A one-day excursion to Kyoto for international students was held on Sunday, October 22, to offer an opportunity for students to deepen their knowledge of Japanese history and culture, and to strengthen ties within the international community.

 The group of 41 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 traditional art, "maki-e", which has been popular since the middle of the Heian Period and is the technique of drawing a pattern with gold powder on lacquerware. All the students listened to the instructor's directions with eagerness and worked hard on making it.

 Thanks to the good weather, the students had a lot of fun on the trip. Some students' comments were, "Not only did I learn about Kyoto's history and culture, but I also made new friends", and "The Arashiyama bamboo grove and maki-e making experience were unforgettable". The excursion ended successfully as students were able to expand their knowledge of Japanese history and culture through hands-on experience together.