Happy national book lovers day! We’ve noticed a trend emerging among avid readers. Every other book we’ve spotted on the morning commute has one thing in common: they’re set in Japan. This captivating country seems to be capturing the imaginations of readers everywhere.
Inspired by this trend, we’ve curated a selection of activities in Japan that bring some of the best recent reads to life. These literary-inspired experiences are sure to enrich your understanding and appreciation of the stories you love. Why not add them to your customized tour?
Butter – Asako Yuzuki
Follow in journalist Rika Machida’s footsteps as you explore Japan’s gustatory landscape and discover the importance of home-cooked food to family, public and spiritual life. Don your apron and roll up your sleeves, as you and your students cook up a storm: whether it’s okonomiyaki in Hiroshima, soba noodles in Nagano, or sushi in Tokyo, a cooking class is the perfect hands-on accompaniment to any school trip.
Enjoy our Geography school trip to Japan.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Tokyo’s modern and sophisticated coffee culture is experiencing a bit of a ‘moment’. Its different neighborhoods each bring a different flavor, and you can decide which is the home of Kawaguchi’s time-travelling Café Funiculi Funicula: up-market Roppongi, youthful Harajuku, indie Shimokitazawa or old entertainment district, Asakusa? A morning stroll with your students – coffee in hand – gives a taste of each unique district.
The Sound of Waves – Yukio Mishima
A set text on the IB Literature course, The Sound of Waves is Yukio Mishima’s answer to Romeo and Juliet. Step back in time to 1957, in the depths of Japan’s Shōwa period (1926-1989), in Takayama. Visit the museum dedicated to icons of Shōwa-era life, with interactive displays from hair salons to games arcades, and even a school canteen where students can sample a typical school lunch of the era. Retreat afterwards to coastal Kanazawa, ‘Kyoto of the North’ (evocative of the old capital, but without the crowds) and imagine yourself with Hatsue and Shinji on the shore of Uta-jima.
Take a look at our History school trips to Japan.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop – Satoshi Yagisawa
Discover Jimbocho, Tokyo’s book town, the neighborhood home to Satoshi Yogasawa’s Morisaki Bookshop. Explore the side alleys, comprising over 200 bookshops, print sellers, galleries and cafés, and learn about contemporary Japanese print culture. Stop off next at the National Museum of Tokyo, and try your hand at ukiyo-e printmaking, typical of the Edo period.
Check out our Manga, Art & Anime school tour.
Shōgun – James Clavell
Now a series on Disney+ that has us all hooked, Shōgun is the story of English ship’s pilot John Blackthorne’s navigation through the tense political landscape of 1600s Japan. Much of the novel’s action centers around Osaka Castle, the regents’ seat of power in Clavell’s story. While in Osaka, learn the way of the sword in a private Samurai experience, and get a taste of the art form revered in feudal Japan – it’s a hands-on activity your students will love.
Discover our Golden Route school tour.
If you’ve been inspired to travel by our recommendations, then speak to an educational specialist about planning a school trip – enquire now.
