Gallery • 7 Photos

   Many people have different locations that are their dream destinations. From Greece to Peru, people will save up and wait until the perfect opportunity to experience somewhere totally different from their ordinary life.  Especially teenagers, having to deal with the stress of school, work, and many extracurricular activities, the want to escape from the inevitable responsibilities for a few days makes them bounce with anticipation for such opportunities and chances. On March 18th, 2023, the students of Pines Charter had the opportunity to pack up and leave what they know and go to the beautiful country of Japan through EF Tours.

   For ten days, more than 30 PPCHS students got to experience the culture and traditions of the island country of Japan. Paying a total of 4,500 dollars, the students were able to explore and become accustomed to 6 cities with unique customs and cultures that left all of them in awe and amazement. 

   From the beginning of their trip, many of the students realized how vastly different the country they came from, America, and the country they had the pleasure of visiting, Japan, were. Not only due to the currency (1 USD=132.36 yen), but also the respect that is guaranteed by the people living in Japan. Senior Hailey Cajigas, who went on the trip, said “It’s very different from America… The TSA doesn’t yell at you for no reason, and I actually felt safe in crowded areas and walking around with my friends at night.” This was a major culture shock to Hailey, as well as many of the other things that she would experience that would leave her wanting more and staying longer.

   One of these were the respectful gestures that Hailey seemed to have a hard time adjusting to, as she would forget to bow or to stay quiet in certain places and situations. Another thing was not eating while walking; she exclaimed that it was sometimes difficult to have to find a place to sit to eat because it was considered inappropriate to continue walking while eating in Japan. Though Hailey said it was difficult to adjust to, it wasn’t impossible, and with practice she became accustomed to bowing and respecting the place where she was visiting. 

   The first day, the students traveled to the city of Osaka, near the eastern end of the Inland Sea to soak in their first cultural experience. There, they had many different foods, conversations and a new light on the world. Senior Saraie Andujar Salazar, a student that traveled with the group of kids, spoke about her experience. “Japan is a whole different world compared to us! Everything from the food, candy, and clothing was different…I was amazed by the respect and kindness everyone showed us while [we were] there. People were nice, always willing to help, and were happy to talk to us and even wanted pictures once we chatted for a bit!” 

   Throughout their stay, the students traveled to a total of 6 places including Osaka. They got to experience Kyoto, Takayama, Kanazawa, and Tokyo. Each place was vastly different from the rest. In the rural areas of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, the students were quite overwhelmed by the amount of life and character such places had, but nonetheless they enjoyed every second. 

   Though the trip is over, the memories of all the adventures and different experiences will stay in their mind forever. Sometimes a culture shock will help one truly understand the beauties of the world. As junior Liberty Koch said, “I got to meet many new people on the trip. Without this experience I would never have had the opportunity to make these new friendships…  It was easy to talk to people and become friendly.” A trip to such a place as Japan will not only give you a new perspective on the world but on people. The students that attended this Japan tour were beyond grateful and are eagerly waiting to go back.