Twelve students from Years 9 and 10 along with three teachers (Mr. Daniel Pisani, Ms. Dawn Rodgers, and Mr. Gibson-Suzuki) departed Melbourne International Airport on 24 October 2023 for the College’s very first cultural study tour to Japan. After two relatively long overnight flights via Hong Kong, we arrived at Narita International Airport and made our way to our first hotel and we explored the area to find our first meal in Tokyo.
During our two full days in Tokyo, we were met by a lovely local tour guide named Sophie. Sophie took us to all the must-visit locations in Japan starting with Ueno Park followed by Tokyo Skytree and Asakusa shrine. The day concluded with a visit to Akihabara, where all the anime and manga fans were treated to multi-storey buildings packed with anime and manga merchandise.
The second day in Tokyo was just as busy as the first as Sophie took us to Harajuku; a young and hip hangout spots before spending an extended time in Shibuya, where the famous Shibuya crossing is located. We then took a monorail to Odaiba to experience a virtual reality environment at TeamLab before saying our goodbye to Sophie.
The next morning, we took the Shinkansen (Bullet train) to Kyoto while experiencing the speed of up to 300km/h. Upon our arrival, we explored the old capital of Japan by visiting the Gion district. Unfortunately, we were unable to see any Geisha or Maiko in the area and the matter was made worse when we were caught out in a sudden downpour, which cleared up by the following morning.
We joined the morning bus tour to visit Nijo castle, where students learnt about the lifestyle of Samurai war heroes such as how they created an ancient security system by making creaky floorboards on purpose. We then visited the famous Golden Pavilion followed by the Imperial Palace. In the afternoon, we made our way to another famous attraction, Kiyomizu temple. The students were given an opportunity to explore Aeon mall, a massive Japanese department store during the evening.
The next morning, we were met up by a local guide, Jun, who took us to famous shrines and temples in Kyoto and Nara. The first stop was Tofuku-ji to observe the Zen garden followed by a quick visit to Fushimi Inari shrine to walk through an endless rows of Torii gates leading up to the mountain. We took a short train ride to Nara, where students enjoyed interacting with wild deer before being with the largest indoor Buddha in Todai-ji.
Students woke up a little nervous the following morning knowing they will meet their host families at Seishin Girls High School in Okayama Prefecture. When we arrived at the school, we received the Japanese welcome in its highest form – individualised welcome message board for each student. Students and teachers from CRCCS attended Japanese Tea ceremony and Koto performance. Gymnastics and Dance clubs showed off their moves before CRCCS students joined in. The welcome party continued after school for the Japanese BBQ, where we were joined by more than 50 students from Seishin who wanted to meet our students before going home with their host families.
We spent one whole day at Seishin High school to experience what Japanese schooling is like firsthand. CRCCS students joined their English conversation class, tried calligraphy lesson and Japanese archery demonstration. They also enjoyed dressing up in a traditional Japanese Yukata and festival dancing.
Outside of school, host sisters accompanied us to day trips to Universal Studio Japan and Hiroshima/Miyajima. The visit to Universal Studio Japan was a hectic day as it was the Halloween and students waited in lines for up to 90minutes to go on the rides. The trip to Hiroshima allowed us to witness what it was like for the victims of atomic bomb during the WWII.
Students and teachers enjoyed spending time with their host families on the weekend before we flew back home to Melbourne. Although it was a very busy two-week schedule, students were able to experience opportunities of a lifetime and we look forward to welcoming 16 students from Seishin Girls High School in March 2024.
Japan was an extremely fulfilling experience! The culture and environment were very different from Australia, and I enjoyed learning about them. I had an amazing time and hope to return in the future!
- Alexandra Naig
Throughout the Japan trip I loved the multiple experiences and activities we participated in the multiple cities we visited. Sightseeing and meeting new people were definitely a memorable experience, but I’d say the food was the highlight of the trip!
- Bianca Ifurung
