Japanese Exchange with Keio: From School Days to Sightseeing

Our four Keio scholars took part in the return leg of the Japanese Exchange over February half term, spending several days going to Japanese school and lessons, alongside a variety of excursions and fabulous experiences.

From Year 10, Campbell, Kay and Thibault, along with Ash from Year 13, delivered introductory presentations in Japanese to the exchange school’s staff room as well as participating in many activities. The very first activity was a tour of the school and a chance to admire its beautiful view of the snow-capped Mount Fuji. Our students had a chance to try out Japanese calligraphy, experience their exchange partners’ lessons - such as Maths, history and geography, as well as developing their Japanese conversational skills.

The first school day involved a tea ceremony with our students dressed in yukata, traditional dress. They enjoyed learning about the official procedures in such a ceremony and afterwards had a chance to make their own matcha tea with traditional materials. This certainly helped with the nine hour jet lag!

Matcha tea continued into the following day when the group went to Kamakura and more specifically to the Hokokuji temple and its bamboo forest. They had front row seats to the bamboo forest, provided with a cup of freshly made matcha tea with some small sweet treats, to sweeten the tea.

Walking through Kamakura in the winter sun and towards the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, we were lucky enough to experience a Shinto wedding ceremony taking place.

Soon after we walked down Komachi Street, full of street food and souvenir shops. Plenty of time to peruse the wares! We had already enjoyed a delicious meal with local specialities, such as shirasu, and unagi - Japanese eel.

Another highlight was a joint day trip with their partners to Asakusa, older Tokyo, with the Sensō-ji temple. We checked out our fortunes (omikuji) with the fortune-teller. Not all of them were positive - so the negatives were firmly tied onto the thin metal bars outside the temple. All our fortunes turned for the better - as we had a hands-on okonomiyaki session in a local restaurant, which was both educational and delicious! This was quickly followed by a painting session with small kimekomi boxes out of Paulownia wood at Hakochō. Finally we walked over to the Tokyo Sky Tree, which is 643 metres high. We ascended it in no time at all reaching the 450 metres high gallery. The view of Tokyo and the mountains on the horizon were breathtaking. We all felt a wobble - was it the wind swaying the tower or our jet-lag?

The final departure day came much too fast and there were tears at the airport. Close friendships had been forged between the families in the UK and Japan with the promise that these connections would stay for many years to come. The students came to the conclusion that through the exchange they had learned so much more about their partners’ day-to-day lives than any trip could offer. Having the locals showing you round, telling you about their traditions and ways of life, was so special and unique. The students found they had many things in common and many were planning to return one day.

Year 10 student Campbell said: “This exchange was a truly life changing experience and an incredible honour to be able to participate. This exchange allowed me to witness brand new aspects of Japanese culture I could have never imagined and gave me experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. Getting to experience school life was fascinating and spending an evening on the black sand beach of Enoshima was magical.”

Year 13 student Ash said: “The exchange was a completely new experience for me. I was a bit nervous being so far from home but in the end I enjoyed myself enough to forget about my worries. Not only did we get to experience life in school, but we also got to spend time being a tourist and having fun. My favourite part of this trip was definitely spending the afternoon on the beach of Enoshima with all the other exchange students. In the end, we all left with not only better language skills, but also lifelong friends and memories.”

Year 10 student Thibault said: “The Japanese exchange was an unbelievable opportunity. From learning about their culture, trying new foods, speaking Japanese and meeting new people. Every aspect of the trip was amazing, even the long train journeys. Showing them around Cambridge was also a great memory knowing they experienced it with me. Finally I’ve made a friend for life and will look forward to meeting them again in the future.”

Year 10 student Kay said: “My favourite part of the exchange programme was when our exchange partners took us to a beach near Enoshima during sunset. There, I was able to take many beautiful pictures of Mt. Fuji and set off fireworks at night. We did a lot of sightseeing in Tokyo, as well as Kamakura and it was a really nice experience. I enjoyed taking classes in Japan as I was able to meet new people and get more insight on the culture there. By going on this exchange, I was able to make a lot of new friends and I made memories that I know will last a lifetime.”