Simon's Trip to Japan

Hi! My name is Simon Brooks and I’m looking to study martial arts and Japanese culture in Japan for a couple months. My school lets their high school seniors study a three month independant project during their second semester, given that they can finance it on their own. I would like to spend my time in Japan studying Aikido (and Kyudo if I can afford it) and also the influence of martial arts historically in Japan. I have arranged for a place I could stay if I can make the money for my trip.

My father went went to Japan when he was in high school and I got a chance to meet with his host family a year ago. They were kind enough to find a host family that I could stay in Japan. This trip will give me the opportunity to learn about what it’s like living in Japan (I’m pretty sure I want to spend at least a few years living there sometime after college), and I’ll learn about some of the traditions that have been present in Japanese culture for hundreds of years.

MAJOR UPDATE:
Because of changes in my itinerary, I'm unable to stay with one host family during my visit to Japan. Instead the people I've contacted can only host me for a couple weeks. I have two places I can stay for sure: Mirwec company apartments in Omura, Nagasaki prefecture (for two weeks), and with a coworker of my dad's and his family in Ayase, Kanagawa prefecture (for two weeks). 

Since I'll only be in one place for a couple weeks at a time, my previous plan to attend a martial arts dojo and learn about a zen mindset would be hard to attain. It'll most likely take me a full week to get accustomed to a new dojo and learning the movements before I learn the meaning and history behind them. After brainstorming with my dad, he told me that a lot of other traditional Japanese ceremonies have the same zen mindsets. My plan is now to spend my couple weeks sitting in on Flower Arranging, Calligraphy, Tea Ceremonies, and Martial Arts classes and/or demonstrations (I'd ideally look for a kyudo class as well as some form of hand-to-hand combat). I would learn the connections between these ceremonies and their cultural influences on Japanese society. I'd also like to do a small photo juxtaposition of temples and shrines within a large city to demonstrate the closeness of modern Japan to its cultural roots.

Thank you so much to those who have helped me raise money for my project thus far!