From 10 – 25 April, we and 10 other Year 12 and 13 students had the amazing opportunity to travel Japan and go to school whilst staying with a host family! Almost all of us had never been to Japan before, so this was destined to be a completely new experience. For two weeks, we were busy and immersed in the language and culture we have been studying for the past 3 or 4 years!
With two days in Tokyo, we wasted no time and made our way to the Tokyo Tower. Up in the observatory, we got a 360 view of the metropolis cityscapes of Minato City and various traditional infrastructures that coloured the concrete jungle.
While exploring on foot, we were struck by Tokyo’s immaculate streets. Despite the absence of rubbish bins, not one piece of rubbish could be seen littered on the ground. We then arrived at our destination: the bustling streets of Asakusa and the famous Sensoji Temple. We were given an hour of freedom to wander the many stalls and shops. The temple was beautiful and many of us tried our luck with the omikuji hoping for the “Great Fortune” slip. Just like that, our two days in Tokyo were complete.
The trip to Kyoto proved to be a different sort of struggle, experiencing the infamous morning rush-hour, with heavy luggage as we powered through the station to catch the shinkansen (bullet train). Within minutes, we had already left the glamorous cityscapes and were whizzing past pastures and historic architecture. And the cherry on top was the phenomenal view of Mt Fuji.
At Kyoto station ordered lunch using our Japanese skills. After much trial and error, our efforts paid off—finally tasting victory as our long-awaited meals arrived. We then trained to Nara for the afternoon where we visited Todaiji Temple with its amazing history and architectural genius.
Day 2 two in Kyoto was very packed. First, we took the bus to the beautiful, golden pavilion of Kinkakuji Temple, in Northern Kyoto. Following that scenic walk, we went to another famous location for lunch. We got McDonald’s. Although McDonald’s can be found worldwide, Japan had many distinct menu items only found in Japan. I personally recommend getting the Melon Soda Float when you do go visit.
After lunch we took the train to Osaka. We saw the beautiful city lights through the windows of the train, as it took us straight to Osaka Castle. Within the castle, there are many historical artifacts across eight different floors, and the eighth floor is also an outdoor observatory where you can view the park.
Then for dinner, we took the train into Universal Studio Japan (USJ) City Walk for dinner. It’s colourful place just outside the theme park with many restaurants and alluring gift shops. This was another perfect chance for many of us to order in Japanese.
On our final full day in Kyoto we spent the morning roaming the shopping district of Kiyomizu-michi. At the top of the main street, the Kiyomizu-dera Temple sits proudly surrounded by waterfalls and colourful trees. We then made our way to the Gion district, a city with a very traditional feel. Many of the buildings have distinctly traditional designs. We all left Gion and Kiyomizu-michi with much lighter wallets and many heavy bags.
Then it was time to bid goodbye to Kyoto and make our way to begin our week of school experience. But before we left, we made a quick stop at the Fushimi Inari Taisha, otherwise known as The Thousand Gates. It was beautiful, thousands of vermillion archways lined a path up the mountain, the scene was straight out of a painting.
On the bullet train from Kyoto to Toyama, nerves were in the air. We were on our way to meet our host families, who generously welcomed us into their homes. We then visited Toyama Kokusai, our sister school, where we would experience Japanese student life.
Despite going to the same school and learning the same core subjects, the students’ routine varied greatly. While I may have had a 5-minute car ride to school, leaving at 8:20am– others woke at the crack of dawn to catch a 2-hour train ride across the rice fields and looming skyscrapers. Unlike New Zealand, Japan’s public transport is highly dependable. You may have to squeeze shoulder to shoulder during rush hour, but at least you are sure not to receive a late slip at the student centre.
We broke the ice at home and school with apprehensive introductions, putting our Japanese conversational skills to the test. Every day, we became more comfortable speaking Japanese, and our friendships with the students strengthened as we got into the habit of routine.
During our time at the school, our group got to try Kyudo, Calligraphy and Sushi-making. Kyudo is a very popular traditional archery in Japan. It requires great deals of skill and concentration as their bows are meters tall. Although our aim was far from the targets, it was interesting to partake in this sport and art form so intertwined with Japanese culture. We were also able to shape sushi featuring flavours we haven’t tried before, like snow crab or eel.
As school came to an end, we parted ways for the weekend. Spending time with our host families was by far the most enjoyable part of our stay in Toyama, with many families planning special activities such as dressing in traditional kimonos, strawberry picking, and a trip to an aquarium to see the Toyama Firefly Squid.
On the final day we went to the glass museum, after which we ventured to a crab restaurant. Soon after the tearful goodbyes with our host families, we were back on a shinkansen to Tokyo, where we set off for Meiji shrine. The walk to the shrine was so picturesque. Although we could not enter the building, the view from outside was jaw-dropping. From the perfectly cut trees and the countless fortune blocks, the views certainly did not disappoint!
Our next destination was Harajuku, one of the busiest shopping districts in Japan. It definitely lived up to the title, with people as far as the eye could see. Every store was overcrowded. Though we didn’t have much time, we spent it roaming each store, buying souvenirs and looking at the gacha machines, then it was time to leave for Shibuya.
Shibuya is THE busiest crossing in the world! This was our final stop of the day. There were hundreds if not thousands of people everywhere! Every single footpath, building, and road was brimming with people. We spent our time shopping and walking around the area finding different souvenirs to bring home. After a day of countless steps and being surrounded by so many people we were all exhausted.
Though the next day was cloudy and rainy we were still excited to be at the happiest place on earth: Disneyland! The rides were spectacular and of course the food was delicious. A favourite ride for many of us was the Beauty and the Beast ride! We sat in spinning tea cups watching as the animatronics and music brought the ride to life, leaving us feeling nostalgic and completely amazed. Soon after that we finished the night off watching the famous Electric Parade and after a wet day in the rain we headed back to our hotel.
For our last day in Japan, we first visited the Imperial Palace, a place filled with beautiful cherry blossom trees and complex stone walls. Our final stop before heading to the airport was Character Street, an underground shopping area with stores based on our favourite characters – Sanrio, various anime, and my personal favourite, Mofusand! We had the time of our lives buying countless pieces of merch and other items!
Our adventure in Japan definitely went by faster than we wanted but it doesn’t mean we didn’t have the most amazing time. Though there were ups and downs, we made memories that will last a lifetime. Most of us could even say it was the best two weeks of our lives!
Amy Ye, Joy Pfister (Year 13) and Aria Huang (Year 12)
