Day 1: Places of visit: Citzane’s Safety, Robosquare , Bridgestone Tyres, Fukuoka Science Museum and Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine How I felt: I felt that the first day was fruitful and fun. I now can bring a few things home such as my high knowledge on natural disasters. By learning the correct way to function a fire extinguisher, experiencing the earthquake, typhoon and fire breakout, I am more confident in facing such natural disasters and I know better how to cope in difficult situations. I felt pity to those who suffered from natural disasters that happen to them. I felt that Japan has a major success technology-wise. One of the robots in the robosquare was actually made as a therapy device. I wish that Singapore would invent one in the future.
Day 2: Places of visit: Kumamoto Craft Centre and Mount Aso. How I felt: This day was a very enjoyable fun for every exco member and myself. At the Kumamoto center, I felt like a dnt student within 5 minutes. We were entitled to a maximum of 10 minutes to decorate our top. It was fun. I learnt that in Japan the 5 colours meant the 5 main organs that are essential in the human body. The colours were yellow, green, red, blue and the colour of the wood itself. Then we were off to Mt. Aso . The mountain was b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l! We shouted I love exco and echos could be heard. Since Singapore does not have mountains or hills (just Mt Faber), we cherished ever second we could spend there. The weather was beautiful and we wished everyone else including our family and friends and especially our beloved principal could experience the trip we went through.
Day 3: Places of visit: Kumamoto Castle. Shinbara port ferry, Old samurai house, Unzen Hell How I felt: This day was more like a history lesson for us. However, instead of the history of Singapore, we learnt more about the ‘samurai’ history in Japan. I was exhausted when I had to climb the numerous numbers of stairs in the Kumamoto Castle. I nearly puked when we walk through the Unzen Hell. We were welcomed by a stench that everyone could not stand. Although the Unzen Hell was smelly, it is actually spring water that when you bath in it, your skin will be as smooth as silk.
Day4: Places of visit: Nagasaki Peace Park, Nagasaki atomic bomb memorial museum, school visit. How I felt: I was disgusted when I saw the state the Japanese was in when the atomic bomb hit them. I felt sad for those victims who had to pay the price for something they didn’t do. I can still remember the picture of a woman and her baby who were victims and how they look when they died vividly. Visiting Minami Nagasaki High School was an enjoyable visit for me as I manage to forge stronger bonds with the Japanese students there and by this way; I think I’m able to learn about their culture and tradition more.
Day 5: Places of visit: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co (Pocari), fruit picking, and district waterworks agency How I felt: I was amazed on how mayonnaise was manufactured in Japan and I also learnt how to pluck an orange from its tree. I now also know that the oranger the orange is, the sweeter it is. All in all, I was so enthusiastic about it and pluck more than 15 oranges. The waterworks was similar to Singapore’s NEWater plant. It shows case on how Japan could produce its on water.

Day 1 - Like most first days of any trip, the fun I had was beyond words can describe. Despite the long, late flight to Japan, most of us were still quite active during the day. When we touched down in Japan, the weather we expected was “air-con” temperature, but what got was actually like Singapore weather, but just dryer. Well, the first place we went was the Fukuoka Science Museum, something like our Science Centre. We saw many experiments involving topics like light and sound. Next, we went to the Citizen’s Safety building, which is a place to educate people about what to do in times of emergency. We were taught skills like what to do when faced with a fire. The best part was that we were given a taste of how an earthquake and a hurricane felt like. Pure comedy is all I can say about the result of this activity as the way some of us reacted was hilarious. After this, we went to the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, which is an ancient shrine that the Japanese visit to pray and ask for wishes to be fulfilled. We were given an understanding of the culture in Japan. Finally, we arrived at the Hotel and prepared for the next day.

