Following the Japanese students’ visit to Linz in October, the Austrian students travelled to Japan this May for an unforgettable two weeks. 30 students in total took part, not only from class 5L and class 5M, but also from the Kepler and ELLA fifth classes, together representing Europagymnasium Auhof.
The trip began with a very long, but worthwhile journey, firstly to Osaka, where we spent the day. That evening we drove to Kyoto, where we would be staying for the next few days, followed by two more days in Tokyo. The week had a packed itinerary, with visits to various temples, shrines and famous places. This included the renowned Golden Temple near Kyoto, Nara Deer Park and Shibuya Crossing. All the while, we were accompanied by a tour guide, who taught us about Japanese culture, history and much more. During our stay, we also got to experience a variety of Japanese traditions, such as visiting temples and shrines, or trying local foods. One of the most fun parts for us was the free time we had to explore the area in small groups. The whole experience of being so far from Austria and in such vibrant, large cities was incredible for us, and the fact that we were able to experience this with our friends only made it better.
However, the most special part of the trip was the stay with host families in the city of Nasushiobara, the actual exchange. It was amazing to see our host partners again after months as they welcomed us into their families for an unforgettable experience. As part of the exchange program, we attended school where we firstly held presentations to briefly introduce Austrian culture. We had a chance to experience Japanese school life with our host students and their friends, seeing how it compared to our school in Austria. The weekend was spent with our host families; many of us went on short day trips, experienced traditional Japanese fireworks or learned how to cook Japanese foods such as gyoza. Even though at times it was hard to understand each other, we all found ways to communicate through actions, translators, as well as teaching each other new words and phrases.
Apart from the obvious incredible opportunity to go to a foreign country and be immersed in its culture, these two weeks also provided a chance for the Europagymnasium students to get to know each other better. Oftentimes in school, the LISA, Kepler and ELLA branches are rather separated, but through this exchange, we had an opportunity to spend more time together. We not only made incredible new friends and connections with students from Japan, but also amongst ourselves.
So we’d like to thank all of the teachers and organizers involved for making this incredible experience possible for us and many others.
Luna Calo, class 5L
