Arriving in Japan
A delegation of 12 students and two teachers left Highcliffe School for Hiroshima, Japan, at 2pm on Thursday 20th October. This is our eighth trip to Japan and to our partner school in Hiroshima, Johoku High School for Boys.
The journey all went very smoothly. Nevertheless, we were all very tired after a journey which, from door to door, as it were, took about 22 hours.
We were greeted at Hiroshima station by the host families. Each of the host families gave our students such a warm and friendly welcome. It was just the tonic required after such an exhausting journey and went some way to calming nerves!
School Time and Miyajima
The past couple of days have been really busy. On Tuesday, we spent time in school attending lessons, as well as participating in various activities, such as kendo (Japanese sword-fighting) and calligraphy.
On Wednesday, we went to the beautiful island of Miyajima. The day began with a lesson in how to brand our own traditional Miyajima rice spoon. We then strolled through the grounds of the shrine before stopping for lunch at place looking towards the famous torii gate. A little later, we had a chance for some shopping before taking the ferry back to the mainland.
On Saturday, we were in school and the students had their first taste of lessons in a Japanese school. In the afternoon, all the students and host buddies and their families went for a welcome meal at a local restaurant for a traditional dish called o-konimiyaki. After that, they went bowling.
Kimonos and Language Lessons
Thursday was spent in school. Students attended lessons first thing in the morning. Then we were treated to one of the highlights – the kimono experience.
During this time, students learn how to put on a traditional kimono and yukata (summer kimono). They also get a chance to wear one. As you can imagine, there were lots of photos both as a group and as individuals. The students did indeed look absolutely fantastic all dressed up!
At the end of the school day, our students participated in an English conversation class with the youngest year group in the school. They listened to short presentations given by the Johoku students before delivering short presentations themselves about a famous person. They then each sat with a group of students and asked and answered questions.
This is an important experience for the young Johoku students as it gives them a chance to use English in a more authentic way. Also, it is way for us to “give something back” to Johoku School.
At the end of a busy and interesting day, the students had a chance to relax and prepare for their trip to Kyoto!
Owned by: LDN | Last Published: 27/10/2016 13:15:31 | Next Update: N/A
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