Exploring Japan: Week 3 recap

Hello from Japan!　こんにちは！！

 In week 3, we could see much progress in terms of language. Many students could get out of their comfort zone and are more eager to speak in Japanese to local people or even to other students!

Week 3 started with the Nikko overnight trip. We went to Nikko Toushou-Gu (日光東照宮) which is a temple that is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) who is the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. We could see beautiful architecture which interested students in the shrine's history.  Since we focused on food in week 3, we got to experience a matcha tea ceremony and got a chance to make a wagashi (和菓子). According to the students, Matcha tasted different from what they have in the United States, but they enjoyed the rare experience there.  We also went to China town where most restaurants serve Chinese dishes that suit Japanese people's palate. We could feel a unique blend of Chinese and Japanese elements which students find interesting and led to more learning. 

We only have a week until session 1 ends, but keep following our blogs!