Exchanges & Visits
Japan
Thanks to a generous grant awarded by CONNECT YOUTH INTERNATIONAL 15 students embark on the journey of their lives...
JULY 2001: The 15 girls along with their teachers flew over Europe, across Russia... twelve hours later, they arrive at their destination. Osaka Kansai International Airport. The warnings of the significant change in temperature were underestimated as stepping out onto Japanese soil proved. We had never experienced humidity so intense. This was the beginning of our voyage.
With our heavy luggage, we made our way to our first stop, Hotel Hopinn Aming (Amagasaki). What a relief it was to settle down and get into our rooms! Our first evening was spent having a traditional dish known as okonomiyaki (Japanese version of a pizza). During our stay in Osaka, we were given the cultural experience of visiting the old capitals of Japan, Nara and Kyoto. While delighting in the beautiful old temples we also had the chance to experience the more modern aspects such as enjoying nights at the arcade and karaoke.
We were to spend the next ten days in the North of Japan on the island of Hokkaido in the town of Asahikawa. As we were each to stay at the home of a Japanese family, we were all very anxious about what it was going to be like. We all had our own preconceived ideas, mainly negative, about how we would cope. Thankfully we were greeted so warmly by the school and our host families that we soon discovered how wrong we were.
The first couple of days at school gave us an insight into the Japanese education system and it seemed to be very much different to our own. One of the main differences was the way in which all the students enthusiastically participated in the cleaning of the school everyday (a lesson to be learnt perhaps?!). Due to the fact that the exchange was one of the first of its kind, in the area, it was considered big enough to be put into the island's national newspaper.
We were lucky enough to be staying in Hokkaido whilst one of the two main festivals, in Japan, were taking place. This meant that we were able to take part in the school's preparation and participation in it. Everyone in the school, including staff, gave their contribution to make the event as successful as possible. Each form produced a room where a certain activity took place, one of the highlights of which was the "Horror Room" which was a very successful in raising a few hairs on the backs of necks. Other rooms and events included replications of cafes, ice cream parlours, stalls, and also Song & Dance event. A number of us took part by performing a song and dance which was enjoyed by all.
Each and every one of us had different experiences with our families and enjoyed aspects of Japanese lifestyles. For the protection of the dignity of one of our students, we will not mention names here, but there was one experience that would not be forgotten, "THE HOT SPA" (onsen)... done in traditional Japanese style...naked!!
Although at first it seemed as if our stay in Hokkaido would never end, it quickly passed us by. We were given a farewell party, where our host families were also invited, and the reality that we would soon be leaving set in.
After the ten days of school/home life, shopping and hot spa experiences, it was time for us to leave our home stay sisters. It was a sad good bye as knew it might be a long time before we would meet again, but at the same time there was joy at the fact that we had made life long friends.
Setting off to the busy bustling capital of Tokyo was the next stage of our journey. The experience of carrying our luggage up and down the escalators and onto the packed tubes proved more than difficult. Once we arrived into the town, where we were to be staying, we were greeted by an extreme fall of rain and had to make our way to the youth hostel.
Although we only spent a day and a half in Tokyo, we were able to have a taste of the crowded streets and the radical fashions, such places as Harajuku and Shinjuku. There was one street that sold electrical goods from top to bottom! (heaven for those who are into the gadgets). Being able to see many famous Tokyo sites made many of the images we often saw at home, come to life.
Finally it was time for us to leave Nihon ("Land of the Sun" i.e. Japan). It was Sayonara from the Our Lady's Girls (and teachers), and back to London!
Group photo on a rainy day
Helen Nguyen & Hoai-Linh Vu
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