A one-day excursion to Kyoto for international students was held on Sunday, October 16, to offer an opportunity for students to deepen their knowledge of Japanese history and culture, and to develop their relationships with each other.

 The group of 38 students first visited Tenryu-ji Temple, a World Heritage site, and viewed the garden's beautiful landscape, the design of which incorporates Arashiyama mountain into its composition as "shakkei" or borrowed scenery.

 Then they walked through the path in the bamboo grove and took in the scent of bamboo as they felt rays of sunshine coming through the bamboo trees.

 The last activity was making "nerikiri", one of the Japanese traditional sweets (wagashi) served at tea ceremony. A delicate technique is required for making wagashi and students struggled to make them well, but enjoyed creating their own handmade versions.

 The excursion ended successfully as students said "It was a very good opportunity to learn about Kyoto's old history." "I could feel traditional Japanese culture through the garden scenery and making Japanese sweets."