Samo student’s learning blossomed in Japan

On Thursday, March 30 the seniors in Samo’s Japanese language program left for their two-week trip to Japan. Over the course of the trip, Samo’s seniors immersed themselves in Japanese culture by visiting shrines, trying traditional foods and participating in a homestay in Fujinomiya, Santa Monica’s sister city. 

The trip was filled with many opportunities for bonding and learning. Students were allowed to choose their own roommates and were assigned larger groups, called hans, to explore with. They visited Nara Park which is South of Kyoto and a sanctuary for Japan's sacred deer.  They also spent time in Buddhist temples including the Joruri-ji Temple and Jurin-ji Temple in Kizugawa and Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. At Jurin-ji, students first helped with cleaning the temple and participated in a Buddhist service called Seiza Nembutsu, learning why and how stone gravel gardens are kept. 

“Going to different cities like Kyoto, Osaka, Fujinomiya, and Tokyo and trying different foods and experiencing different cultures with my friends. I also got a lot closer to all of the people on the trip,” said Seila Phipps (’23).

For the three days of the trip, students participated in homestays with families in Fujinomiya. For this portion, Samo students stayed with Japanese families and explored their towns. Isana Ryan (’23) especially enjoyed her time with her host family. 

“My favorite part was staying with my host family because it helped me with my Japanese and I got to meet incredible people. And they made really good food,” said Ryan. 

Overall, the trip served as a great bonding experience for the students. Students also bonded while shopping at Pokemon Centers and playing video games together in their hotel rooms. A highlight for many of the seniors was their newfound love for Japanese convenience stores known as conbini. After returning from the trip, Ryan bought the ingredients for her favorite meal that her host family introduced her to.
“Students were together almost 24/7 during the trip. Depending on the hotel, there were times when students and adults saw each other brushing their teeth in the morning. Students also felt comfortable enough to walk around in their pajamas in the halls. We often ate together and spent lots of time on the buses and trains together, too,” said Japanese teacher Emily Kariya.