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Student Experience
Students introduce their own event experiences.
Skiing was the best!
Ming Zhe Yang (China)
I had a great time on the 4-day, 3-night ski trip. Thinking about it now, I can only remember all these great things, like the hot springs. As we drove up the mountain on the first night, I could see the lights of the town blinking like fireflies from the windows of the bus. Even thought it was my first time, I gained courage from that beauty and felt that I could ski down from the highest point of the mountain. I’ll never forget that memory as long as I live.
Even though it was my first time, I improved quickly. Of course, the instructors and sempai were really good. I challenged things without fear. On top of that, I got to stay with my friends from school and go in the hot springs and eat together, so it was really fun.
Camp Memories
Chong Ai Lam (Malaysia)
We went to the Izu campground for three days and two nights. It’d been a long time since I’d been camping. It made me remember all the times I went camping as a little child. I made a lot of friends from different countries on the trip, and we didn’t speak anything other than Japanese with each other.
We had to prepare our meals together during the stay. At first, everyone thought this was a pain in the neck, but once we started, everyone was helping each other and it was fun. It was fun talking to everyone as we cooked. Doing things like that, I forgot how tired I was. Thanks to everyone, we had great meals. Pancakes in the morning, flowing soumen noodles for lunch, and barbeque for dinner. It was so delicious!
Other than that, we did a bunch of different activities. For example, volleyball, going to the river, going in the hot springs, and playing games. Through all these activities, we really got to know each other. Time flies when you’re having fun. This was a fun event and a great experience. I’m glad I participated. I definitely want to go the next time there’s another camping trip.
First Time To Mt. Fuji
King Man Chan (Hong Kong)
When it comes to Japanese icons, Mt. Fuji is probably the most famous. When I watched TV programs about Japan back at home, they always showed Mt. Fuji. I think it’s a beautiful mountain. Mt. Fuji is especially pretty when it’s covered in snow. I have always wanted to climb Mt. Fuji someday, so as soon as I saw the poster for the Mt. Fuji bus tour, I immediately signed up.
The day of the tour, the weather was great. Everyone took a sightseeing bus to Mt. Fuji. On the way, the teachers played games with us, we took pictures of the scenery, and before we knew it, we were there. This tour didn’t go to the top, just to the 5th station, but the view from the 5th station was really pretty. It felt great to stand under the bright blue sky and breathe in the fresh air. Being surrounded by all that greenery, my stress disappeared entirely for the first time since I’d come to Japan. Seeing the vast expanse stretching out before me, I felt so small.
After that, we left Mt. Fuji and went to Kofu. “Houtou” is the famous regional food. I was really happy that we were able to try it there. Once we ate the delicious houtou, we moved on to the next stop: Shousenkyou. There are lots of peculiarly-shaped boulders there. Not only that, but the area is full of trees and waterfalls and nature that you don’t see every day. The interesting thing is that there are coins embedded in the rock wall. These are probably prayer offerings that people have left to the gods.
After that, was the part of the trip we’d all been looking forward to: all-you-can-eat grapes. While chatting with friends, we cut grapes straight from the vines and ate them. But isn’t that problematic for the owners, us eating so much like that? We ate a surprising amount.
Even thought we couldn’t go to the top of Mt. Fuji, this tour was a lot of fun. By participating, I really came to understand the beauty of Mt. Fuji. If I go to Mt. Fuji again, I definitely want to climb to the top.