Day 2 - For me and a few others, the day started with a morning jog lead by Mr. Michael. We were really fortunate as we could catch a glimpse of a Japanese city being quiet for once, something we did not get to see the next few days. After the run was followed by definitely one of the most outstanding breakfast I ever had in my life. The large variety of cuisine is really impressive. From their own Japanese food to Italian pasta, there is something for everyone. UNFORTUNATELY, there was too little time for me to savour all the food. The first destination of this day is the airport. No, were we were not done with our trip. Instead we were there to collect the 8 people that were coming on the second day. We then head to the Kumamoto craft centre. We designed our own traditional Japanese top. We were given 4 colours. These colours according to Japanese customs, represents our vital organ. In the craft centre, we also saw many of the Japanese old folks engaged in craft work. This really showed us that the old folks there, despite their age, are still very active. We then headed to Mount Aso, which is one of Japan’s active volcanos. We went up to the summit via a cable car. The scenery from the top looking into the crater of the volcano was indeed magnificent. There was a small quarry in the crater and lots of steam getting emitted from a crevasse beside the quarry. This will definitely be one of the most memorable scenery I will have as I have never being on a real volcano. We then went to our next hotel to stay for the night. It was more traditional then the previous as we were given those kind of Japanese mattress as our beds. Not only was our hotel traditional, it also had an Onzen, which is a hot spring. Most of us used it and it was really HOT, but we got used to it after a while and were able to enjoy this traditional health remedy.

Day 3 - By this day, most of us realized that the sun in Japan dawns very early. By 6:30am, it seems like a 7:30am lighting. Our first destination was the Kumamoto Castle, which is a genuine Japanese castle. It was huge and very elaborately designed. One thing we noticed was that the Japanese in the past could have been very short, as there were many rooms where the door way was like ¾ our classroom door’s height. We say many artifacts that belonged to the ancient Japanese residence of the castle and much more. After much sightseeing, we travelled to a port where we boarded a ferry to take us to the nearby Nagasaki. There, we visited many old samurai houses that were preserved. Then we went to a place called Unzen Hell. This place has many natural hot springs, and gives the impression of walking through hell when walking through this place as the hot springs give of steam and the whole place is just gray rock, coupled with the stench of sulphur. We then headed to our third hotel for this trip and ended our day there.

Day 4 - The first place we visited was the Nagasaki Peace Park. We saw some of the memorials erected to remember those who were killed by the bombing and even managed to stand on where the area where the bomb exploded. We then headed to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum to experience the pain and the suffering the people had to endure, and the actual magnitude of the explosion through several pictures and artifacts. There were many pictures of corpses that were scorched beyond recognition, and artifacts that showed us how powerful the bomb was. I remember there was an artifact that showed a skeleton of a hand inside a lump of concrete as the concrete had melted around the hand due to the heat of the bomb. After going though the museum, I realized that in this political battle for supremacy, the greatest victims are the citizens of the countries. After this, we headed to a local school. We had a lot of fun there interacting and getting to know the students and their school life. We were able to observe their Ju-do training taking place and were very privileged to take part in their kendo classes. It was difficult to leave the school as we had the urge to spend more time with the Japanese students. We then went to our next hotel to stay for the night.

Day 5 - Today was unofficially our last day in Japan. There was a very dissatisfied mood around us as we all knew this. But still, that did not stop us from absorbing the culture and have fun. The first destination of our last day was the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory. This place is where one of Japan’s most popular brand of mayonnaise is created. We were given a brief history of the brand from representative of the company and allowed to see the process of making it. We then went to a fruit farm to pick some oranges. These oranges were really sweet and juicy. We were allowed to take home 15 oranges, and we all diligently searched the plantation for the largest and most ripe we could find. After collecting our fruits, we headed to the District waterworks agency to see how they desalinate sea water to become drinkable water for the people. We then headed to our hotel to prepare to go home.

Day 6 - We all awoke with heavy hearts, knowing that the “Time of Our Lives” was going to end. We packed the remainder of our stuff headed to the airport to head back to Singapore. This trip definitely not only bonded me closer to all the Excos, but has given me new experiences that I will treasure throughout my life. I hope that the school can allow another batch of students to be able to receive the joy we had on from this trip. Who knows? Maybe to Europe this time?


Day 1 : We arrived at Fukouka, Japan. It was a Saturday morning. Our first destination was the Fukouka Science Museum. This was a well known museum in japan. There were many activities in the museum. Shahirah, Lyana and myself tried the flight simulator .It was fun. Next, we headed to the Daizaifu Temangu Shrine. This was the most famous shrine among the others throughout Japan. At the shrine, I saw many people praying. There were many tourists there too. My first impression of the buildings there wasn’t a good one. I expected the buildings to be more developed and the cars to be of high-technology. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the houses there. After sight-seeing, we headed for lunch at a steamboat restaurant. There were so much nice food but unfortunately, I couldn’t eat them as they were not halal. After lunch we headed to the Robo Square. There were many cool robots on display. One of them caught my attention, it was a dinosaur. It was very fun to play with. We have already completed our tasks when evening arrived. Mr Michael brought us back to the hotel. Chisan Hotel Hakata, a four star hotel. The rooms were big and the facilities provided were good. However, they did not provide us with a fridge. At the end of the day, we had our debrief at Mr Michael’s room.

