Japan 2016

Japan trip 2016

by Toby Walker, 9F

From 12-29 September, several students from years 9 and 10 had the amazing privilege of travelling to and around Japan and getting to experience its culture and history. It was great learning about and engaging in Japanese culture, as it is very different to Australia’s. In Japan, some restaurants and most houses have tatami mats in them, which the Japanese sit on to eat their meals instead of sitting on a regular chair. We also visited some traditional Buddhist temples like the Kinkakuji (The Golden Pavilion). We got to try a wide variety of Japanese cuisine like sushi, ramen, soba noodles and much more.

The country’s history was very intriguing to explore and learn about, from the Hiroshima bombing exhibition, which taught us what happened during that dark event, to exploring the traditional folk villages of Japan, which gave us an insight on what living in Japan was like in the late 1800s.

One of the greatest highlights for myself was staying with our homestay families. It was very nerve-racking at the start,  but the families we stayed with were so kind and caring. The experience also helped me with my Japanese language skills and boosted my confidence in speaking it.