.

A bullet train awaited the two Community members on the last leg of their journey: Tokyo! Both Lasiloo and Lopez especially enjoyed the iconic pedestrian crossing at Shibuya. The group ate some “OK” pizza while embracing the bright lights, electronics and anime at Akihabara, a district of Tokyo.

The two blinked and it was time to fly back home, each with a piece of Japan to carry with them.

“I brought back matcha powder for my family and also custom gold chopsticks,” said Lopez.

Lasiloo also picked out souvenirs for his friends and family and bought himself a few things.

“I brought back a lot of clothes, some action figures, a lot of Pokémon cards, some snacks, some incense, and a ton of keychains,” he said.

He has advice for young Community members who want to travel to Japan one day.

“Just take it all in and just be in the present moment. Take each day as it comes, because you may never get this chance ever again and you don’t want to have that regret of not doing everything you wanted to while you were there. And try to at least learn some basic phrases in Japanese, as it goes a long way,” said Lasiloo.

“Just know that if you go once, you’ll get hooked and want to keep going over and over again.”

Lopez is grateful for the trip and would want to go again in the future, but for now, he is glad to be home.