A one-day excursion to Kyoto for international students took place on Sunday, December 9. The group of 40 students first visited Sichijo Kanshundo to experience making wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets). They learned the delicate process of making wagashi and then made their own products with the help of an instructor.
Next they went to Sanjusangen-do. They walked through the main hall, which is filled with 1001 statues of kannnon bodhisattva and listened earnestly to the explanation about the origin of Buddhist statues. The last visit for this trip was Fushimi Inari shrine. After visiting main shrine, they strolled around senbon torii where they could see a fantastic view of thousand of red shrine gates.
It was very cold day with light snow falling, but students enjoyed excursion very much as they deepened their knowledge of Kyoto's history and culture through hands-on experience and also developed good relationships with each other.