Japan Study Tour 2025
2025 Japan Study Tour (Sep 13 – Sep 27)
Overview by Aaron Petersen (Assistant Principal)
Our students have been hearing about the deer in Nara Park during their Japanese lessons for years, and thirteen Year 10 students have now experienced them firsthand after our recent study tour to Japan.
For our students, spending time in a new country and its culture meant learning new showering techniques (involving both a stool and a bath), new foods (Nattō is definitely an acquired taste) and rapidly improving their Japanese language skills.
Much our time in Japan was spent in Osaka with our sister school, Owa High School. We received a very warm welcome during a special assembly, with staff and students going out of their way to welcome us. Keira spoke on our behalf during our official welcome, representing both our group and the school with distinction. Each student made presentations to Owa’s students and helped small groups practice their English.
In Kyoto we experienced the 10000 torii (or gates) that line the paths around Fushimi Inari. Each gate marks the entrance to a sacred shrine. Shinto is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture, and many Japanese people participate in Shinto rituals. Existing alongside Shintoism is Buddhism and the Todaiji Temple - which features on the ¥10 coin - is home the biggest wooden statue of Buddha in the world.
Our trip through Japan was often very hectic, so it was nice to be able to spend time in quiet contemplation at the Ryuanji Zen Garden. This garden features rocks of different shapes and sizes and encourages reflection on what is truly important in life.
When we weren’t at school or shrines we did our best to sample Japan’s wonderful food. In Hiroshima, this meant a unique style of Okonomiyaki. This savory pancake is layered with yakisoba noodles, fried egg, and pork drizzled with a delicious sauce. The venue we visited had four floors, each with a multitude of tiny Okonomiyaki restaurants where students were tasked with ordering their own food.
Our time in Japan was absolutely wonderful. I extend my sincere thanks to Lakshmi Weeraratne and Joe Dunne for their commitment to the study tour. Similarly, Toshie Shimazoe put in countless hours prior to departure ensuring every single detail was planned to perfection.
Our friends from Owa High School will visit in 2026 and we look forward to welcoming them into our school community.
Experience at our sister school (Owa High School) Luca Ivanov (10IG)
The day we arrived at our sister school, Owa High School, we were presented with a lovely whole school assembly welcoming us, where the Parkdale students could finally express their passion for Japanese through a rendition of Country Roads in Japanese that we had been rehearsing for many weeks. At the end of the day, we went home with our host students and met their families. Everyone could agree that they were some of the most welcoming and hospitable people they had ever met. Despite some language barriers, everyone enjoyed their time speaking and sharing with them. Our short but sweet homestay let us interact with others, make new friends, and improve our knowledge of the Japanese language and culture.
As part of the collaboration with the school, Parkdale students had prepared presentations in Japanese about topics of Australian culture and presented them fluently and with conciseness. We were able to join art, calligraphy, English, and PE, among a variety of different classes, and work together with various year levels of students there.
On our second and final day at the school, everyone went on an excursion to see Osaka castle together, which was a very enjoyable experience. On the weekend, all of us went out, forming small groups which went to many different exciting places in Osaka, such as Universal Studios. However, all good things must come to an end, and so we finally said goodbye to our hosts the following Monday and continued to our study tour onwards.
Memorable places in Japan (Jess Bell 10I)
Tokyo Skytree towers over the city and was one of the most memorable attractions I visited. Its highest viewing deck is 451.2 metres, and it provides 360-degree views over the city 37 million call home.
Another favourite was Team Labs Planet, an interactive, immersive art experience with various sensory stimulations. We walked through water with fish and petals projected onto it, were awed by another room filled with hanging colour changing lights amplified by the mirrored floors and walls, not to mention the many other cool and unique areas.
The scenery flashing past the bullet train window was stunning. After the homestay and school in Osaka and the sensory overload that was Tokyo streets, it was time to explore another side of Japan.
Our visit to Hiroshima was a sombre day which seemed to be complimented by the heavy rain. We were fortunate enough to visit Hiroshima’s famous Peace Park Memorial Museum and learn about the bombing and history from testimonies and artifacts instead of textbooks.
Nara is the place to see deer, or しか (shika) in Japanese! They were everywhere and so was the deer merchandise. If you bow to them, they usually bow back! You can even feed them little deer biscuits, however, be warned they will follow and even nibble at you to try and get them.
Kyoto is completely different vibe. It’s a very historical, traditional city where the skyscrapers and neon lights of Tokyo are not permitted. Kyoto is full of many beautiful shrines, temples, castles and gardens which really make you feel the atmosphere of old Japan.
It has been a trip filled with unforgettable experiences. We highly recommend that all students consider taking part in future study tours to Japan. These opportunities allow students to fully immerse themselves in the language and culture they explore in the classroom, making their Japanese studies even more meaningful and engaging.