Day 2 : We left the hotel with our bags and boarded the bus. Our first stop was Kumamoto Craft Centre. We were supposed to make our own spinning toys. There were six machines and we had to take turns to make our toys. We had a tour around the centre and I saw many different types of crafting machines. We spent around 2 hours at the craft centre before heading for lunch. At lunch, we had to eat vegetables again while the others got to eat the other dishes that were not halal. We took a 45 minutes bus ride to Mount Aso. We took a cable car to the higher region as the road was too steep for the bus. It was a 5 minutes ride to the peak. We were given a ticket each, if we were to lose the ticket, we would not be able to take the cable car ride back down. At the peak, we were given the freedom to explore the place. I took a picture of the tip of the volcano. The volcano had green liquid inside which is known as sulphur. At a corner of the volcano, there were smoke rising. We took a group picture with the school banner. then we headed back down to the cable car station and took the ride back down. When we reached the bus, there was a beautiful view of the other surrounding mountains. I took pictures with a couple of my friends. We boarded the bus and took the 1hour and 30 minutes bus ride back to the hotel straight. By the time we reached the hotel, it was time for dinner. The hotel we stayed in had a mixture of western and Japanese style. Half of the room was like a normal hotel room ehile the other house was like a typical Japanese house where everyone was to sleep on the floor. The room was meant for 6 people. The school only allowed 3 people per room. We had thirty minutes to settle down in our rooms. We then headed to the lounge where there were tables and chairs. This was where we were going to eat our dinner. When I arrived in the rooms with my friends, I was amazed by how neat the Japanese waiters and waitresses arranged the crockery. Everything was so simple yet it looks elegant. After two days of eating vegetables, we finally had some fish and prawns. They also provided us with udon noodles. They were very delicious. After dinner, we had our debrief again with Mr Michael. We were offered to try out the hot bath in the hotel. We were asked to bathe before entering the waters. The purpose of the hot bath was to make one sweat and also to get rid of the body odour that one has. The hotel gave us an hour to enjoy the hot waters. We were not allowed to enter the waters with our clothes. We had to be naked. I felt that I had removed all my stress when I entered the water. It was so relaxing and soothing. It enabled me to have a piece of mind. After the soak, I felt so tired, thus I went to bed.

Day 3 : In the morning , we visited Kumamoto Castle. It was a very big castle. We walked to the king’s chamber and the furnishings were all made of wood. We went into this green colored building and it contained all the artefacts. They also displayed the uniforms of the warriors that protected the king. They also showed some of the weapons used. We spent half an hour exploring the area before heading to the Shimabara Port. Upon reaching the port, we were asked to stay in the bus where the bus boarded the ferry. We took a 30 minutes cruise to Nagasaki. When we reached Nagasaki we had lunch. Lunch included udon noodles. After that, we made our way to the Old Samurai House.

Day 4 : We visited Nagasaki Peace Park. There, we saw the peace statue which was green in color and it was gigantic. From the park, we made our way to the atomic bomb memorial museum, I saw the famous bomb, Fat Boy. We saw the pictures of the suffering victims. It was horrible. There was a picture of an old man without an arm and his face burnt. This was the most gruesome picture I saw there. Until now, it is still vivid. I also saw the fragments of the buildings that were damaged during the bomb attack. There was this wall which showed a picture of an eye. The eye had a yellow colored splat beside the pupil. This was because the person witnessed the explosion with the naked eye. There was another picture of a mother holding the baby in her hands. After visiting the museum, we made our way to the school visit. There, we exchanged gifts with the school. We also passed them our school flag. After the ceremony ended, we made our way to the school hall. There we watched male students practicing Judo and they showed us some impressive moves which included jumping over each other. Then, we moved to the other side of the hall where there were kendo students which included both genders. I was selected to attempt to challenge one of the kendo students. After that, we made our way to the school entrance where the bus was waiting. We boarded the bus and waved good bye. We went back to the hotel in the evening. After dinner we had our debrief and it was time to rest.

