An educational trip to Japan
In September, with the study association D.B.S.G. Stylos, a group of 22 students and two teachers travelled to Japan to experience and learn from the architecture, culture and nature there. Even before and after our study trip, we were busy gathering knowledge about Japan and sharing it with students from TU Delft's Faculty of Architecture, including in the form of a lecture and an exhibition. The study trip was made possible by KIVI, through their contribution the trip was more accessible to students from across the faculty and more activities were possible, including a visit to the World Expo 2025.
From Tokyo to Mt. Fuji
Our trip began in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, where we immediately experienced culture shock. In Tokyo, we took a guided tour the Ginza district, known for its iconic facades and metabolist architecture. Furthermore, here we also visited the Sensoji Temple, Tokyo's oldest and most famous Buddhist temple.
after Tokyo, we travelled on to Mt Fuji, to explore nature here in the form of a challenging hike; this turned out to be a less good idea than hoped for just after the rainy season. We also made our own noodles here following a local recipe. We then moved on to Nagano, in the Japanese Alps. There we attended a procession of the Gion festival at the Zenkoji temple. There, we also saw the Snowmonkeys, who migrate to the hot springs, and enjoyed traditional Japanese dishes: Okanomiyaki.
Discovering Japan: From ancient temples to modern exhibitions
Our next destination was Kyoto, the country's ancient capital, known for its many ancient cultural icons, such as temples, villas and gardens. A highlight here was the Katsura Imperial Villa, with its impressive landscape architectural design. The Ryoan-ji was also a very inspiring stop.
after a short train ride, we continued to Osaka, one of Japan's largest cities. Here we visited the World Expo, where countries from all over the world exhibited their culture and latest innovations. We also visited Kindai University, where we had a lecture and a tour of the campus. It was a valuable experience to interact with local students and share knowledge and perspectives. After Osaka, we continued to Naoshima, an island full of art projects and extraordinary architecture by Tadao Ando, among others.
We ended our trip in Hiroshima and Miyajima, where we visited the impressive peace memorial and Itsukushima shrine. After the trip, we organised another extensive exhibition to share our experiences and knowledge. This attracted many visitors and we received many positive reactions.
