Below are some of the highlights of the day. We’re looking forward to hosting the same event this year on 26th June, 2012. If you’re interested in attending, please get in touch with us and become an OIA member!

Video of the day

Receiving a tour of Okazaki City Hall

In the City Council Chamber: Say Cheese!

On the bus to Okazaki Park

Inside the Hatcho Miso Factory. Rocks apply pressure to fermenting miso

Look at the size of these containers! You can fit several people inside!

Tasting time! Hatcho Miso and Devil’s Tongue (Konnyaku)

Posing with a member of the Great Iyeyasu ‘Aoi’ Samurai Entertainment Squad

Trip organiser Uchida-sensei and supporter Julian

International Exchange inside the Mikawa Bushi and Iyeyasu Museum

More members of the Samurai Entertainment Squad. They are quite popular with the ladies!

Participants enjoyed speaking a mixture of English and Japanese throughout the day

At the Okazaki Mindscape Museum. A very peaceful atmosphere

Group shot!

Rounding up the day with dinner and festivities in the evening

If you’d like to read more about the day, including short essays from the students please check out the OIA bi-annual magazine ‘Globe’, issue number 48. It’s available free to read online here.

Alas, the weather was not on our side, and heavy rain poured all the way as the bus rolled up the mountain to the starting point. Participants were undeterred however, and the 40 minute bus ride to the starting point went by in a flash of animated chatter.

Dividing into smaller walking groups, everyone unfolded their umbrellas and headed outside. The rain was cool and refreshing in the autumn air, and the forest canopy provided some extra shelter against the elements. Participants spoke cheerfully to one-another about their hobbies and interests, as well as the trials faced learning a foreign language.

But even as everyone pushed on, it was clear that the weather was getting worse. Rain splashed down harder and harder, and the river flowing down the mountain started to surge powerfully. So it was reluctantly that we decided to change the itinerary and visit instead the World Children’s Art Museum in Okazaki.

Once inside the museum, everyone was happy to dry off and have a relaxing lunch. It turned out that the museum was having a temporary exhibition featuring deep sea creatures made of foam and other materials that are usually thrown out as rubbish.

There was even the opportunity to create your own sea creature using foam pieces. The exhibition was a big hit, with both young and old alike joining in the fun.

Perhaps though our next trip might see more favourable weather! Everyone agreed that it would have been a lovely walk up the mountain together if the sun had been shining, but it was fun to see a rather different side of nature and the red and orange autumn leaves were breathtaking. Definitely the place to come when they begin to change colour!

If you are interested in taking part in future OIA events, please feel free to get in touch with us at kokusai@oia1.jp, or alternatively visit us at Okazaki City Hall. Until next time!

Okazaki International Association was established in order to promote internationalisation through various types of activities. These include holding foreign language classes, seminars to promote international understanding, sister city exchange programmes, and providing support for the international communities in Okazaki.

**The OIA English website is currently being translated.**

**Information Portal for Foreign Nationals in Okazaki.**

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