Day 5 : We went to the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co (Pocari). This is one of the biggest factories in Japan and it manufactures mayonnaise. We saw the process taking place and it was very unique. We went into the gift shop, there I saw many gifts. After that, we boarded the bus and headed to fruit picking farm and we were allowed to pick 15 oranges maximum. I picked all 15 oranges and picked an extra one to name it. We had lunch after that and it was an all-you-can-eat buffet. After lunch, we went to the district waterworks agency. There, we saw how Japan gets its water supply. We saw the machines that were used to desalinate the water. The process is similar to how Singapore gets its new water. We headed to our last hotel. There were no more debriefs as the next day we will be returning to Singapore.

Day 6 : We packed our bags and headed for the bus and left for the airport. 6 hours later, we reached Singapore. At the airport, there were many students that came to pick us up.


Day 2 - Arrived in Fukuoka Airport and were greeted by the other EXCO members and I could feel the atmosphere of us working together in Japan. We headed off to Kumamoto Craft Centre. Here, we could experience to paint our own top. I felt that it was a marvellous experience as we could also foresee our own skills in painting that maybe some of us may have not been aware of it. We also went to Mount Aso after that. This is the most memorable experience that I think every EXCO member would not forget as we really felt very grateful to have the opportunity to experience a real and active volcano that we could never found back in Singapore. After we checked in at our hotel, we had a de-brief session and it was very effective to have a de-brief session every night as we could share our experience and thoughts about the places we’ve visit on the day itself.

Day 3 - During this trip, we had to move from one hotel to another every day. I think that by coincidentally, it also could widen our responsibility to take care of our own belongings at the different hotels that we stayed as we needs to keep our valuables to ourselves during the transfers. We headed off to kumamoto castle. We had the experience to take a look at the castle that was once used by the king and his people. We had a ferry ride as we transfer to Nagasaki. We went to the Old Samurai House and it was a great experience as some of the things used in the olden days was there and we could learn about it better. Unzen Hell was the last place that we visited for the day. Unzen Hell was something that we could learn about the nature as there were steams rising up from the pipes that was from the underground of the Earth. And the smell was also something that we have to endure as it wasn’t that pleasant but we managed to take a tour around and found that it was actually a nice place. After we check-in the new hotel, we had our normal de-brief session. During this de-brief, we were asked to choose a piece of paper in which it’s already have word written such as ‘unity’, ‘aspiration’ and so on. And we were asked to discuss among our group members on what we wanted to say about the word we have chose for one minute non-stop. And I think it is useful as we could know our friends different perspectives and views and also could widen our character development in communicating and also we could work together as a group.

Day 4 - We went to Nagasaki Peace Park and Nagasaki Atomic Memorial Museum. When I looked at the artefacts and also the storyline in this museum, I could feel the sorrow and pain the family of the victims faced during their lost and I also do get a better understanding about the War itself. It has thought me to be mindful of others and also to treasure our loved ones, be it family, teachers or friends. We then had a school exchange with the Nagasaki- minami high school students. They were really friendly and we could forge our bonds with the students there although sometimes, it’s hard to communicate with them as they couldn’t understand. Nevertheless, it was really a great pleasure to have known them and we had a chance to know about the education system in Japan, and I felt a greater sense of belonging to Singapore as taking the education system in Japan for an example where they have to take at least 10 subjects and their school hours were officially 10 hours long excluding CCAs. We also prepared a slide presentation about Singapore and I think will make a good reputation on us as people will have the mindset that we care about our country. During our de-brief session, we paste a post-it pad at the wall of our de-brief room where it has a short reflection from each of us on how we felt after we went to the museum. We were also given around 10 minutes to go around and read up on each of our reflections. I think this is useful as we could care more about our friends and could see that we actually have the same feeling of regret to the war itself and we could feel the pain and sadness the family of the victims faced.

Day 5 - Early in the morning, we headed off to a factory where they produced mayonnaise. We actually witness the process of making the mayonnaise. By this, we gained another knowledge and understanding of the process of making foods that we consume in our daily lives. Next was our journey to tanushimaru for fruit picking. Most of us enjoyed it so much as we had never seen so much oranges and we could just pluck them and bring back home to Singapore. I think having this mindset of wanting to bring the oranges back home for our family shows a sense of care and love towards our family members as most of us of course would like to share the experience we’ve gained in Japan with our family members. We had our last de-brief session and during this session, the teachers had prepared for the EXCO a slide presentation consists of our pictures during the trip itself, and we watch it as one, feeling how great to be given such opportunity to go beyond borders.

