A one-day excursion to Nara took place on Sunday, November 20 for international students to get to know each other, experience traditional Japanese culture, and learn about the history of Japan.
The group of thirty-five students first visited Kasuga Shrine, one of the best Shinto shrines in Japan which features vermilion-colored pillars and an astounding 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns. They next walked around Naramachi, where several traditional residential buildings and warehouses have been preserved, and visited at Gangoji Temple.
Then at lunch they had "Wazen Tamayura" at Hiraso, and enjoyed eating Kakinoha Zushi, a traditional meal in Nara.
The last visit for this trip was to Horyuji Temple, the headquarters of the Shotoku sect of Buddhism, which is associated with Prince Shotoku.
Through this excursion, they deepened their knowledge of Japanese culture and history, and also developed good relationships with each other. The outing was valuable and successful, as seen from comments by the students that they were impressed with Japanese traditional culture.