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Each year, Marian offers an international trip for two select grade levels. This past summer, students from Marian’s classes of 2028 and 2027 and faculty members traveled to Japan for a 10-day trip, spanning May 26 to June 4. After enduring a nearly 14-hour plane ride, the travelers were soon greeted with their tour guides and the vibrancy of Tokyo. 

   In Tokyo, they viewed a multitude of landmarks such as the Meji Shrine, which is encased within man-made forests and lined with towering greenery, the iconic Shibuya crossing and the Tokyo Skytree, which stands 2,080 ft. tall and grants visitors with a complete overview of the city’s historic bustle below. 

   Junior Nora Klein says, “It was so cool feeling like I was in the sky and seeing all of Tokyo.”

   Tokyo, with a population of around 35 million, featured incredible vibrancy. The city, filled to the brim with tourists and citizens alike, bloomed completely with culture. The streets featured bouts of color, a contrast to the more uniform streets of Omaha.

    After walking through this city of innovation, Marian’s visitors were able to experience the country in a rural, more laid back setting. 

   On day five, students traveled via bus to Hakone, where Mount Fuji stands as a beacon, unignorable in both its size and its beauty. 

   After a day of sightseeing immersion, the group settled in a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese hotel, for the night. 

   The Ryokan treated attendees to an immersed Japanese experience. Guests were expected to take off their shoes upon entering and were invited to wear traditional robes for the remainder of their stay. The staff provided a multi-course meal for dinner and breakfast the following morning.

   Whilst at the Ryokan, a mass was celebrated by Fr. Tom Fangman.   

    Fangman mentioned the memorable trip at the Welcome Mass on Aug. 20 to the full student body.

   The day following held the group’s first experience riding the Shinkansen bullet train, where they made their way to Kyoto for two days of viewing historic structures. 

   Then, the group traveled to the beautiful city of Hiroshima.  

   There, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum stands both to honor victims of and to educate of the terrors of the United States’ dropping of the atomic bomb on the city to end World War II in 1945. However, its central purpose is to stand as a reminder of peace and to stress the need to rid the world of nuclear weapons in order to not allow another tragedy as such to occur. 

   As senior Kristie Avalos describes, “the Peace Memorial was an out-of-body experience. It was difficult to process the museum, but it was also very powerful.”

   The museum held displays of photography, artwork and physical artifacts from the effects of the bombing. Ranging from infants to elderly, the displays told the stories of victims who were gravely affected or killed by the attack. 

   “It’s hard to describe how it felt to go through the displays, and to be surrounded by other people who were also trying to take it all in,” Avalos said. 

   As a whole, the 2026 Japan trip did not just serve as a fun getaway, but as an awakening adventure for those who were able to attend.

   Not only did they view culturally important structures and traditions, they saw the beauty of language-defying respect and communication. 

   Although hefty language barriers blocked extensive understanding, mutual, deep respect was exchanged between the vacationers and the citizens of Japan. 

   This international trip granted Marian’s students both beautiful sights and an increased global understanding, of course accompanied by strengthened sisterhood. 

Summer of 2027: Iceland*

*open to classes of 2028 and 2029