Visit Japan Taiwan Educational Travel Promotion Project 2022: Taiwanese Educational Travel Representatives Visit Awaji Island for an Inspection Tour

The Hyogo International Association supports and collaborates on programs enabling international students visiting Japan for educational travel to interact with Japanese students in Hyogo Prefecture. Through these exchanges at schools, the goal is to foster friendships between young people of the same generation and promote grassroots international exchange and understanding.

This time, as part of efforts to attract educational travel from Taiwan to Japan, principals and teachers from high schools and junior high schools across Taiwan visited Awaji Island to experience recommended programs designed for educational travel in Hyogo Prefecture.

Overview of Educational Travel from Taiwan

Educational travel to Japan generally involves group visits from overseas students and teachers, including school exchanges and related educational activities. Unlike Japanese school trips, Taiwanese educational travel is unique in that it usually consists of a selected group of students, rather than the entire grade, and often includes half-day or one-day school exchange programs.

To cater to the diverse needs of Taiwanese schools, Hyogo Prefecture offers a wide variety of educational content, including “school exchanges,” “disaster preparedness lessons” based on experiences from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, “environmental studies,” “industrial learning,” and “Japanese cultural experience programs.”

On Awaji Island, notable destinations include the Nojima Fault and the Hokudan Earthquake Memorial Park, where visitors can learn about the earthquake’s impact and even experience a simulated seismic intensity of 7. This time, however, participants explored emerging trends in educational travel, such as SDG-focused learning and innovative Japanese cultural experiences.

Unique Experiences on Awaji Island

❚禅坊靖寧　到着（9:00）Arrival at Zenbo Seinei (9:00)
The tour began at Zenbo Seinei, a newly opened facility offering ZEN wellness experiences amidst the lush natural environment of Awaji Island, located along the 135° East Meridian. Opened in April 2022, Zenbo Seinei is a perfect spot to explore ZEN tea, ZEN calligraphy, and other Japanese cultural activities. Participants were guided through the facility and experienced a condensed ZEN wellness session led by Bilal, a certified coach of the Japan Meditation Association. The interactive session, using ZEN chairs to accommodate all participants, left visitors deeply satisfied

Various programs offered at Zenbo Seinei (from left: ZEN Calligraphy, ZEN Incense, ZEN Tea).

The wooden deck where participants experience ZEN activities.

The features of Zenbo Seinei lie in its architecture and program offerings.

The facility’s charm stems from its harmonious integration with nature and the warmth of its wooden structure. While exploring the building, participants are introduced to the details of its ZEN Wellness programs, designed to encourage self-reflection.

続いて、実際にZEN Wellness体験をショートバージョンでお届け。

今回の講師は、日本瞑想協会認定コーチでもあるBilalがヨガと瞑想を指導しました。

※講師は日によって変わります。

For ZEN activities and meditation, ZEN chairs are provided, allowing elderly participants or those unfamiliar with traditional seated meditation, including international visitors, to comfortably engage in the practice.

The visit lasted approximately one hour, during which participants had the opportunity to interact with the head of Zenbo and the yoga instructor. This unique "Japanese cultural experience" left the participants feeling highly satisfied.

A group photo with the Head of Zenbo.

❚Tane no Chikara: Hands-On SDGs Workshop (10:20)

Participants observed the popular educational program, Hands-On SDGs Workshop, often utilized for school trips and off-campus learning. Conducted in farmland settings, the program emphasizes experiential learning.

Taiwan has been proactive in environmental measures, such as reducing plastic usage and maintaining high levels of general waste recycling. Given their strong awareness of environmental issues, participants explored Japan’s SDGs-focused educational initiatives. This experience highlighted the importance of tackling environmental problems from a global perspective and provided insights into fostering the core values of the SDGs—diversity, sustainability, and collaboration—among future generations.

The workshop began with an overview and a brief seminar. 

Despite the snowy weather, participants were deeply engaged in the instructor's presentation, showcasing Taiwan's high level of environmental awareness.

Following the seminar, a condensed version of the field tour was conducted. 

Participants gained new perspectives by learning about natural laws and cycles often overlooked in daily life. Recognizing touch as one of the most advanced human senses, many participants actively engaged by physically interacting with the elements to deepen their understanding.

Explanations about composting and natural cycles include some specialized details, so it may be necessary to coordinate with interpreters in advance of the trip.

Note: Compost refers to a system that uses the activity of microorganisms to ferment and decompose organic materials, such as household food waste, fallen leaves, and sewage sludge, to create fertilizer and nutrient-rich soil (shown in the fenced area on the right in the photo below).

Craft Circus: Lunch Begins (11:30)

Participants enjoyed lunch at Craft Circus, a seaside restaurant and market offering stunning views of the ocean and sunset, which is recognized as one of Japan's top 100 sunsets.

For this visit, they were treated to the signature “Island Pizza”, a 40 cm specialty of Awaji Island Craft Kitchen.

The Island Pizza, made with an abundance of fresh ingredients sourced from Awaji Island.

Craft Circus, a popular spot on Awaji Island, offers a resort-like atmosphere with the sea close at hand. 

Participants were captivated and eagerly took photos to capture the experience.

❚Anime Park: Nijigen no Mori (13:00)

Nijigen no Mori, an anime park that blends globally popular Japanese manga, anime, and games with the natural beauty of Awaji Island, offers a unique cultural experience.

The participants were introduced to programs frequently utilized by Japanese schools for educational trips and excursions, considering the potential for attracting educational travel groups from Taiwan.

Given the popularity of Japanese anime culture in Taiwan, including NARUTO, participants had the chance to personally experience the attractions. This allowed them to enjoy the activities from the same perspective as their students.

The first attraction was NARUTO & BORUTO Shinobi-Zato, a popular choice for educational trips.

This attraction features a 3D maze and puzzle-solving activities, incorporating elements of team building and English learning. Participants were deeply engaged and showed great interest in the experience.

Next, participants experienced the Crayon Shin-chan Adventure Park Zipline.

They soared across a vast pond in the park on a thrilling 225-meter zipline, which brought excitement and enthusiastic reactions from everyone.

Finally, the tour concluded with a group photo in front of the life-sized Godzilla at the Godzilla Interception Operation attraction.

Participants shared their impressions, expressing appreciation for the unique educational experiences that could only be found in Japan and on Awaji Island. They highlighted the appeal of the programs and voiced optimism about the potential for future educational travel to Japan.

Awaji Island West Coast: Highly Recommended for Educational Travel to Japan

The sites inspected during this visit, such as Zenbo Seinei and Nijigen no Mori, have a strong track record of accommodating inbound visitors and are well-equipped with multilingual support and reception systems.

Additionally, the Tane no Chikara Hands-On SDGs Workshop is a standout educational travel program, widely popular for Japanese school trips and off-campus learning. It boasts a high repeat rate and exceptional satisfaction levels with its program content.

Awaji Island is fully prepared to welcome young people from around the world, offering a variety of learning and experiential programs. Please feel free to contact us for further information.

We are happy to propose tailored itineraries and arrange visits to facilities based on your specific needs and budget.