2014 Tour Information Evening will be held on Tuesday, October 22 from 5:30pm. Don't miss it!! For those of you, who don't know about our amazing trip to Hyogo, Hiroshima and the Kansai Region in April of this year, please scroll further down the blog to read the postings and find out what we were doing. What a great time we had! If you are interested in coming along in April next year, get along to our info session to learn more. You will also be entertained by a fascinating insight into the language and culture of the Kansai region by our two exchange teachers from Hyogo Prefecture. Fun for all! This is a free session with no obligation to join the tour. Although I have no doubt that you will be so inspired and excited that you will be wanting to sign on on the spot :)

Have you applied to take the 2013 Japanese Language Proficiency Test? Applications close on Sunday, October 6 so you had better get online if you have not registered yet! http://www.jpf.org.au/jlpt The Japanese Language Proficiency Test is an internationally recognised exam that gives you a certified assessment of your language skills. It is great to have this as additional support for your CV when applying for jobs or scholarships. The test is currently only available once per year in WA and this year it will be held on Sunday, December 1 at Perth Modern School. You must register by Oct 6 or you will have to wait until next year. Applications are only accepted online. Come and visit the Centre if you need some study materials or want to get an idea of the level you are best suited to take.

We did it!! Hyogo Friendship Garden is officially open!!

It was a very chilly morning, but the sun shone brightly and a wonderful crowd turned out to see the official opening of Hyogo Friendship Garden on Friday, May 31, 2013. The garden, which is located in the prestigious parliamentary precinct in front of Dumas House, is built in the traditional Japanese dry rock style, but using the modern influence of the unique Awaji clay tile. The whole landscape is designed to reflect Hyogo with the rings of tiles representative of the whirlpools near Awaji island. Premier Barnett spoke warmly at the opening and declared his great appreciation of Hyogo's garden gift, which was presented in reciprocation of the 4 gifted koalas from WA on the occasion of the 30th anniversary. Hyogo Prefecture's Vice Governor, Mr Yoshimoto, accompanied by 7 other delegation members from Hyogo, was very proud to officially present the garden to Western Australia. The garden is open to the public so please make sure you make time to go and see it soon!

Last day laughs

The atmosphere was a little low as we departed Kyoto and headed for Nara on the last day of our stay in Japan. We had experienced so much and had two fantastic weeks, but Clare had left us and Tony was planning to head off after Nara...the tour was definitely coming to a close. Nara was a little damp, but there were plenty of tourists and it is always worthwhile seeing the giant Buddha. Not to mention the deer, of course, who apparently love to eat all paper, including paper money. Beware of that if you ever have money in your pocket as those deer are not shy!! We had to laugh about the toilet instructions in Nara Park - bit late for those, who needed the information earlier on in the tour, but we also enjoyed the unfortunate spelling errors. From Nara we headed to Iga to visit the Ninja Museum and Iga Castle. Participants seemed to enjoy the Ninja House and museum although it was unfortunate that the show had been cancelled. From there we headed back to Osaka and the Stargate Hotel in Rinku Town. By then people were simply concerned with how they were going to pack all their goodies and get them home safely. A significant number of participants had already had to invest in a second, smaller suitcase!! There was a definite twinge of sadness, but also a feeling of contentment among participants that the tour had offered them so many more amazing Japanese experiences than they had initially imagined. In addition, a whole new group of solid friendships had been made. In fact, the 2013 Tour Team had made plans for a reunion before the last night had even drawn to a close. I shed a tear as we boarded the Airport courtesy bus the next morning and waved goodbye to many of our tour team, who were continuing on in their travels. Our first ever HPGCC Tour of Hyogo, Hiroshima, and the Kansai Region had been a wonderful success and I felt very proud of what we had achieved as a team. My sincere thanks to my new Tour Team friends - we shared the trip of a lifetime that I will never forget. To everyone in Hyogo Prefecture, who welcomed us so warmly at every single stage, we are eternally grateful. And a special thank you to my co-leader, Shingo Usami, who was an absolute champion and a great support.

Nishiki Markets and Eiga Mura - feeling like a kid again!!

We started the day with a visit to the amazing Nishiki Markets where we did some determined food sampling before buying ourselves some various picnic items to enjoy in a nearby park. From there we headed to Eiga Mura, which I can tell you is truly great fun!! Clare and I went into the Ninja House where we had to find our own way out of each room through trick doors and secret holes all while actors dressed as ninja jumped out at us at every opportunity! We went from there into the haunted house where we squealed like teenagers - truly this is a fun experience and students would absolutely love it. This is a real samurai village film set where many period dramas have been filmed. There are actors dressed as samurai walking around the streets and you can also see a live short performance. There are plenty of ninja toys and costumes to buy so it really is a great experience for educators, tourists, kids, or just big kids like me. On the way back to the ryokan a few of us took a bus, which unfortunately stopped suddenly and the driver told us we were at the end of the line...not a good thing for me to hear as my directions are hopeless, but Clare and Jemma and their trusty map saved the day! Well done ladies! I would have still been walking somewhere around Kyoto if it wasn't for you.

The Rain Cannot Dampen our Spirits in Kyoto

As we left Kinosaki and headed for Kyoto, the rain started to pelt down around us. It was the first day of miserable weather in almost two weeks so we could hardly complain, but it was a bit of a let down as most of the things we planned to do in Kyoto involved walking aound outside. We battled our way up the narrow streets to Kiyomizudera - an umbrella in the eye at every turn. I love that area though...there are so many shops selling all kinds of crafts and knick-knacks...I could just spend ages wandering up and down. From there we headed to Kinkakuji, the beautiful golden temple. Even in the drizzle you cannot fail to be impressed by the image of the glowing pavillion across the water. There is something magical about Kyoto. Rain, hail, or shine you just can't help but love the atmosphere of the whole place.

A Night in Kinosaki

Arriving in Kinosaki I was determined to have everyone dress in Yukata and wander the streets to soak up the Onsen Matsuri festival. It was only a small festival and there were few people, but it was our first opportunity to participate in a real festival so I wanted to make the most of it. The staff at the ryokan were very helpful in getting us all dressed in the yukata of our choice in record speed. I thought we looked pretty good and it is amazing how beautiful it makes you feel to get dressed up. There were several stalls lining the streets and I got talked into eating chocolate bananas and strawberries...you can see from the photos how yummy they looked. Kinosaki is a really beautiful town famous for its onsen (hot baths) so most of us made our way to try at least one of them. The idea is to try several as each bath has different properties and unique surroundings, but actually it was pretty difficult to get dressed again each time and we had a huge meal waiting for us at the ryokan so I only had one bath myself. It was our last night in Hyogo Prefecture, but what a wonderful way to spend our time in this amazing prefecture that really can offer all aspects of Japan.