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On November 21-22, 2022, we held a study tour to Okayama Prefecture and 63 Maple Program students participated. On the first day of the trip, they visited Korakuen, which is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, and Okayama Castle. There, they enjoyed the autumn leaves at their peak. After the sightseeing, they stayed at a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan) for the night and were able to interact with students from many different countries.
On the second day, they first climbed up to Washuzan Observatory and saw the islands in the Seto Inland Sea and the Great Seto Bridge. Next, they went to the Kurashiki Bikan historical area, where they visited the Kurashiki Museum of Folk-Craft and other tourist facilities and enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the river.
In addition, the students were introduced to Japanese culture, such as Japanese-style rooms, cuisine, hot springs, and bathrobes (yukata), at the ryokan they stayed in. The two-day trip was a truly enriching experience for the students, who had the opportunity to better understand aspects of the Japanese culture that cannot be experienced in the classroom.

<Students’ Comments>
I was very happy with the trip. It was one of the most fun trips I have had in my life. I will always remember it.
The hotel experience was a highlight for me. It taught me about Japanese culture that I did not know about. It was an educative experience, but also a very enjoyable one. But I don’t want to say a favourite since I enjoyed every moment a lot.
I was very happy that everything was so well organised. Because of that, I could enjoy the experience without having to plan anything.
I think it was also good that the trip was held after a lot of people already had gotten to know each other. Therefore we could deepen friendships, and also make new friends. It was also good that the trip was held after we are more comfortable at speaking and understanding Japanese. Therefore it was more rewarding.