Our students experienced typical flower arrangement this time.

Here are comments from them.
“I found the ikebana class we attended to be most illuminating.

This ancient art form of floral arrangement has been practiced for many centuries, the oldest school of Ikebono dating from the 6th century B.C.

There are various styles of ikebana practiced today. We were introduced to the basic “rising” and “reclining” forms. These were demonstrated by our ikebana teacher and we were then given the opportunity to try our hands at one or other of those forms.

It is a contemplative art form intended to display the beauty of its component botanical materials. Selection of individual elements for use in the display is critical and careful consideration must be given to selection and preparation of the subject, object and filler pieces, and to how they will be arranged.

There are certain rules to follow regarding container size and the size of the plant elements (which are in strict proportions to each other) and the angles at which they are assembled.

On completion of our arrangements each student’s effort was appraised by the teacher and we were shown how our efforts could be improved.

It was a most enjoyable experience.”

“They showed us how Japanese flower arranging worked, the art and… The math? Apparently there’s a lot to flower arranging, angels and tilt and degrees , subjects and objects and secondaries , even without the language barrier this was complicated .

She sat and started cutting and measuring different plants and flowers, angling them at just the right spot. The center flower sitting perfectly at 20degrees forwards, the secondary plants 20 degrees to either side , eat plants length changing in perfect increments .

After her demonstration we got to take our own hand at it. It was extremely fun and artistic, trying to follow the patterns and angles while still putting your artistic touch on it was very interesting. After you where done she would assess you. For me unfortunately, mine was so bad she ripped all the plants from the base and showed me how it was done, everyone laughed including myself. I took a couple of the flowers and put them on my head for the rest of the day, I got many compliments and laughs!

After the flower arranging we had tea time , where the old ladies gave us roasted tea, Mochi, and something resembling fortune cookies. They talked to us and asked us about where we where all from and what we all did, in Japanese of course.

It was an extremely fun experience and I would never have thought to try it if it where not for the school!”

We visited a Hakata Doll shop in Hakata this time. Hakata dolls are quite famous in Japan. They have a typical shape and colouring. If you have a close look at each doll, you can find the details are very professional.



It looks very difficult to make thiese dolls for foreigners, but they have an event that anybody can join to the doll painting!
When you join it, you learn how to paint dolls in a lecture.

You have a choice of different kinds of doll. then, you are allowed to paint your doll. Our students were very excited at the beginning, but their eyes were changed when they start painting with a brush!



Finally, they made it and we put their own dolls together with a paper wall background.




Here are some comments from our students;

“We caught the train to Tenjin, then walked to Hakata Ningyo ceramics painting studio. On the way we practised speaking Japanese and also visited the Suikyo Shrine, where we learned various customs and enjoyed the tranquility of the setting, a step aside from the busy city. The ceramics painting was enjoyed by all and after only an hour we were each able to take home a completed piece of art. The activity finished with a delicious lunch at a sushi restaurant before some went off shopping and others returned to Ohashi. The activity was both useful and enjoyable.”

“All members of the group enjoyed the cultural experience of Japanese doll painting, and each person was able to complete a piece to take home in the allotted time of 1 hour. The results for a first effort were very pleasing.”

“The train ride and walk to the store was a learning experience because we must read the signs in Japanese in order to go from Ohashi station to Tenjin Station. Then, as we walked from the station to the Doll Store, I read the signs that were in in Hiragana and Katakana.
Once in the doll store we got to choose which doll we wanted to paint. I chose a cat and my wife chose a small girl. It was fun sitting and concentrating on painting. My cat, in the end, was brown and white. Afterwards, the staff at the store gave us macha tea and then they stood around and helped us if we wanted to purchase anything, so I practiced asking how much each item cost. ”

Our students enjoyed the shrine area. Some asked the staff of the shrine to write the memory on a book with brush. He took some photos while the staff was writing.

There is a pond with the pedestrian bridge over it. It was a hot summer day, but they looked happy to be over the water.



There is another atraction close to the shrine. You can go to the Kyushu Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan meaning Kyushu National Museum through a tunnel from the shrine. There are a lot of historical things you can see. At the entrance hall, huge decorated portable shrine called Yamakasa is displayed. A lot of different designed Yamakasa are carried at a festival in July.

You can visit these historical enjoyable places in Dazaifu.



