Study Tour in Shizuoka to Learn About and Experience Local Companies and Culture

A study tour was held for students from Germany, Brazil and the U.S. in Shizuoka Prefecture from December 12 to 14 as part of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIIL) Project’s “circulation” inbound student mobility program in Japan, supported by the Inter-University Exchange Project adopted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2018. With the cooperation of the University of Shizuoka, a Japanese partner university of Sophia, and the Shizuoka International Business Association, four exchange students at Sophia participated in the tour.

During the tour, the students visited local companies from various industries and business formats, and had cultural experiences. Although the tour was held over just three days and two nights, the students from both universities were able to have a fulfilling time with close exchanges. On the last day, the students reluctantly parted ways at JR Mishima Station, promising to meet again.

International student from Technische Universität Berlin in Germany, provided this contribution in Japanese*.

Experience of the Shizuoka Study Tour

I took the shinkansen from Tokyo Station and was welcomed by the students in Shizuoka City. During my stay in Shizuoka, I visited various companies and places.
The first was the Innovation Road Corporate Museum of Yamaha Corporation, which manufactures musical instruments. We learned about the history of the company and tried playing the instruments. I was able to play a guitar, a synthesizer, and a rare piano. Then we went to the piano factory to see how piano parts are assembled.
The next day we went to a small but advanced company called Okitsurasen Co., Ltd., and to see craftspeople who make Suruga Take Sensuji Zaiku bamboo crafts. I met people from a local company in Shizuoka on this day.
On our last day, we visited Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine and the Mt. Fuji World Heritage Centre in Fujinomiya City to learn about the cultural value of Mt. Fuji. We also went to a global company called Yazaki Corporation.
After that, our tour was over, so we said goodbye and went back to Tokyo. Not only did we visit companies and factories in Shizuoka, but we also had a fun time talking with students and professors and playing games.

*Original text in Japanese