Japan Study Tour
Dear Parents/Carer and Students
I am pleased to announce that Frankston High School will be running a tour to Japan in September 2023. This trip will give students an opportunity to visit and be enriched by some of Japan’s most spectacular historical, cultural and unique places. Students will also have the experience of living with a Japanese family as they will be hosted by our sister school, Kawaguchi Kita High School for one week.
The itinerary has been created to ensure students are given a window into various modern and historical aspects of Japan and the daily life of Japanese people.
Itinerary Highlights:
- Tour of Kyoto. Kiyomizu temple, Golden Pavilion, Sanjusangeno Hall, Nijo Castle and the Heian Shrine.
- Kyoto Station underground shopping complex, Karaoke
- Hiroshima. Memorial Peace Park and Museum
- Miyajima Island. Itsukushima Shrine
- Nara. Todai Ji temple and Nara Park
- Susono. Visit to Frankston’s sister city and Mt Fuji viewing centre
- Tokyo. Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo tower, Electronic town, Harajuku shopping strip
- Kawaguchi Kita High School. One week homestay at our sister school in Saitama prefecture. Students will attend school with hosts and make cultural presentations to their Japanese classmates.
In addition to this, students will participate in a range of other cultural activities and opportunities to try Japanese cuisine and the Japanese language, further developing their communication skills, independence and resilience.
The trip will give students the opportunity to encounter real life situations in which they will be speaking Japanese. This will further enhance their studies at Frankston High School and hopefully encourage them to continue their language studies into the future.
Dates
The anticipated dates for travel are in the second last week of Term 3 and the first week of the term 3 school holidays 2023. Dates are yet to be confirmed and will depend on airline seat availability, accommodation and sister school arrangements.
Cost
Parents should budget for approximately $5,500.00, not including spending money. In the past, students have budgeted for around $500 spending money. The cost of the trip is still subject to change and depends on a number of factors such as airline taxes, exchange rates and number of participants.
Cost includes
Flights, taxes, travel insurance, accommodation, Japan Rail pass, admission into Tokyo Disneyland and admission to most temples and meals. There will be some incidentals such as lunches and dinners in the second week that students will need to pay for as well as some local train travel.
Selection
Selection will be based on a number of factors. Students studying Japanese in Year 11, 10 and 9 in 2024 are encouraged to apply. Year 11 students will have first preference then Year 10 and finally Year 9 students. Any students who were accepted to go on the cancelled 2020 Trip (current Year 12) will have a priority.
Students are expected to be actively involved in hosting students from our sister school either in the year before or the year after the trip. In addition to this, behaviour and academic ability are also taken into consideration. Students are required to attend regular lunchtime meetings throughout Term 2 2023, an information night with parents/carers (in Term 2 of 2023) and a student preparation evening. Parents/carers and students will be given an overview of the trip and the opportunity to ask questions. Four staff members will be accompanying the student group.
A refundable $100 deposit is required to secure student’s places on the tour to confirm interest asap.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything further, please don’t hesitate to contact Ms Tonia Hast at school on 9783 7955 or via emailthast@fhs.vic.edu.au
Ms Tonia Hast
Japan Tour Organiser