Tag Archives: City Theme Activities

An interactive experience in Abiko City

Ken with his host family

By Ken, Participant of session 3, from Norway

The day started off with our host families dropping us off at Kinrin Center. We were visited by Mr. Junichiro Hoshino, the mayor of Abiko City! We were taught about Abiko city’s culture and history, like its famous bird museum, literary masters, Tone River, and its annual fireworks festival! We were even visited by the town’s mascot: Unakichi-San. Much of the history of Abiko City is actually represented in Unakichi-San! He is an old gentleman, referring to the old literary masters in Abiko, and an eel, an allusion to how eel caught in Tone River was considered to be the best, fetching the most handsome price.

Later on, we were able to experience traditional Japanese street performances firsthand, everything including the refined and elegant “kappore” (かっぽれ), to the mesmerizing and grand “Nankin Tamasudare” (南京玉すだれ), an art that is said to have been developed during the Edo Period (1603-1867), rooted in Buddhist tradition. “Nankin Tamasudare” uses loosely woven bamboo sticks to create extraordinary shapes by twisting, folding and extending the sticks to create interesting shapes! After the performance, we were even taught how to use the sticks, finishing with us trying to do the performance too.

Lastly, we learned how to create Mickey Mouse through Balloon Art! I personally struggled with the balloons, as they kept popping haphazardly, scaring me half to death, however, everyone eventually managed to successfully build it, resulting in a satisfying conclusion.

It’s definitely an experience that I, along with the host families and WCI, will remember!

Oyama Hike, Shrine Visit, and City Hall Seminars 2023

Henry Carries the Pilgrims' Wooden Blade
Henry Carries the Pilgrims’ Wooden Blade

By Henry, Participant of Session 2, from Norway

Today might be one of the most exciting and tiring days so far in session 2. It started off with us visiting the most known part of Isehara, Mt. Oyama. I decided to make the smart choice and take the cable car to the shrine we were visiting, Oyama Afuri, rather than taking the 45-minute hike up the mountain in the 30+ degree weather (While we were waiting for the ones who chose to hike, we got ice cream, but we were told to keep that a secret to prevent them from getting jealous, so shhh). At the shrine, we got to experience a Shinto ceremony, and we learnt a lot about Shintoism and the history of the shrines on Mt. Oyama. For lunch we stopped at a ryokan not too far from the Oyama cable car, where we got served tofu prepared in a vast variety of ways. I’m not usually a massive fan of tofu, but the expertise and variety made the dish an experience, and a delicious one at that.

Discussions with the City Hall Officers
Discussions with the City Hall Officers

After our excursion to Oyama, we went to city hall, where we met with city officials. Together we watched two of our counsellors give presentations on the livability of cities in the Netherlands and Joensuu, a city in Finland. The most interesting part of the visit however, was after the presentations, when we got split into groups and got to properly introduce ourselves to some of the city officials. We were all a bit shy at first, but quickly opened up to each other, before we all shared what our favorite aspect of our own cities were. We participants got to learn about Isehara, and the city officials got ideas on how to improve the livability of a city from all around the world.

At the end of the day, we got to try out replicas of samurai armor. This was the highlight of the day in my opinion. With a katana being part of the outfit, we got some absolutely amazing photos, and some great laughs with friends as we did cool and silly poses. It was a chill and fun way to cap off a great first activity day in a new city.

Ninja Experience 2023

By Lizzie, Participant of Session 1,2, and 3, from USA

This week we did a ninja experience in Akame. Akame was historically the place for Iga Ninjas to train. For that reason, there’s a place for tourists to experience ninja training. We each chose our own ninja uniform and set off for training.

Each activity imitated the skills needed to break into a fortress or attack an enemy. For example, we started with the wall climb. Though some of us may have gracefully jumped over the 3 increasingly tall walls, I certainly did not. Afterwards we did an activity where we balanced our bodies horizontally on a rope and pulled ourselves along. Being smaller definitely helped with this activity.

Then we moved onto skills for attacking enemies: shuriken throwing and blowdart blowing. Though none of us had the accuracy of a ninja, it was easy enough for most to hit the board. It was quite satisfying to hit the target.

Last was the infamous river crossing. I had heard a lot about this activity and how hard it was, but for some reason believed I would be successful. To complete the activity, you needed to balance your feet on two round floats and pull yourself to the other side with a rope. I was very much humbled when I couldn’t even get on the floats without falling into the river. In the end only one person was able to make it across. Even with our failure, we each received a scroll confirming us as ninjas.

We spent the remainder of the day enjoying the nearby beautiful Akame 48 falls. This day was a fan-favorite among the group members.

Cute Kids, Zen, and Potluck Party

By Anam, participant of Session 1&2&3, from USA

Anam Preparing for Presentation at Elementary School

Today we visited the elementary school students of Muroo, Nara. The children of this quaint town had so much energy! First, we greeted them with presentations of our home countries. Then, the students introduced us to the festival of Tanabata through a fun trivia game. Afterwards, we divided into groups and helped them put their wishes on a bamboo tree. Some of us had to pick up the students so they could reach the branches. My group was full of eager eyed sixth graders.

