This Sunday 30 June, 31 Hills Grammar Japanese students (pictured above - absent Lavan Murali and James Bian) and 3 teachers are taking off bound for magnificent Japan! Eight students are joining us for the second time so we have some new adventures waiting for them as well as all the must dos. From the hustle of Tokyo to traditional Kyoto we move onto the beautiful nature in Shikoku then to Hiroshima and our Sister School (Takeda) visit and homestay program. The students are very excited about the last stop, which is where they will meet friends they have already made as well as new ones and their host families. We are also excited to be meeting up with Emma Zou who is on a short-term exchange for 4 weeks at Takeda High. Other highlights of the tour include a visit to the teamLab Borderless exhibition at the Mori Digital Art museum following a visit to the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. We will be travelling to the island of Shikoku to go rafting amongst some of the most scenic nature that Japan has to offer. Taste buds will be stimulated at the Udon and Okonomiyaki cooking classes. Students will be taken back in history as they visit the Hiroshima A-bomb museum and listen to a survivor talk. The older students who have previously visited the museum will be taken to Hiroshima University where they will have the opportunity to engage with Japanese university students who are former students of our Sister School. This will be a great opportunity for them to see what courses are offered at a Japanese university and get a taste of campus life.
Students have been busily preparing for the tour by attending lunchtime preparation sessions covering travel tips, cultural etiquette and expectations. Some of the experienced tour participants in Year 10 have been doing a wonderful job running some of the sessions and giving their own advice. The students have also been working collaboratively on their Australian cultural presentations for our Sister School students and staff. These include presentations on Cricket, Sweet and Savoury Food, Aboriginal Art, AFL, Aussie slang and Australian Animals. Students have started communicating with their hosts and using their Japanese skills to chat with them via emails and texts.
Thank you to the parents and the School for supporting the Languages Department with all our tours and programs.
Keep an eye out for our stories in the newsletter when we return from Hills Grammar School's sixth Japan Tour.
Belinda Gerometta | Head of Languages/Japanese Teacher
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