Japan's Sustainability Tour 2024

By Pasoot Lasuka, the chair of BAHS program

This is our first field study abroad since BAHS program has started (during Covid-19 years). Kobe and Kyoto were our chosen destination due to that 1) the two cities have been known to engage in sustainable developments and practices in different contexts, 2) the transportations and infrastructures were convenient. However, during the trip we got to visit not only educational places relating to sustainability, but also recreational and sigh-seeing places that amazed the first timers to Japan. Below is our itinerary and activities.

 

Day 1: Kobe

-              Visiting Kobe’s Chinatown: this is where we learn about the history of migration in Kobe.

-              Kobe Port and…shopping mall near the port (student’s favorite activities lol)

 

Day 2: Kitano-cho and Kobe’s Earthquake Museum

-              Today, we continued to explore how migrations from abroad has shaped Kobe’s cultural and city-scapes. Kitano-cho is a district where there are many foreign style architects constructed.

-              In the afternoon, we went all the way to the eastern side of the city to visit the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial. For many of us, we were not born yet when the great earthquake struck in Kobe. The museum gave us a lot of immersive experience and insight.

Day 3: Universal beach project at Suma Beach and Sake brewery

-              Heading west of the city to Suma beach. Here we met the team who has been providing services to people who need extra help to access the beach. Students got to hand-on some equipment as well.

-              In the afternoon, we headed to Sake Brewery called “Fukuju”. Apart from learning about Sake production, we learned about the environmental challenge that Sake industry in Japan is going through: changing climate!

 

Day 4: Kobe University

-              The day that many of us were waiting: joining the academic activity at the Faculty of Global Human Sciences. We appreciate the help of Professor ITO Tomomi for arranging the activities for us, including bento lunch.

-              In the afternoon, we had to say goodbye to Kobe as our next stop is Kyoto

 

Day 5: Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kyoto Seika University, and Kiyomizu-dera Temple

-              We woke up early in the morning and headed to Imperial Palace. The palace is open to the public to see beautiful Zen-style garden. It was a good morning walk!

-              Then, we visited Kyoto Seika University, which is our long-time partner. Students from Kyoto Seika also joined and a few of them could speak Thai! Amazing!

-              We ended our first day in Kyoto by visiting the famous Kiyomizu-dera (clear-water temple). Some of us got to taste the holy water here!

Day 6: Private tour on sustainable businesses with Zenbird

-              Zenbird is a media company covering sustainability news from Japan. We ha an opportunity to be led by them to visit sustainable businesses in Kyoto. The business include small, like TU CASA guest house, to big enterprises, like Good Nature Station hotel.

 

Day 7: Free day

-              Our last day in Kyoto. Some of us enjoyed their private time in Osaka and Universal studio. Some of us explored more in Kyoto today.

 

Day 8: Time to go home

-              We took Air China which gave us a quite reasonable flight for the one-transit flight from Kansai/Beijing/Chiang Mai.

 

Next year in 2025, Osaka will host an Expo which features the theme related to the humanities. Look forward to return to Kansai, Japan again!