A Summer to Remember

A Summer to Remember

There is nothing like Kyoto in the summer. I will never forget how hard the heat hit me when I first left the train station, staring up in awe at Kyoto Tower. Wheeling my suitcase along the main road, captivated by all the new shops, restaurants and general architecture in front of me. I was taken aback with how pristine and orderly the streets and pavements were, almost glistening with cleanliness, a sight uncommon in my hometown of London. The koi moat outside Higashi Honganji was iridescent in the light of the beaming sun. Seriously needing to quench my thirst I step into the nearest 7/11, beginning my adoration for Japanese convenience stores. The supreme air conditioning and huge variety of drinks and food on offer was like an oasis after 16 hours of travelling. In the UK you would be lucky to even find a sandwich in a convenience shop so I was blown away by what they had to offer; salads, sushi, spaghetti, bento boxes and even t-shirts and windbreakers, truly prepared for anything.

During my time in Kyoto I stayed at the Hotel Kyoto Base, which was affiliated with the school and a lot of my fellow classmates also stayed there, which was very convenient for making plans and travelling together.

Signing into my hotel tired but excited to begin my adventure, I unpacked my belongings and got google maps preloaded with the number 5 bus route ready for tomorrow, my first day at Kyoto Institute of Culture and Language.

 As my journey goes along I do not think I have ever been more amazed by a bus trip before, seeing Heian Jingu shrine and one of the largest Torii in Japan (meaning red gate) on my way, just to name a couple of the wonderful landmarks I saw looking out the window. When I walked up the steps of Kyoto University of the Arts I spotted a few other people trying to find the KICL building and struck conversation with them, they set the tone for the rest of the students on the course as they were very friendly and welcoming towards me. We found our way to the top of the hill where the KICL building is and settled into our respective classes. The teachers were very kind and helpful in your study of the language. Lessons for me and my cohort typically consisted of vocab, hiragana and katakana tests, studying new grammar and verbs, and fun yet informative in-class conversations and activities based on the lesson’s subject.

To culminate the month of study, there was a final exam of a presentation on your respective hometown and also a written exam.  The university is a very bright and engaging place to work and there is a canteen and cafe with lots of delicious yet affordable food options as well as good places to work.

 

In my free time I made a conscious effort to do as much as I could to experience Japan because the month I was out there really flew by. On the course you get weekends off to explore and do activities of your own so after I did my homework and studied each week I visited a lot of temples and shrines. Heian Jingu, Kiyomizu-dera, Shimogamo and Fushimi Inari being my personal favourites due to how breathtakingly beautiful they were. It is a wonder how humans were able to create something that looks so perfect and ornamental.

I visited the Samurai Museum with some classmates which was very fun. We threw ninja stars (plastic, don’t worry) and got dressed into typical samurai attire, and we were also taught about the history of Samurai, Ninjas and also the Feudal system in Japan.

Independently, I went to Ninenzaka and its old streets were very pretty and an interesting contrast to the bustling yet ordered city of Kyoto. I also visited the Arashiyama bamboo forest by myself which felt almost surreal with how picturesque the forest and the nearby town was. I brought back some personalised chopsticks for my mum and my dad from a shop there.

The second week I was in Kyoto I went to the arcade and did karaoke with a friend from England who is also studying out here. It was really fun and something I absolutely want to do again.

Another highlight of the trip was the spectacular fireworks display at Lake Biwa that I went with some friends I made on the course. 

I can’t end a blog about Japan without having a moment to talk about the marvellous food and drinks I had whilst out there. From the convenience stores, to coffee shops and even the vending machines there’s a whole world of interesting yet enjoyable things just waiting to be tasted. Salty Litchi, Pocari Sweat and ‘mystic purple’ flavour Red Bull being amongst my favourite Japan exclusive drinks I had whilst on the trip (I wish I packed some in my suitcase.) Bringing it back to food, whilst out for dinner with course mates I ended up having possibly one of the most delicious meals I have ever had which was Kyo no Minako Hire, a succulent pork cutlet fried in breadcrumbs accompanied by rice, pickles and special sauce.

Before coming to Japan I had eaten a lot of ramen as it is one of my favourite dishes so I was very excited to try it over there and it did not disappoint at all, I went to Akutagawa and Teppan-Ippin and was immensely satisfied by how flavourful and tasty the ramen was. I also had lots of yakitori and sushi, two other Japanese dishes I am a big fan of. Japanese desserts were different yet fantastic too, from custard filled taiyaki (a fish-shaped pastry) to mountainous shaved ice.

To Conclude:

I was a student in the 1B class in the Summer of 2023 at KICL and successfully completed Level 1 of the course.

I am also an English Literature graduate student from the University of Leeds and I currently live in London.

 

My fascination with Japan and its culture began at a young age after reading manga and travel books and piqued my interest to know more. I started taking some language lessons as a child and rekindled my learning at University studying an extra module of Japanese Language. I was overjoyed to finally visit Japan and that I was lucky enough to undertake the KICL course.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at KICL and overall time in Japan, it was like nothing I had ever done before. The teachers were friendly and helpful, the location of the class was beautiful, as well as the other various landmarks and places I visited in Kyoto, and the fellow students on the course made excellent friends and I still keep in touch with some to this day. I would highly recommend the KICL summer course to anyone interested in furthering both their Japanese language knowledge and experiencing the country and culture.

 

I am now continuing my study of Japanese Language at King’s College London, and in the future I hope to return to Japan in 2024 teaching English as a foreign language to Japanese students.  Sayonara!!