Here is another comment from our student;
“Thank you for organising the trip to Dazaifu. I enjoyed going to Tenmangu shrine and visiting Kyushu National museum. We also got to try the famous umegae mochi (typical ricecake in Dazaifu) and matcha (Green tea) – it was delicious!

It was a great outing ?”

Dazaifu is one of the well-known shrines in Japan. About 7 million people visit this place in a year. Students often visit here for their entrance exams to academic institutions such as high school, university, college, etc. The reason why so many students come to Dazaifu shrine is the study of God has been there. On the way to the shrine, a gate, paths, bridges, and the main gate welcome visiters.

Alongside the paths are the shops, restaurants, and cafeterias, and so on. The people who visit this place can enjoy souvenirs, gifts, foods, or even charms for many things!

After the paths and the bridges, you go through the final gate to the main shrine.

Finally, you pray for your future (esapecially for the study here), and draw an oracle.

Anyway, here is an impressions from our student;

“Our teacher brought us all out to a famous shrine/ temple in Fukuoka called ‘Dazaifu’. We get to enjoy the local delicacy of dazaifu called ume mochi. It is a dessert made from Mochi and filled with azuki. We also went to the Kyushu National Musuem. Overall it was a good experience for me!”

One of the most popular Japanese culture is the calligraphy. All our students are interested in it and excited to write (maybe to draw for them) Japanese language with a brush. After practicing basic lines, they began to write Kanji.

Then, some of them started to try much more difficult Kanji. One wrote a kanji which even we Japanese people don’t write in daily life. You can choose one(s) you would like to write, and the teacher gives them examples. They are also interested in writeing their names in Japanese at the corner of the paper.

Finnally, they finished writing on a special paper and we put them on the wall. They keep the paper for themselves.

A student kindly gave us a comment for this activity;

“I really enjoyed this calligraphy activity!! It was really fun and the video was really good at explaining all the essentials of calligraphy. It would’ve been better if we paused after each stroke to practice writing different strokes but I was still able to write the character I wanted to write. I think everyone should try calligraphy because it not only helps with improving your handwriting but also is a nice, calming activity. Moreover, you can pretty much do calligraphy anywhere as long as you have some paper, ink, and a brush!”

We visited Yanagawa this time. This city is well-known with a lot of cannals. You can get on a boat and enjoy the changing scenes from the water.

We have extreme hot days every day this summer. Our students found an ice cream shop. They tried green tea ice cream and they enjoyed the taste. When we are on the boat, we felt the time passing slowly and the environment relaxing. There are some cafes and restaurants. So we went into one of them and ate the famous grilled-eel (the eel called ‘Unagi’ in Japanese.) with thw special source.

All of us were refreshed for the next day.

Theis is the impression of Yanagawa trip by our student.

“The trip to Yanagawa was a beautiful experience with my classmate and my teacher. We took a river cruise down the famous yanagawa river to enjoy the scenary yanagawa has to offer. We even got to enjoy buying ice cream from a stall right beside the river. Then we went for a course dinner in a restaurant. We got to have a taste of the famous cuisine in Yanagawa which is the grilled unagi.

Overall, it was a really good experience.”

We visited a Japanese traditional house called ‘Yusen-tei.’ This is a pure old house with a huge Japanese style garden. At the entrance gate, a couple with traditional clothes welcomed us. The pond is also big and there are some Koi carps swimming in the water. You are allowed to feed them.

You are served typical Japanese green tea and you can learn how to drink in a formal way. This is called ‘Sa-doh’. ‘sa’means tea and ‘doh’ means the way which is also used in some Japanese sports such as ‘Ju-doh’ and ‘Ken-doh’. So the way of specialist in each category. You have an opportunity to experience the way of traditional tea drink in formal style.

The house is extended over the pond so that you can enjoy watching the gerden and the pond together as if you are in the air.



Comments from our students:
“The Japanese Beautiful Garden excursion showed me a peaceful and serene side of Fukuoka. Our teacher got us 2 packs of fish food to feed the Koi fishes in the ponds in the park. Then, we had a traditional tea experience where we had to sit in a traditional Japanese way and enjoyed green tea with sweets.”

“The garden that we visited was truly a beautiful place. After seeing the bustling parts of Fukuoka it was nice to see such a quiet place filled with nature. I especially enjoyed drinking tea with everyone and looking out over the koi pond.”