The participants followed their respective groups into their classroom to see what their everyday school day was like. The sixth graders I was with were starting their English class; they were a bit shy at first but one by one they began to introduce themselves – granted the first introduction was done through an intense game of “Rock Paper Scissors”. I recall one student practically jumping out of his seat ready to introduce himself as soon as he saw the others doing so. When they were less tense, we began a game of Charades. To practice their English, they wrote the names of the animals in English only. I will never forget one of the counselors acting like a monkey for them and how much they warmed up afterwards. We had lunch together – a meal of rice, miso soup, beans, potatoes with meat, and a carton of milk. I felt like I was back at my first day of school again. After lunch, we headed downstairs for a very invigorating game of dodgeball.

With an intense school day coming to a conclusion, we bid farewell to the students and made our way to Renshoji temple. The temple was originally constructed in 1650 A.D, but was moved to Muroo about 100 years ago. The 19th generation priest led us to first properly greet the Buddha statue by saying a quick prayer and bowing. Then, he led us to a traditional tatami room where we sat on beautiful, red silken cushions. He taught us the proper meditation position before guiding us into Zen Meditation. Personally, I enjoyed this aspect. I could feel the breeze coming from the open slide doors and felt my breath a lot more. The priest came around and lightly hit everyone in the back with a stick six times. He explained three reasons for this: motivation, fixing our posture, or for no reason at all. It was up to us to reflect upon why he did so. Towards the end, however, I began to feel my feet go numb. I was quite relieved when the priest rang the bell twice so I could relax. We discussed the purpose of this special meditation and how it led us to enlightenment over wheat tea and cinnamon snacks. Wrapping up the session, we thanked the priest for allowing us into the temple and I was one of the lucky few who got to ring the large bell outside. Bowing goodbye, we headed to the Shinko Center.

At the Shinko Center, we had our wrap up meeting. I began to feel emotional, as this was the end of Session 1. Our host families hosted a lovely potluck for us as a way for us to spend our last time as a group together. My host mother, who was also head of Muroo’s LOC, explained that the reason we had these potlucks was due to how small Uda is. There are no grocery stores, restaurants, or any large businesses nearby. It was a good way for everyone in the city to bond. I understood this feeling, as I was able to bond with some of the other host families and other participants. The potluck was a wonderful way to end the first session and yet I felt so teary eyed knowing I would have to say goodbye to some amazing people.

Middle and High School Visit in Isa City

By Asbjørn Kallestad, participant of Session 1&2, from Norway

Asbjørn learning Origami from the students 2

Today we visited Okuchi Meiko Gakuen School a middle and high school. We first gathered in the school gymnasium with all the students and teachers, and we had a presentation about our home countries. Following this gathering, we were divided into smaller groups to have lunch, and do a variety of activities together. I was in a group led by a student aspiring to become an English teacher. We connected well and had conversations about ourselves and our goals as we moved between gathering rooms during this day.

In the first classroom, we were split into different tables with students. The students at my table were initially a bit shy; However, they gradually opened up, and we connected and enjoyed lunch together. The wonderful grandmother of my host family had prepared a delicious traditional Japanese meal for me, which I appreciated highly. Next, we had the chance to experience the art of Japanese Origami. I was taught the art by a skilled an enthusiastic high school student who aspired to teach abroad and to improve her English. She patiently demonstrated how to fold various types of origami, and I successfully made a swan, a jumping frog, and a balloon. As a memento, we exchanged signed swans at the end.

The following tea ceremony was for me an unforgettable experience. We entered a traditional Japanese room where beautiful music was played on the Koto, a Japanese instrument. Behind the student musicians was a lovely garden that could be seen through the window of the room. The atmosphere I experienced here was unparalleled. We sat down and observed the tea ceremony while the students in detail explained the entire tea-making process. Afterward, we had the opportunity to taste the matcha tea the students had prepared. From my experience the matcha tea had a unique flavour and I thought it tasted so good, leaving me with a wish to experience a tea ceremony again.

The entire event felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The whole school participated, and they genuinely showed interest in sharing their crafts with us. Engaging in various activities was incredibly exciting, and I learned a lot throughout the day. When we left the school, all the students gathered and waved goodbye to us; it almost felt like being a celebrity ^^ They took excellent care of us, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Later that day, we got to learn more origami, fill a Tanabata tree with wishes, and fold hats. The teacher who guided us was incredibly kind and patient when showing us the different steps of the craft. On our way out, a lady partaking in the event approached me and gave me a hat she had made, which was incredibly kind of her.

This day left me with unforgettable memories and experiences. I am very grateful that I was allowed to be part of this cultural exchange experience.