Day 6 - We had our last breakfast in the hotel and off to airport. Everyone was eager to go home, seeing our family waiting for us at the airport but also sad to leave Fukuoka as most of us enjoyed so much and felt like staying for a couple more days to experience and discover about the country itself. All of us of course enjoyed the trip and felt that our friendship has widen and by this trip, it has also forge and strengthen our bonds among one another, To work together, preparing the documents needed during this trip, and most importantly sharing our views every night and taking care of one another during this trip. Having such experience and opportunity is something that EXCO won’t forget and each of us appreciates the hard works especially the teachers had put in place.


Day 1 - We met at the airport at 10pm. Our flight was scheduled at 1am and we had to meet first before departing. Hatanaka-san briefed us about our tour guide who would bring us around Kyushu and also told us to have fun in Japan. We took a group photo with him and said our final goodbyes to our families and headed off to the departure hall. This was the first group to go as the second group had their camp and only be arriving the next day so Exco was a bit quite but still we managed to still give our Exco spirit. The plane ride was six hours long and without fail, we slept. We reach Fukouka airport around 8 in the morning and we placed our bags in the coach and headed off to our first visit. Our tour guide name was Masako-san; she was very friendly and really explained thoroughly what and where we will be going. We went to the Fukuoka Science Museum. The museum was filled with –high-tech equipment and was very interesting as well. They had a room where children placed their small arts and crafts up for display. Next, we went to have lunch. We had a steamboat lunch. For the Muslim students and teacher, lunch was rather bland as we had only noodle, egg, vegetable and mushroom. We had no flavouring so lunch was pretty tasteless to us. After lunch, we went to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine; the shrine was very beautiful and looks very ancient. If you want to enter the praying hall, one must first wash their left hand, followed by the right then the face. It’s a sign of respect to the shrine there. They were a lot of Japanese people there as well. After visiting the shrine, we visited the Citizen’s Safety Of Fukuoka. There, we learnt how to handle disasters like, fire, earthquake and typhoon. It was very interesting and fun trying out the various activities. All of us had ample of fun while leaning how to handle this kind of situations. My favourite disaster to learn was the typhoon as, we were brought into a room then a fan blew at winds of the actual typhoon. The wind were very strong and this helps us understand how mother nature can be. Robo Square was next and there we looked at the many fascinating toys and robots created by Japan. Many toys were able to move, feel and react when being touched. No -wonder Japan is a very high-tech country. After a long day of activities, we went to the Chisan Hotel Hakata. There we rest up and debrief of today’s main learning point. I have learnt that we have to always keep up with the world and not lack behind as the world is moving fast and Singapore cannot expect to just idle in where they are now. We cannot wait for tomorrow as the second group of students will be here and Exco would be complete and our trip would be more enjoyable.

Day 2 - We woke up around 6.30 and left the hotel at 8 to pick up the second group of students. They were really surprised when we greeted them in a long line and off we go to our first destination. Our first destination was the Kumamoto Municipal Crafts Center. There, we made our own tops and also learnt how Japanese art is created. In Japan, their technique of making art is handmade so it looks more elegant and grand. We also looked around the center and look at interesting but expensive art pieces. We now head off to Mount Aso. Our trip to Mt. Aso was really enjoyable. We had to ride a cable car to reach the active volcano. We explored the area and looked at the opening of the volcano. I could see smoke coming out from the volcano and the water was boiling. We spent half a day in Mount Aso then headed of to the hotel. The Hotel is very cool. Hotel Aso no Tsukasa. The theme of the hotel is a Japanese/western type. There, we are able to sleep on the bed or follow traditional Japanese culture, choosing to sleep on the floor. After we had dinner, I and a few of my friends went to the Japanese Bath. It was one of the greatest experience of the trip. We went to the bath wearing nth but underwear and our purple robe. I shall not add what happen in the bath but all f us had to be naked before entering and if you enter once, you’re bound to stand up as it is too hot. We had our debrief and today, I’ve learnt that Japan uses the elderly to work as well. Japan was an effective country so that is why they are able to boost their economy so fast. Today, all of us Exco really enjoyed the activities as while in the bus, we could all laugh, talk and also sleep as one. I feel that in only one day, Exco really bonded a lot.

