A one-day excursion to Kyoto for international students was held on Sunday, October 20, 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 40 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 "Fruit Daifuku", a traditional Japanese confectionary (wagashi). The students tried the unique process of kneading and rolling the dough for daifuku, and each of them made their own handmade wagashi, putting their own creative ideas into them.

 Thanks to the good weather, the students had a lot of fun on the trip. Some students' comments were, "I learned about Kyoto's history and culture and was able to experience the scenery," "I experienced how traditional and modern architecture blend together, and how nature and civilization are in harmony," "I understand how much value the Japanese place on nature," and "Above all, it was great to be able to interact with other international students."