Welcome Back #2

This is the second "Welcome back!" blog for this month.
As we operate a homestay, one of the biggest joys is reuniting with our guests. This time, a group of students from Temple University who visited us in the spring (although the members are different) came back to our community!

It all started seven months ago when the staff from the previous Sasayama trip said, "We want to come again in autumn. Is that possible?" I'm grateful to the chaperons who really enjoyed their time in Sasayama!

So this time, the participating members and the season are different. What should we do with them? After discussions with the community association, we decided that "Harvesting edamame is the highlight of autumn in Sasayama."
Therefore, in addition to sightseeing in the castle town and Tachikui, we arranged for the visiting students to experience homestays with our community for one night and participate in edamame harvesting the next morning.

On the day, the 15 students and one accompanying staff member departed from Kyoto early in the morning and arrived by bus at the Sasayama Castle ruins. We were excited to reunite with the chaperon and greeted the new students, then off we went to sightseeing in two teams. One team explored the castle ruins while the other experienced wearing armor in Oshoin (the Great Reception Hall). All the students loved the armor experience! They listened attentively to the explanations about the castle ruins. After a while, the teams switched for the armor experience and the castle ruins walk.

This time, we had a bit more time compared to spring, so we were able to enjoy exploring the Nikaimachi area as well. After that, we visited the Museum of Noh Artifacts Sasayama and the Old Tamba Pottery Museum in Kawaramachi, again splitting into two teams to alternate visiting each site. While we think of university students as being mostly in their twenties, at least here in Japan, it's always interesting to see their interest in pottery and Noh. Among the participating students, there was one who was quite knowledgeable about music and showed interest in Noh instruments.

Then came the much-anticipated Botan-nabe (wild boar hot pot). After moving by bus, we went to Okuei restaurant. they don't seem to have a culture of dining together around a pot, so everyone enjoyed their meal at their respective tables.

Once they were full, we moved by bus to Takakura community. Upon arrival, host families and some welcoming members from the community were there to greet the guests who greatly appreciated. After getting off the bus, all the participants moved their luggage to their respective host families. Until the evening's social gathering, they enjoyed their time walking around, resting, and relaxing as they wished.

In the evening, we gathered again at the community center, sharing bento boxes and chatting with the local community members. During the bingo game, there were cheers of "Bingo!" and "Aww, I missed again!" creating a lively atmosphere. However, this time, the lunch and dinner were too close together, and with plenty of snacks offered, the students were completely stuffed! This will be a scheduling challenge for future events. 😅

After the gathering, everyone moved to their family stays. There were some households hosting for the first time, and while there had been concerns about language barriers, they seemed to enjoy themselves using various apps. I'm glad they had a good time! 🥰

The next morning, the participants went to the fields of their respective host families to harvest edamame. The night before, they had a tasting of boiled edamame and received instruction paper on how to cook them, so we hope they would be able to cook and enjoy them at home!

After the harvesting was finished, it was already time to depart the community. We took some group photos in front of the community center and boarded the bus heading to the Kuromame-no-Yakata restaurant. They enjoyed the buffet lunch. The male students returning for seconds and thirds on their heaping plates. Wow!😲

After the meal, the students had some time for shopping for souvenirs, then moved to the Sue no Sato where they looked around and purchased some potteries. A few students who loved pottery were excitedly saying, "What should I do? I really want that… Okay, I'll buy it!" They purchased their favorite ceramics and small items. The students got inspiration from various works by potters so that they can use those ideas and inspiration for their pottery experience. Seeing each student creating their own unique works was heartwarming, and the pieces they made were interesting and full of personality.

Afterward, during a bit of free time, they strolled around Tachikui area, taking photos of the autumn leaves that were just starting to change color. Before we knew it, time flew by, and it was already time to say goodbye. Thank you for coming to Sasayama! We look forward to seeing you all again! 😍

P.S. This event was published on the Tamba Newspaper.