Japanese

Konnichi wa!

こんにちは

Recently 10 students and 2 teachers returned from Japan after spending a total of 12 days sightseeing, exploring, conversing in Japanese, and immersing themselves in Japanese culture. It has been an exciting time for Oatlands Primary School as this year was the inaugural year of this amazing trip taking place.

The 10 Grade 6 students were accompanied by myself and Miss Morgan for the duration of the trip and it was an absolute pleasure to observe how well these students conducted themselves in this very unique environment. They proved to be a great role model for Oatlands and the wider Australian community.

Some of the highlights of our trip included:

• The 10 hour flight to and from Tokyo (meal service and multiple movie offerings included!)
• The traditional-style Japanese accommodation, including tatami floor coverings and futon bedding
• A magical trip to Tokyo Disneyland
• Food making and sampling lots of delicious Japanese food, including the offerings of the local convenience stores, such as 7-Eleven
• Sightseeing along the bustling streets of Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima
• Catching multiple Shinkansens (bullet trains) and eating traditional bento boxes designed for train travel (ekiben)
• Visiting the Warner Bros Studio and seeing the making of the Harry Potter movies, including the props, costumes and sets from the movies
• Exploring ancient temples and learning about the history of Japanese culture
• Performing as sumarai in Kyoto and learning more about the edo period
• Visiting the Hiroshima Peace Park and Memorial and learning about the atomic bomb dropped on the city during WW2, and the devastating and lasting impacts that it had, including the story of Sadako and the One Thousand Paper Cranes
• Catching a ferry over to Miyajima Island to visit the friendly deer and see the famous Torii gate floating in the water

The students and teachers had an amazing time and I’m sure they will cherish these memories forever! A big congratulations to all involved for making this first trip as successful as it was!

I’m already looking forward to planning next year’s trip and making this a unique experience for students at Oatlands PS.

Brown Sensei

Until next time, 

Sayonara!

さようなら