After farewell to the host family, We left Tokyo to Niigata. We shared the precious memory of a fun homestay and the feeling of expectation for the first snow in the bus.
After the Kanetsu tunnel, the snowy landscape showed up.The beautiful scenery took our breath away.
In Niigata, the local high school students came to meet us. We shared our own culture and the problems what we have each other.
In the evening we walked around the snow. We enjoyed the snow by throwing the snow balls each other and drinking the water from the melting snow.For dinner we ate local cuisines and self-made miso-soup and rice, After the dinner, we went out again and tried to make snow-candles. All of us made our original snow candles.
The day 9th is a discussion day. In the morning, A guest lecturer specialized in marine resource provided a case report on corals in Okinawa area heavily damaged by developments.
Spending lunch time in parks close to the hostel, students enjoyed warm spring breeze together with cheery blossoms, students started the final discussion session; to talk about what they learned, acquired, and thought in past 8 days in Japan.
Spread into three groups, they talked enthusiastically about environment, trash, food, climate, water, life style and others. The conversation continued after dinner time till very late. Only two more nights left in Japan…..
From tomorrow night, students from Yap will stay in an ex-dormitory of Shiozawa Junior High School. For that sake, volunteers are preparing sheets for sleeping bags.
Students are having a reflection session at the Youth Hostel. After finishing quite busy schedule, students exchange opinions over what they felt today.
Finally, the team arrived to Japan! At 10:20 a.m., the students and chaperons from Yap showed up to the arrival gate of Narita airport on 20th, March. Some were wearing “nunu,” or flower wreathes on their heads. Despite departing Yap in midnight, they looked excited and energetic. They are now on the bus to central Tokyo.