This spring break, nine Japanese students, along with Mr. James Wyatt and Ms. Martha Bassett, went to experience Japan first-hand. Leaving Vancouver on March 16^th, the group spent eleven days in Japan where they were exposed to the Japanese culture, history, and of course, food. The group spent their first five days in Tokyo and the next six in Kyoto.

In Tokyo, the group visited several religious establishments such as the Meiji Shrine, the Daibutsu big Buddha, and the Hasedera temple. The students were also taken to Sengakuji, the resting place of the forty-seven Ronins, whom they had learned about in Japanese class. They also visited the Shibuya station where the famous story of a faithful dog named Hachiko originated. Apart from visiting famous landmarks, the group also went shopping at Shinjuku Takashimaya Times Square. During their time there, the group often spent time walking around the city in the evening before returning to the youth hostel.

After their tour of Tokyo, the group flew over to Kyoto to spend the remaining portion of the trip. While there, they visited important tourist destinations such as Ryoanji Temple, Kiyomizudera Temple, and Osaka Castle. In addition, the group also visited Ritsumeikan Moriyama High School to be exposed to Japanese education. Finally, the Osaka portion ended with group going shopping in the Namba district.

It was a memorable experience for all the students. They loved the refreshingly different lifestyle, landscape, and ideals of Japan. George Pan, a grade 10 student who is a big fan of anime and Japanese culture, said, “It was an extraordinary experience for me and I’m sure for others as well. I was surprised to see how eco-friendly, polite, and focused the Japanese people were. As I was in China before traveling to Japan, I was astonished to see how clean the Japanese cities were; it was hard to spot any litter of cigarettes on the ground.” Regarding the visit to the Ritsumeikan Moriyama High School, he claimed that“It was a unique and exciting experience to visit a co-ed high school and see some distinct Japanese clubs such as the Tea Club.”

The Japan trip was a great opportunity for students to go abroad for Spring Break as well as a chance for them to broaden their perspectives of the world.