Our Time At Shinano Junior High School

From the 8th November to 15th October we have been in Seto City which is situated in Aichi Prefecture. We have been staying with host families and have enjoyed many activities at school. Some of the challenges that we have faced are living in an environment where English is not the first language, eating different and often interesting new food and being away from friends and family......an not having our cellphones has been another challenge however we have managed quite well without them:-) Below are some of the photos of our adventures at Shinano Junior High School. More to come......

Comments From Our Students

Konnichi wa! Japan is sooo cool and the weather is amazing! There are vending machines everywhere. I am having a great time, but it will be nice to come home. Miss you all! Honor

Japan is hot! I am enjoying my trip so far. I have really enjoyed the sightseeing! Parie

So far the trip is GREAT! I am loving it! It is so much hotter than NZ and it doesn’t have as many trees. The sights have been AWESOME! Ruby

Japan is amazing! I love it! It is boiling hot here. Yesterday I went on the Steel Dragon 2000 which is the best roller coaster in the world! It was fun! Valeria

Hi NZ! Japan is extremely hot! It looks exactly like NZ except a lot less plants and it is much more crowded. I love Japan but it will be nice to be home in a week. Henry King

It is so HOT! I have had heaps of fun visiting the temples, malls, zoo and theme park. Margaret-Rae

I love Japan and everything about it, apart from the extremely hot weather us Kiwis aren’t used to! Tyler

Japan is very hot and it is really fun visiting the places! Brooke

Hi NZ! Japan is GREAT!! Everything is so different – more people, more vending machines and a different language. Can’t wait to be home. Maddy

So far the most fun thing was the zoo because I met three hilarious Japanese kids and they taught me lots. There were also heaps of strange animals. Henry Babor

Hello people! Japan is really cool. I got stuck in a toilet cubicle today and had fun at the zoo! I love the weather! Bye. Nicholas James Knight Claypole

Hello peoplez! Japan is soooo fun. There is soooo much to do. At the moment Japan is really hot and the homestays are really nice and kind. Bye. Stella

Photos from our travels in Osaka and Kyoto

Konnichi wa! Below are some more photos of our time in Osaka followed by some photos from our travel in Kyoto. Kyoto is the "Old Capital" of Japan and is full of rich history! We were lucky enough to visit two of Japan's most famous tourist spots - The Golden Pavillion (Kinkakuji) and The Temple of Pure Water (Kiyomizu dera). The weather was perfect and we got to see Kinkakuji and Kiyomizu dera in all their glory:-)

Touch Down in the Land of the Rising Sun

At around 8:30am this morning we touched down at Kansai International Airport, Osaka Japan! Everyone was excited to step foot on land again after 11 and a half hours on board. A strong team of four teachers and 24 students from Balmoral Intermediate and Takapuna Normal Intermediate armed with digital cameras were eager to begin their adventures around Japan. We met our guide for our first leg of the trip at the airport. Mr Yoshi Harada, a very experienced tour guide, gave us a great intro from useful phrases to the history of the sights, and even threw in a few humorous jokes to keep us awake! First stop was Shin Osaka Youth Hostel where we all unloaded our luggage and changed into more comfortable travelling wear, as the temperature was a little warmer than expected. Then it was off for a bite to eat at Shin Osaka Station. With 1000yen in hand we all had the freedom to move around a few restaurants and order something that took our fancy. Some chose the safe option of the familiar hamburger but some ventured into unknown territory and tried a bit of the local cuisine.

After lunch we boarded our first train and ventured off towards Osaka Castle. Sporting our bright pink coloured hats we were easily spotted from all directions. So we were all thinking "castle" ok.....how big could it be? Answer: MASSIVE!!!!!!!!! This huge castle was built to keep enemies out and from what we could see today it sure would have served its purpose.
The gold trimmings were shimmering in the sunshine and made the photos we were taking even more beautiful:-)After the trip to the top and a few souvenirs in our backpacks it was off for a river cruise along the canal that runs through Osaka city. It was nice to chill out and relax for a bit while taking in some of the sights of the big city. Then it was to to get back on the train and head back towards our hostel. With almost no energy left in our tanks we were treated to an unexpected explanation from our tour guide about Kimono and how to tell if a woman is married or if she is on the "prowl." Very interesting!! As I am writing this post everyone (other than me) is tucked up in bed and no doubt already or nearly fast asleep. More photos and plenty of comments from the students coming up....Watch this space! Oyasuminasai:-)