2022.06.30 Thu

On May 21, 2022, 14 international students visited Kawagoe, an old city reminiscent of the Edo period and accessible within only a 30-minute train ride from the heart of Tokyo. This was the first of the day-trip series organized by the International Centre to give international students an opportunity to experience Japanese culture and natural beauty. The participating students enjoyed glassblowing and walking around the town of warehouses.

Group photo of the participants

<Glassblowing>

At a studio filled with heat-air coming from the furnace, the students tried glassblowing to make a glass work under the craftsman's guidance.

First, each of the students chose the shape and color of glass.

Next, they took melted glass on the long iron bar and blew into it repeatedly to make a shape of their choice.

A week later, the students received their finished works.

<Walking around the city and visiting Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine>

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine is famous for its inner shrine decorated with carvings, which is designated as an important cultural asset in Saitama Prefecture, and beautiful pinwheels hanging from the wind bell shelf. Despite the rain, the students enjoyed the solemn atmosphere of the site.

The fish-shaped "omikuji" oracle is unique to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. It was fun to catch one from a pool of oracles with a fishing rod!