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The UW women’s tennis team took its talents across the pond to Japan at the end of September for a 10-day foreign tour. The team began the adventure in Osaka, spent a couple days in Kyoto, and wrapped up the trip in Japan’s capital city of Tokyo.
Over the course of the week-and-a-half excursion, the Huskies hit the courts for a few practices, played matches against Keio University and Waseda University, and delved deep into Japanese culture – including food, fashion, and plenty of sightseeing. From fishing for dinner to exploring the streets and sights of Tokyo to feeding monkeys, the group came away with countless unforgettable memories.
“Overall, our foreign tour trip to Japan was unforgettable,” sophomore Zehra Suko said about the experience. “We are so grateful for the opportunity to learn about different cultures and explore new places. Making so many memories with this amazing team was so fun as well as bonding with some of the new faces! From visiting the monkey jungles and sightseeing many of the historic parts of Japan to practicing and competing in a new setting with these ladies – every second was a blast.
“Every day we got to see a wide variety of sites – like sacred shrines and temples – but also things like the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world (Shibuya Crossing). It is hard to pick a favorite part of the trip because truly we enjoyed all of it! We are so thankful for everyone who made this trip possible!”
Each player during the trip was asked to recount their favorite memories and events from a particular day, starting out with freshman Alexia Jacobs.
TRIP DIARIES
Sept. 15/16 – Travel Day(s)
The team experienced the beginning of the 16-hour time difference, jumping right from Friday afternoon in Seattle to Saturday evening in Osaka.
Local time: 6:43 p.m. ??
Seattle time: 2:43 a.m. ??
Current moods: Tired, hungry, excited.
One more quick flight to Osaka and then we’re ballin’ tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/U5xop0tzwQ
— Washington Women’s Tennis (@UW_WTennis) September 16, 2023
Sept. 17 – First full day in Osaka (Told by Alexia Jacobs)
Hey Dawg fans! Today we had our first team practice of the season and our first practice in Osaka. It was my first practice with the team as a freshman and it was so awesome to finally be a part of a team environment where everyone brings such good energy and positivity! Later in the day after a long bus ride back to the hotel from the tennis center, we took the metro to Shinseki for the first time – where we explored the town and got to experience the lively culture of Osaka. It was impressive to see the difference in public transportation here in Japan. For dinner, we ate at a Tsuribori where we had to fish for our own food. Even though it wasn’t super successful, (except for Dariya) it was an awesome experience. Overall, today was a great first day in Japan and I can’t wait for the rest of the trip!
Sept. 18 – Practice and sightseeing in Osaka (Told by Catherine Gagnon)
Hello Husky Nation! We started the day with team breakfast where Robin was courageous enough to try Jenn’s fermented beans, which were actually pretty good according to her. We then headed to Taiku University for tennis practice. We were fortunate enough to play with some of the students on the university’s tennis team. It was a great way to practice counting in Japanese and learning about the culture.
After a well-earned snack and rest, we headed to Osaka Castle for some sightseeing. We got to explore the more cultural side of Osaka and got an elevated view of the city. After numerous group photos taken by our own professional photographer (shoutout to Emily), we headed to Dotonbori for dinner and some shopping. I got to try the famous takoyaki (octopus dumplings) – a signature dish from Osaka – before enjoying some ramen later that evening. I ended the day with assembling a goody bag of a variety of Japanese snacks to bring back with me to Seattle in hopes of making it easier to leave Japan. It was a very eventful and amazing day with the Husky family.
Sept. 19 – Kyoto Sightseeing (Told by Erika Matsuda)
Today we took a bus to Kyoto in the morning and then went sightseeing. The most fun part of today was Shiba Cafe. I wanted to go to tourist spots such as temples, but I was so tired that I spent my free time at a cafe. The Shiba dogs were just sleeping while we were there, but just looking at them was very soothing.
Getting our steps in (~18k a day ?????) as we explore the city of Kyoto ????#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/0zEo57Up0I
— Washington Women’s Tennis (@UW_WTennis) September 19, 2023
Sept. 20 – Arashiyama Monkey Park (Told by Dariya Detkovskaya)
Arashiyama Monkey Park, which was in the scenic Arashiyama district of Kyoto, was a captivating experience of observing monkeys in their natural habitat. There were about 120 snow monkeys, which we learned are also called Japanese Macaque. The ascent to the top of the park is an adventure in itself, involving a picturesque yet moderately challenging hike through a lush forest.
