A Summer to Remember

 A Summer to Remember

As I left Kyoto train station, the heat hit me like a hairdryer’s blast. However, I was more focused on the fact that I was finally in Japan, a country I have wanted to visit for most of my life. As I wheeled my suitcase to my hotel, my eyes tried to both take in as much as possible and check Google Maps in case I was going the wrong way.

The soaring heights of Kyoto Tower and the beautiful, iridescent koi moat outside Higashi Honganji temple stood out to me the most on this walk.

Needing to quench my thirst, I walked to the nearest 7/11. The powerful air conditioning and a large variety of food and drink were very well received after 16 hours of travelling.

English local convenience shops rarely venture beyond typical dry goods and confectionery, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw what their Japanese counterparts had to offer.

Japan's 7/11 was prepared for every customer's needs, selling full meals, bentos, sushi, fresh coffee, cooked meats, and even T-shirts and windbreakers. The UK needs to take notes.

For my time in Kyoto, I stayed at the Hotel Kyoto Base, which was affiliated with KICL. This meant many of my classmates also stayed there, which made making plans and travelling to school together very easy.

Signing into my hotel feeling tired but excited to begin my adventure, I unpacked my belongings and checked the number 5 bus times for tomorrow, my first day at Kyoto Institute of Culture and Language.

The journey to school went past many Kyoto landmarks, such as the Kamo River, Heian Jingu shrine and one of the tallest Torii in Japan (meaning red gate).

As I walked up the steps of Kyoto University of the Arts, I spotted a few other people trying to find the KICL building and made conversation with them.

They set the tone for the rest of the students on the course as they were very friendly and welcoming. We found the top of the hill where the KICL building was and settled into our respective classes. The teachers were very kind and helpful and any language barrier was not a problem.

Lessons typically consisted of vocabulary, hiragana and katakana tests, studying new grammar and verbs, and fun yet informative in-class conversations and activities.

At the end of the month, there was a final test consisting of a presentation on your respective hometown and a written exam.

The University was a very bright and engaging place to work and there was a canteen and cafe with lots of delicious yet affordable food options.

As a cultural bonus to the summer course, KICL offers many wonderful and interesting activities. Making the most of the experience, I signed up for as many as I could. Students were allocated which activities they did in a lottery. The activities I did were an authentic tea ceremony, yuzen dyeing, taiko drumming, traditional dance, and Japanese cooking. I thoroughly enjoyed each activity I took part in and am very grateful to have experienced things I would not normally have been able to.

In my free time, I tried to do as much as I could to experience Japan because I knew the month would fly by. On the course, you get weekends off. When I could, I explored parks and visited temples and shrines. Heian Jingu, Kiyomizu-dera, Shimogamo and Fushimi Inari are my personal favourites.

It is amazing how temples built centuries ago still look so pristine and monumental.

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

Independently, I went to Ninenzaka. Its old streets were remarkably pretty and an interesting contrast to the modern orderly bustle of Kyoto city. I also visited the Arashiyama bamboo forest. The picturesque forest and town near the train station felt surreal. I also brought back some personalised bamboo chopsticks for my parents.

The second week I was in Kyoto I went to an arcade and did karaoke with a friend from England who is also studying out here.

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

 

Before coming to Japan I had tried ramen and it quickly became my favourite Japanese dish, so I was very eager to try it in the most authentic setting. I went to Akutagawa and Teppan-Ippin and was thrilled with how flavourful the ramen was. I also enjoyed lots of yakitori and sushi.

Japanese desserts were different from the typical ones I was used to yet were fantastic in their own way too, from custard-filled taiyaki (a fish-shaped pastry) to mountainous shaved ice. However my favourite meal on this trip was when my classmates and I went for Kyo no Minako Hire, a succulent pork cutlet fried in breadcrumbs accompanied by rice, pickles and a special sauce.

I feel the company I was in made the meal even more of a fantastic experience.   　

I thoroughly enjoyed my term at KICL and my overall time in Japan.  I still keep in touch with friends I made on the course and we hope to reconnect on future travels.

 

I would highly recommend the KICL summer course to anyone interested in furthering their Japanese language skills and simultaneously experiencing the country and culture.

 

I was a 1B class student in Summer 2023, completed Level 1 of the course, and I am now continuing my Japanese Language study at King’s College London.

I have been shortlisted for the JET programme to teach English as a foreign language to Japanese students.

 

Sayonara!!