4 minute read
Language Tour of Japan
Words by Rebecca Lawry
When you are offered the chance to participate in a Language Tour to Japan, there is one word you absolutely need:
The reopening of Japan’s borders this year gave 23 students and four staff the opportunity to spend two weeks savouring the highlights of the country, enhancing language skills, and immersing ourselves in a culture most of us had only learned about from a great distance. For many students, this was their first trip without family, and for some this would be their first trip overseas. They came home with not just increased confidence in speaking another language, but also skills in juggling passports, packing luggage, navigating planes and trains and buses, budgeting money and planning meals.
Our first stop, Tokyo, provided us with a rapid introduction to many elements of modern Japanese culture. Those of us new to Japan quickly learned the etiquette of public transport, and the skill of navigating busy Shibuya street crossings and enormous train stations. A full day at Shibuya High School provided a chance for a cross-cultural exchange with students swapping stories of home and school in both English and Japanese. After lunch, the Shibuya students took their new friends exploring around the local area, some even venturing to the legendary Harajuku district.
Packing our bags and buying our bentos, we left Tokyo bound for Kanazawa on the west coast. A ride on the Shinkansen showed us the glorious juxtaposition of Japanese scenery: mountains and tunnels, cities and rice fields, rivers and railroads. The students had a taste of independent exploration in Kanazawa, as they planned their own day of historical sightseeing, cultural activities, tasting gold-leaf ice cream and navigating public transport. While each group was accompanied by one of the staff, it was the students who were in charge (and responsible for most of the communication!).
Miyajima Island was one of the most memorable places we visited, with most wishing for a longer stay there. At Itsukushima Shrine, we learned how to petition the kami (spirits) to hear our prayers, before admiring the iconic ‘floating’ torii gate. Our accommodation that night was in a ryokan, where we dressed in yukata for a traditional evening meal, and then slept soundly on futons spread across tatami floors. Across the water we could see the lights of Hiroshima. Our visit to the Peace Memorial the next day stopped us all in a moment of sombre reflection as we came face-to-face with the brutalities of history and witnessed the city’s ongoing and inspirational dedication to peace.
Our final tourist destination was Kyoto, the capital of Imperial Japan for over one thousand years. Here, our tour guide took us to temples, gardens and historic districts, all while sharing the stories of the monks, shoguns and ordinary people who lived, worked and prayed in these places.
Key to the tour was a visit to Sacred Heart Obayashi, and a weekend homestay with a Japanese family. At Sacred Heart the students joined in with lessons, games and extra-curricular activities such as naginata class and calligraphy club. In pairs, they then spent a weekend in the company of a Sacred Heart student and their family.
This is the part of the trip that students most look forward to - it is a unique opportunity to experience and compare what life is like in another part of the world.
A Language Exchange Tour provides so much more than an average holiday. It’s an opportunity to get a glimpse and a feel for a different way of living. It’s validation for all those hard hours spent learning another language. It fosters confidence in travel and communication. And it’s an inspiration to keep on learning.