Day 3 - We woke up, had our breakfast, load up our luggage and headed off to our destination. We went to the Kumamoto Castle. The castle is one of the oldest and everlasting castle in Japan. Few parts of it still remain intact but some had to be reconstructed. Before entering the castle, we had to remove our shoe. We were given plastic bags to place our shoes and carry it around. I think that it is very efficient and smart way rather than leaving shoes behind and who knows they might get stolen. The castle had about 6 floors and all of the rooms very really small. It was below my height so I had to bend every time I move to one room to another. The view from the top of the castle was magnificent. The whole area of the castle was so big that it could cover ¼ of Singapore. Maybe I was over exaggerating. The, we headed of to the Old Samurai House Street. There, we explore traditional Japanese houses. The most annoying thing is that all Japanese samurai are really short and again I have to bend when going into a room. Unzen Hell was next and believe me, it was truly indeed hell. The smell was awful that one of us almost vomited. The gas was really strong and smelly. We had to endure the smell while taking picture. After experiencing hell, we went to the Chisan Grand Nagasaki Hotel where we would spend our night there. We had our debrief and I learnt that Japan really wants to keep their culture and tradition although their country is going futuristic. The culture and tradition in Japan is really strong and I think that Singapore should follow that too. I also notice that Japan does not have a dustbin anyway. There are very clean and that makes Japan one step higher than Singapore. Exco really helped each other at the Unzen Hell by providing each other with the support and also oil to go through it.

Day 4 - Day 4 was really the most fantastic day of the trip. First, we went to the Nagasaki Peace Park, this is where the American dropped the Atomic bomb at to the World War 2. There was a memorial there and all the names of those who died we place in a box there. Then we visited Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Memorial Museum. There, we walked around the museum and looked at how life was for the Japanese after the atomic bomb dropped at them. Many died of burn and radiation. It was really horrible seeing them in pain. I really pity them as they were innocent people and they had to pay for what Japan did. Next was the most fun destination we went to. We went to the Minami High School where we interacted with the students there. I learnt that the students there only started learning English this year and their curriculum is really packed. The most thing I enjoyed was their hospitality and their sports. We did kendo and it was really fun. I learnt 3 moves of kendo, “Meh”, “Do” and “Kotek”. Although they hard difficulty teaching us, they did not give up and still taught us the moves. I really want to thank them and the school. We then left the school with new found friends. We then went to Tosu Premium Outlet mall to shop then headed to Chisun Inn Tosu where we had our debrief. I’ve learnt that we must always venture out of our comfort zone. Through this, we can make new friends and also gain more experience.

Day 5 - We went to the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd to see how Japanese mayonaise were made. Kewbie was the name of the brand and the mascot is a small baby. We were also given free sample and taken to the factory shop to purchase some goodies for our families and friends. We then went to Japans so called NEWater. There we saw how water was process and renewed to drinking water. Its like the same as Singapore’s NEWater. Then we went to pick some Japanese oranges. We were given sometime and only had to pick 15 oranges. I picked those that were sour as I can’t pick fruits well so after picking and packing our oranges. It’s Shopping Time. We went to shop at Tenjin Area/Aeon Mall for around 2hrs before having our dinner and heading to our last hotel which is Chisan Hotel Hakata, our first hotel. We had our final debrief and madfe cards for each other to remind them how special they are in Exco and in our life. I really going to miss Japan but I will definitely cherish the moments. Now, back to Singapore.

Day 6 - We woke up dreadfully, not wanted to leave Japan but we have to. We went to the airport and went into the departure hall. We all thanked Masako-san for all she had done for use and apologize for accidentally sleeping while she was talking. We are now going Home Sweet Home.


Day 1 - I missed out day 1 because I need to go for the Adventure Training Camp (NPCC). I missed out the Citizane’s Safety, Robo Square, Bridgestone Tyres, Fukuoka Science Museum and Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. Meet at Singapore’s Airport at 10p.m sharp to check in begs.

