Unforgettable Japanese School Trips | Seaside, Forest & Cultural Adventures

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Did you know that Japanese kids sometimes go on trips where they cook curry with firewood and even sleep in giant rooms together? I want to share with you some unique overnight school events that Japanese children experience in elementary school.

School Events and the Role of Overnight Trips#

Japanese elementary schools have many events that enrich school life, such as sports festivals, music recitals, and social studies field trips. Among these, one of the most memorable experiences for me was the overnight school events.

These were not just ordinary trips. By living, eating, and sleeping together with friends, children learned cooperation and independence, and experienced lessons that cannot be found in textbooks.

Seaside School (Rinkai-gakkou)#

The first event I would like to introduce is called Rinkai-gakkou, or "seaside school." In Japanese elementary schools, seaside school is held with the aim of studying aquatic environments. Students stay at a lodging facility near the sea for several days, and the purpose is to cultivate cooperation and independence through communal living.

When I was a student, we took a bus from our elementary school to a seaside facility that was relatively close to our school district. We stayed there for one night and had various experiences. During the daytime, we rowed boats around the shallow sea, used underwater observation goggles, and observed the marine life we found. Afterward, we wrote down our findings on worksheets and submitted them.

At night, we prepared for bathing and sleeping in groups. It was a special experience to spend that time with classmates instead of family. Even after we got into our futons, we whispered to each other until the teacher told us, "It's time to sleep." But for us, that scolding itself became part of the fun memory.

Seaside school was a valuable opportunity to learn the importance of cooperating with friends and taking care of yourself. I also believe that experiencing something extraordinary in nature helped foster curiosity and a spirit of exploration in us children.

Forest School (Rinkan-gakkou)#

The next event is Rinkan-gakkou, or "forest school." If seaside school is held by the sea, forest school takes place in the mountains or forest, and students stay overnight to do various outdoor activities. The main purpose is the same as seaside school: to cultivate cooperation and independence through communal living in nature.

In my forest school, we went hiking in the mountains and exercised at an athletic field. During the hike, we also carried worksheets. We observed plants and animals, wrote them down, and submitted them later.

The hike was quite long and tiring. Just like the school marathon, these kinds of physical endurance events were not my favorite. But near the end of the trail, there was an athletic playground, and I remember looking forward to that as a kind of reward while I walked.

Another special memory from forest school was the self-cooking experience. Sometimes meals were served at the lodging facility, but often we made our own meals by building a fire and cooking curry and rice.

In my case, I worked together with my group members to make curry and rice. We built the fire with firewood, and instead of using a rice cooker, we cooked rice in a han-go, a traditional Japanese mess tin. It didn't turn out perfectly, but because we worked together, it tasted really good.

At night, there was a campfire. A campfire is a large fire built outdoors, and everyone gathers around it to sing songs, play games, and enjoy recreational activities. I still remember singing songs together with everyone around the fire.

Forest school was a wonderful opportunity to get away from daily life, build deeper friendships, and appreciate nature.

School Trip (Shugaku-ryoko)#

The biggest overnight event in elementary school is the Shugaku-ryoko, or "school trip," which is usually held in the upper grades. The school trip is one of the greatest memories for students, and it is also a major event for the teachers.

The main purpose of a school trip is to have special experiences that you cannot have in everyday life through communal living with friends, and also to deepen your understanding of lessons through real-world observation.

During the school trip, students usually act in groups called han-kodo. In these groups, we planned our own sightseeing and shopping activities during free time. When moving as a whole class, such as from the school to the station or on the bullet train, we stayed together. But even then, the group leader checked if all members were present and reported to the homeroom teacher.

The destinations of school trips vary depending on the school and region. Some go to historical cities like Kyoto or Nara, others go to Hiroshima for peace studies, and still others visit theme parks. By visiting historical places, we could directly experience the history we had studied in our textbooks.

In my case, the school trip was to Hiroshima for peace studies. We had studied peace in class for a long time before the trip, so the school trip served as the final stage of that learning. We went around to specific locations in our groups, carried worksheets, and wrote down what we learned to submit afterward.

In addition to peace studies, we also went to an amusement park. We had free time to explore within a designated area using maps, and during that time, we picked out souvenirs for our families and ourselves.

Another fun part of the school trip was the evenings at the inn or hotel. We had many special experiences that we couldn't have at home, such as bathing together in a large public bath and talking late into the night with friends.

I don't remember if it was a teacher or a photographer, but someone took pictures of us during the trip. Afterward, the photos were displayed at school, and we could purchase the ones we wanted.

The school trip became one of my biggest memories from elementary school. By living and eating together, and sharing special experiences, it created an unforgettable time.

In this article, I introduced the overnight school events held in Japanese elementary schools. Through seaside school and forest school, children learn in nature, and through the school trip, they learn in the context of history and culture. In all of these, they develop cooperation and independence.

To be honest, I have forgotten many of the detailed activities, but while preparing this article, I was able to recall many memories.

These kinds of overnight events continue in junior high and high school as well, though in different forms from elementary school.

Closing Remarks#

Thank you for reading my article today. I hope you found the information helpful.
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