2009 Japanese Language Program for High School Students - Australian students return home!
Every year the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai invites outstanding students of Japanese from around the world to participate in a 15-day program in Japan. During their stay, students follow a busy schedule and have the chance to participate in a variety of educational and cultural activities.
In the 2009 Program (1 July - 15 July), three lucky Australian high school students participated. It is clear from their impressions and photo's they thouorghly enjoyed the experience! Information about the 2010 Program will be dispersed through state/territory educational authorities.(Candidates from Australia are rotated on a state or territory basis each year due to the limited number of positions)
Student's Impressions
The Japan trip was absolutely amazing! The people, the living and the food there was absolutely great! I made a lot of good friends from all around the world and the teachers in Kansai Centre were all funny and supportive. During the two weeks in Japan, we went to see a lot of famous attractions and we had a chance to go on Nozomi (the newest bullet train). My favourite place was the GHIBLI museum in tokyo and the Osaka Aquarium. We also did a lot of Japanese traditional activities such as wearing Yukata, karate and flower arranging etc. The shopping in Japan was really awesome too. It was great being able to speak Japanese everyday and practise my Japanese. These two weeks will be my most memorable experience. I really miss all the people I met there and I hope to visit Japan again. For anyone who loves Japan they should definitely try applying for this scholarship
Angela Chen, Mansfield State High School, Brisbane QLD
I had such a great time in Japan. It was truly an exciting cultural experience. During my stay at the Kansai Language Centre I made many new friends from around the world. At the centre we participated in classes and cultural activities. The cultural activities included dressing up in yukatas, Japanese drumming and joining the neighbours to celebrate the Star Festival. In the free time we walked around the neighbourhood, to the beach and went shopping. Towards the end of the stay we went on a four day trip to Kyoto, Hiroshima and Tokyo. We visited many places including the Tokyo Tower, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Ghibli Museum and various temples.
The 2009 Japanese language program was a great experience that I will never forget. Thank you very much for this opportunity!
Khanh Nguyen, Glenunga International High School, Glenunga SA