Summer is the season of festivals in Japan. One of the big events is the firework shows. You can enjoy watching (or feeling) ones here and there. We joined the one at Ohori Park in Fukuoka City. Before we visit the park, our students changed their clothes to Japanese traditional ones called, “Yukata” which is especially used in summer and much lighter than the “Kimono”. Girls also can change their hair-style in Japanese one.

They are getting to be ready to go out to the city!



They were very happy to wear Yukata, so whereever we go, we took some photos such as alongside the road, at a train station, and in the undergraound shopping area.

When the evening was coming, there were a lot of stores mainly selling typical festival food.

Finally, the fireworks opened their flowers in the dark sky.

Here are comments from other students;

“You cannot say you’ve been to Japan in summer if you never been to a fireworks display in Japan. It was such a great experience: you get to enjoy Japanese street foods while watching spectacularly beautiful fireworks. Can summer ever be better than that?? The fireworks display at Oohori park lasted an entire hour and a half. Every part of the show was grand and exciting even though the show was really long. The fireworks are so big that you think they would actually hit you.

It was especially fun to attend the fireworks show dressed in yukata because you really feel like you’re getting the full experience. You shouldn’t be embarrassed because a lot of other people are also dressed in yukata. Furthermore, it’s a great photo-taking opportunity because the yukatas definitely make you 100 times more good-looking than you already are!

Although it was really hot and the subway was really crowded, I would definitely attend the fireworks display every year if I happen to be in Fukuoka in August!!”

“The fireworks was my highlight for the week. I havent seen a fireworks display like that in such a long time. The wearing of the Yukawa was a first for me and it was a great experience. It was an unforgettable experience. I will carry this experience with me for the rest of my life. I would like to thank NILS staff and all the sensei for making this possible. What a wonderful experience.”

Summer is the season of festivals in Japan. One of the big events is the firework shows. You can enjoy watching (or feeling) ones here and there. We joined the one at Ohori Park in Fukuoka City. Before we visit the park, our students changed their clothes to Japanese traditional ones called, “Yukata” which is especially used in summer and much lighter than the “Kimono”. Girls also can change their hair-style in Japanese style.

Now, we are ready to go out to the city!

They were very happy to wear Yukata, so whereever we go, we took some photos such as alongside the road, at a train station, and in the undergraound shopping area.

When the evening was coming, there were a lot of stores mainly selling typical festival food.

Finally, the fireworks opened their flowers in the dark sky.

Here are comments from our students.;
“Going to see fireworks in Ohori park with the school was an amazing and unique experience. It was especially interesting to see how a traditional yukata is put on and how to walk in it. I had no idea that the fireworks would be as big as they were and had a lot of fun with the whole experience.”

“There were nearly half a million people in attendance I have never seen that many people in one spot before. The fireworks started at 8:00 and lasted until 9:30 the fireworks were truly amazing. There were lots of food and drink stalls selling delicious foods. I got to wear a yukata and geta a yukata is a traditional Japanese garment a casual summer kimono and geta are a kind of wooden sandal. I had a great time and would love to do it again next year.”

Our students visited ‘the Kingdom of Kompeitoh.’

Kompeitoh is a colorful sugar candy which was imported from Portugal before the Edo era. Many Japanese children like it because it is sweet, tiny, and colourful!

In this kingdom, you can make your own Kompeitoh.
First, you learn how to make it.

Then, you can start making it. It is not so difficult to make it for visitors.
The shape of Kompeitoh is already there in sugar white. You put them in the machine which is rolling slowly. You have a choice of colour. While the machine is rolling, you stir the Konpeitoh and add the colour with a hose like the one from the fire engine.

When the candy gets enough colour, that’s it! You can enjoy eating the Konpeitoh you’ve just made.

Here is a comment from our students;

“I’ve always thought Konpeito is a candy made by the Japanese but I learned today that it was actually made by the Portuguese. It was really fun to learn about the procedures of making Konpeito. I always wondered how the candy becomes so prickly and was very surprised to learn how long it takes to make this seemingly simple candy. I definitely think everyone should come to the konpeito museum because you not only learn about the history of the candy, but also can buy different flavored konpeito that you can’t buy anywhere else.”