Japan Trip

In January 2024 I went on Sainte-Anne's first "cours-voyage" to Japan! It was an incredible experience that I am so grateful to have been part of. Before this trip, I had only been to North American countries and European countries, so I was very excited to go somewhere entirely different. The classes we took (French and complimentary) were both related to Japanese culture and history, so I feel like I learned a lot from experiencing what was around me, and not just reading a textbook. I found it very interesting to learn about the history of Japan, like how most of their castles have been destroyed and rebuilt. This was one of the many culture shocks I experienced. One of my most pleasant culture shocks was how polite the employees were. They even offered us tea when we entered many stores! During our 13-day stay, we went to Tokyo, Fuji, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. Some of our activities included: visiting temples, castles, and museums; shopping in many different fun neighbourhoods, like Harajuku; TeamLabs Planet; Universal Studios; scavenger hunts for our complimentary class; petting deers in Nara; visiting a bamboo forest; participating in a traditional tea ceremony; throwing ninja stars at the Samurai museum; oral presentations in hotel lobbies; and of course, writing French dissertations on the bullet train and 12-hour flight back to Montreal. We had a packed itinerary filled with lots of walking and quite a few late nights, but I barely felt tired because of all my excitement. This is definitely a trip I will remember forever!