At the top of the hike, I experienced a lot of emotions. Watching how the monkeys were playing and fighting with each other was fun. Some of them were hanging out in groups and some of them casually by themselves in their own world. We had the opportunity to feed them through a cage which was fun to do. Not only were the monkeys a highlight of the experience, but the beautiful view from the top was breathtaking.
Couldn’t leave Kyoto without making a stop at the Arashiyama Monkey Park ??#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/8CsvqaGXfE
— Washington Women’s Tennis (@UW_WTennis) September 21, 2023
Sept. 21 – Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo (Told by Astrid Olsen)
Today we traveled from Kyoto to Tokyo with one of the fastest trains I had ever been on. After many wonderful moments with a lot of socializing, I believe we all enjoyed a moment of stillness in one of the most silent trains in the world. We later on enjoyed some more exploring in Shinjuku, where we went shopping and soaked in our first night in the big city. At our hotel here, some of us enjoyed the onsen at night, which is a hot spring where all your stresses and worries can get flushed out by the hot water. Yet another filling day here in Japan and we are now catching sleep in preparation for tomorrow’s match!
Sept. 22 – Match Day vs. Keio University (Told by Melissa Sakar)
Today we had our first match against Keio University! The day started out rainy so we had to modify our match structure a bit since there were only two indoor courts. We started the day with doubles and eventually played some singles as the courts began to dry outside. In the end, we exchanged gifts and the Keio team was nice enough to give us some hoodies as presents. We were very grateful! After practice, we went to the TEAM LAB Museum in Tokyo. TEAM LAB was incredible! It was full of simulations and interactive art and everyone had so much fun. Some girls even went through the whole experience twice! We finished the day with some shabu-shabu, which is Japanese hot pot with thinly sliced meats and vegetables. A wonderful day!
Had a blast competing against Keio University today ?? Thank you for the gear and the hospitality! #GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/BM95sCvdyw
— Washington Women’s Tennis (@UW_WTennis) September 22, 2023
Sept. 23 – Match Day vs. Waseda University (Told by Yolanda Lin)
Day nine of the Japan trip! Today was our final match day versus Waseda University. I had so much fun playing doubles with my fellow PNW native Zehra Suko and getting to meet all the girls on the Waseda team. The bus trip there and back was a total of three hours so I got a lot of quality nap time to prepare for our night in Harajuku and Shibuya! Harajuku had been my most anticipated area of Tokyo to visit because of the vibrant fashion scene and thrift shops. My favorite part of it was just sitting on the side of the street and people watching.
Shibuya was very lively and we crossed the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing. My favorite meal of the trip was in Shibuya with my teammates Erika Matsuda and Catherine Gagnon. The restaurant was very cozy with maybe only 10 seats. We ordered dipping udon with the freshest noodles and umami dipping sauce. Today was one of my favorite days of the trip with the perfect balance of tennis and sightseeing!
September 24 – Tokyo Disney (Told by Sarah-Maude Fortin)
As my alarm rang that day, my first words were, “It’s Disney Day!!!” – unable to contain my excitement. For me, Disney is a special place. Not only do I love rides, but I also vividly remember the first and only time I went to Disney World with my family for my eighth birthday – it was magical. Anyways, I carried this excitement throughout the whole day as we rode roller coasters, ate sweets, met some famous characters, and sang along to our favorite Disney songs. This whole experience was filled with happiness and cheer, but here are my three highlights.
My first highlight was Space Mountain. It’s in the dark with sharp turns and sudden drops and it goes pretty fast. My teammate and I loved this ride so much that we went on it three times despite the 60-minute wait each time. On the second and third runs, we were able to do the ride mic’d-up. We thought this was so funny because it was basically a recording of us screaming really loud for over two minutes.
My second highlight was the fireworks. They were so beautiful, and they were right next to the castle. It looked almost exactly like the clip that we see at the beginning of every Disney movie. They had turned the lights off in the whole park and played some classic Disney hits like Hakuna Matata. My teammate and I danced the whole time and thought it was so beautiful that we almost got emotional.
My third highlight was simply just the amount of fun that we had throughout the day. It honestly felt like we were just going back in time to when we were kids, amazed by the smallest things with a constant smile on our faces. The whole team got to the park at 10:30 a.m., but only two of us stayed until close at 9 p.m. because we wanted to maximize this experience and enjoy every second – knowing that it’s not every day you get to go to Tokyo Disney. In addition, we laughed so much during this day that my abs were hurting. We also screamed so much that I lost my voice. It was just overall a magical and amazing day, and I am just so grateful that we had the opportunity to go.
