A group of intrepid MLMC students enjoyed a trip of lifetime and put their language skills to the test these school holidays with a Study Tour to Japan. The experience was divided into two sections; the first week was spent exploring Tokyo and Hiroshima and in the second week the students were on a homestay with families from our sister school in Nara, the Horyuji International High School. MLMC has had a 24-year partnership with this school which has become an integral part of developing cultural understanding for our students. A group of students from this school visited MLMC in March this year.
In Tokyo, we visited Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku, as well as traditional sites including Meiji Shrine, Sensoji Temple and Imperial Palace East Gardens. In Hiroshima we visited the Atomic Bomb Dome and delivered our 1000 paper cranes to the Children's Peace Monument. In between we also visited a digital art museum (teamLab Borderless), Disneyland, Tokyo Skytree and went on a bullet train to Hiroshima, ferried out to Miyajima (an island off the coast of Hiroshima), played in gaming arcades, took photos in the purikura machines and had a great night of karaoke.
Some of the students reflect on the experience:
Tiarna Jackson (11 Gold):
Tokyo was breathtaking. It was so different from what I was expecting. A place that is full of lights and structures that all had a reason. We went to the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, Shibuya crossing. It was so cool to see so many people crossing from all directions and all together.
Ryan Finette (11 Silver):
Compared to Melbourne, there are so many things to do in Tokyo at night that are easily accessible. The buildings on either side of the main street were full of game centres and restaurants. We arrived at Disneyland at 9.00am and stayed until the park closes, at 10.00pm.
Kirsten Moerth (11 Bronze):
I loved Ikebukuro! I found the culture there very laid back and fun especially when it came to the arcades and cool restaurants. I saw many people casually wearing cosplay as everyday clothes and I thought that was awesome. I also really liked the shrines and temples.
Amie Edwards-Tesselaar (11 White):
My favourite part of the trip was in Tokyo. Other than the brilliant city lights everywhere we went along with the amazing food, a small group of students and teachers went to a Light Museum that was beyond fascinating.
Hayley Jackson (11 Bronze):
While we were at the temples and shrines in Hiroshima we got to see a couple of traditional weddings which was really cool. It was really interesting to see how Japanese schools are run and how they differ from Australian schools.
Riley Van Bockel (11 Orange):
Being able to attend the Hiroshima museum and see how the bomb affected millions of people’s lives was an eye-opening experience for everyone on the Study Tour and showed us how devastating it truly was.
Shelby Dewar (11 White):
Hiroshima was one of the most beautiful places, enriched with such history. I felt so many different emotions while I was here.
Alesha Gray (11 Red):
My host family was the Senga family — Sakura, my host sister, and Sayuri and Tatsuya, my host mother and father, who insisted that I was to call them okaasan and otousan. Although listening to Japanese teachers talk at what seemed to be the speed of lightning was enjoyable at the start, we quickly realised that we could not understand more than 10 words of what they were saying.
Joel Bogojevic (11 Blue):
I made a lot of good memories and I loved experiencing the Japanese culture with a family that I will dearly miss.
Amber Gosling (11 Red):
I loved learning about Japanese culture as well as experiencing how Japanese home life was during the homestay. I will always remember my kind, loving and welcoming host family, and the fun we all had together.
Ashley Herrod (11 Silver):
My host parents fed me fantastic food, takoyaki, gyoza and cakes for dessert! My host sister and friends went out everyday as they showed us around Kyoto and Osaka. At school we joined classes, sitting in to listen to their lessons and practise our Japanese speaking to other students that were not hosting.
