After their long journey to Japan, Preston and his family checked into the Prince Park Tower in Tokyo. Before actually having his wish granted (to study animé), Preston and his family enjoyed some of the area attractions: Fuji-Hakone Izu National Park, Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shine, Asakusa. Plus, they also took some time to visit temples, shrines and gardens.
Two days before returning home, Preston has his wish: he was invited to Mr. Makoto Raiku's studio where Mr. Raiku taught Preston magna (the unique Japanese animation style of heavy shading, dramatic camera angles and beautifully rendered special effects, usually based more on character than action).
Before leaving Japan to return home to Boothbay Harbor, the family had an open day where they took in more of the sights and scenes that Tokyo has to offer.
"What I think is unique and special to Preston's wish," said Preston's volunteer Wish Granter Polly Arnoff, "is that he chose something that is both educational and creative. His wish has given him more tools with which to become a better artist. He went to Japan 'wanting to study animé' and came back energetic and enthusiastic. His trip to Japan has given him the bug to travel even more and spending time with Makoto Raiku has inspired him to explore other areas of art such as watercoloring. We saw his artwork before he left for Japan and we were quite impressed with his talent. Now that he has returned having taken in all the sights and new artistic ideas, I have no doubt that he will continue to draw and paint some fantastic art!"
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