Day 2 - I reached Fukuoka airport after 6 hour of journey from Singapore to Japan. The first stop is the Kumamoto Craft Centre. We were allowed to design our own top. The colours of the tops represent the parts of our body. The colours are wood colour, red, green, yellow and black. I felt that the elderly in Japan were given opportunities to work as they had more experience then others. Before we went to the Mount Aso we had our lunch at one of the airport in Japan. Then we went to the Mount Aso. I felt that Mount Aso is most beautiful nature I ever seen. It’s my first time to see an active volcano. We went to the cable car and went back to where we came from and then we got on the bus to our hotel.

Day 3 - We woke up at 6am. We did not have the morning jog that day because time constrain. Had our breakfast we proceed to our first destination was the Kumamoto Castle. The castle had many different places that show the olden feeling and there is also a gallery that is being built to display some of the remaining pieces that was found after the war. Next we headed for ferry terminal. We had to take a ferry to Shimabara. The journey takes us 30 to 40 minutes then we headed Street to see samurai houses. The street is very famous as it has display houses to show the olden times of Japan. When we entered the house, we were told to remove our shoes before entering. From this visit to the old samurai house, we can learn more about the Japanese olden culture. Then we had our lunch at one of the restaurant. After this we headed for the Unzen Hell. The Unzen Hell is a place which contains natural hot springs that is highly looked upon by the Japanese as said in the Buddhist teaching. This place gives the impression of walking through hell when walking through this place as the hot springs give of steam and the whole place is just gray rock, coupled with the stench of sulphur. The smell of sulphur makes me vomit. However I had to endure with the smell and continue the walk with the other leaders thought the whole place. We then went to Nagasaki and then checked into another hotel.

Day 4 - We woke up at around 5am to have our morning jog. The weather in the morning was almost freezing cool. The destination we visited was the Nagasaki Peace Park. The place was built to commemorate the fall of Japan during the Second World War. We also saw some of the memorials erected to remember those who were killed by the bombing and even managed to stand on where the area where the bomb exploded. Next we then headed to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum to experience the pain and the suffering the people had to endure, and the actual magnitude of the explosion. I remember there was an artifact that showed a skeleton of a hand inside a lump of concrete as the concrete had melted around the hand due to the heat of the bomb. After going though the museum, I realized how many innocent people died because of some politic purposes. After this, we headed to a local school, Nagasaki Minani High School. We had a lot of fun there getting to know the students and their school curriculum. We were able to observe their Ju-do training taking place and were told to take part in their kendo classes. I hope the school can introduce kendo to Singapore student. It was difficult to leave the school as we had the sense of belonging towards the Japanese students. We then went to our next hotel to stay for another night.

Day 5 - We woke up at 6am. Our first destination of our last day was the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Saga Factory. It’s the most popular brand mayonnaise factory in Japan. We were given a brief history of the brand from representative of the company and allowed to see the process of making it. I was surprised to hear how many thousands eggs were used every single day. They also show us the process of how it is made and how it is bottled from scratch. Next we went to Tanushimaru and we went to the orange plantation. They taught us how to choose good oranges. The good oranges are big and fully orange in colour. Then they gave us time to pick oranges to bring back. We went around picking oranges and we had a lot of fun. Its difficult to find a good oranges as there have not ripe we could find. These oranges were really sweet and juicy. We were allowed to take home 15 oranges only. Then we went back to Fukuoka and went to the at District waterworks agency. It shows us how Japan is able to provide the country with clean water. It shows us the process of how clean water is being made from rain water and drainage water. We then headed to our last hotel and preparing to go home.

Day 6 - We woke up as normal at 6am to get out last breakfast. The day which everyone has not been waiting has arrived. The “Time of Our Lives” was going to end. We packed the remainder of our stuff headed to the airport to head back to Singapore. “Home sweet home” The trip has given me new experiences that I will treasure throughout my life. I hope other student we given opportunities like us.


Day 1: We arrived at Fukuoka International Airport at 8am and met our tour guide named Masago-san. Soon we went to the coach and headed to our next destination. Firstly, we headed to ‘Fukuoka Science Museum’. It was rather huge and there were three floors with lots of interesting activities that we could learn from. It was very popular amongst visitors that they can learn science with full of fun throughout the scientific experiments and many more. After going to the science museum, we left for lunch at a local restaurant and we had steamboat there. After lunch, we went to ‘Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine’; it is a beautiful place and that if one wants to go in and pray, they will have to first wash their left hand, followed by the right then the mouth. It was a sign of respect to the ‘God of Scholarship’, Sugawara Michizane. After visiting the shrine, we headed to ‘Citizen’s Safety of Fukuoka’. There, we experience how to handle disasters like typhoon and earthquake and what we should do when it happens. It was very interesting and all of us had lots of fun trying out the various activities. Next, we went to ‘Robo Square’ and there were many toys and robots. After such a long day of visiting, we were then transferred to ‘Chisan Hotel Hakata’. During the debrief, we shared with each other together with the teachers what we have learnt today. As for today, I have learnt many things and that we should always look ahead of us in everything that we do.

