Osaka, Japan

The school organized a “Osaka-Shikoku Environmental Conservation and Cultural Deep Learning Tour” from March 13-18. The itinerary was very rich, including: Visiting “Panasonic Eco Technology Center” to learn about electronic appliance recycling and processing procedures；Touring the Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center, a zero-waste town that sorts recyclables into 45 categories with a recycling rate exceeding 80%；Visiting the Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum to experience the power of earthquakes and understand their impact on Japanese people. Cultural activities such as tea ceremony experience and handmade udon noodle making. 

Most notably, students had the precious opportunity to stay with local host families, cooking together and experiencing farming, allowing them to truly experience local culture. The scenes of students and host families exchanging gifts and embracing each other during farewell were particularly touching.

During the six-day, five-night trip, students gained valuable insights and developed a deeper understanding of Japanese history and conservation culture. There is a Japanese tea ceremony saying – “Ichigo Ichie” (一期一會), meaning “one time, one meeting” – this exchange program was indeed a precious encounter, and it was wonderful to see students cherishing and fully engaging throughout the entire program.