Day 2: Woke up early at around 5.30am Japan time, went for a jog with Mr Michael and others friends and it was freezing cold early in the morning. At around 6.30am, we headed back to the hotel for shower and then went down for our breakfast. The breakfast was quite filling as there was lots of food. After breakfast, took our bags and headed back to Fukuoka International Airport to pick up the rest of the EXCO members together with Mr Tan. We warmly welcome them by bowing and greeting them. After their arrival at the airport, we headed to ‘Kumamoto Crafts Centre’. When we went there, our mission involves the improvement of skills as well as the promotion and introduction of the brand products. We also aim at promoting the handicrafts industry and regional revitalization. We were also allowed to try on making our own tops and there are five colours which represent the organs in our body. After visiting the craft centre, we went straight to have our lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we went to ‘Mt Aso’ to visit the Active Volcano Crater by cable car. Mt Aso is the largest active volcano in Japan and is the largest in the world. After the visit to Mt Aso, we went to Aso Tsukasa traditional hotel with traditional food and onsens. We had our dinner in the hotel and after that we had our debrief before going to the onsens. It was so cooling although the water was super hot. So throughout the whole day, I have learnt the 5 colours represent the 5 main organs that are essential in the human body.

Day 3: Had breakfast at the hotel then headed to the Kumamoto Castle. The castle was really huge and the steps were really high. After visiting the castle, we went off to the Kumamoto Port which would bring us to Shimabara Port by express ferry. Upon arriving at Nagasaki, we headed off for lunch at a restaurant. After that, we went to the Old Samurai House Street. These Samurai houses have been restored and opened as exhibits for visitors to have a look what it is like. Next, we headed to the Unzen Hell. It is the number one attraction of the Unzen. After the long day, we left for dinner at Japanese dishes and then headed to the hotel. After settling down, we then went for our debrief. During the debrief, we had to choose a piece of paper in which there are words written in it like, ‘unity’, ‘aspiration’ and so on. We had to discuss about with our group-mates and after that talk about the topic for at least 1 minute non-stop. For today, I learnt on how we can widen our views and when working as a team, there must be teamwork.

Day 4: Had breakfast in the hotel then went to Nagasaki Peace Park. It had lots of statues there and there was also a water fountain. After visiting Nagasaki Peace Park, we headed to Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Memorial Museum. We went there to learn more about the history of WW2 and how the war affects the civilians the most. Next, we went to Nagasaki Minami High School for an exchange program. We had lunch with the local students and then participated in one of the school activities called Kando. Soon, we left the school and headed to Tosu hotel. After settling down at the hotel for a while, we went to Tosu premium outlet mall and shopped for a few hours. We had to be at the restaurant within the time given to us. For today, I learnt about how to appreciate the things we have and not to take things for granted.

Day 5: Today, went to Otsuka Pharmaceutical Saga Factory. Inside, we watched a video clip on how to make mayonnaise. After the visit, we went to experience fruit picking at Tanushimaru. After picking our own fruits, we went back to Fukuoka and had lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we headed to the District waterworks agencies. We watched on how water has been purified. Next, we left for dinner. After dinner, we went to the hotel and it was finally rest time. I have learnt how to choose our own fruits and that a machine can crack 600 eggs in a minute.

Day 6: Woke up quite late in the morning as it is the last day in Fukuoka and that our fight was in the morning. After breakfast, headed to the coach and back to the airport. It was finally home sweet home for most of us but we wanted to stay on and not go back to Singapore. This was the most memorable trip that I have ever been to as we could have a better bond within ourselves.

The blog seems dead! So, i want to make it looks alive so i decided to upload a few pics that remind us of the good times!! hehe (:

ya ya, it's me!

Farzanah!

The beloved ones! (:

hehehe