Lost and found, hidden then revealed – this is the Western conception of Japan. As the tale is told, after being long walled off from fast-developing modern Europe, when Japan finally opened the door to foreign relations the usual flood of colonial dominance did not eventuate. Instead, Japan blossomed by dominating the West at its own industry and economics and capitalism.

Yet for many in Japan, this ‘closed to open’ narrative oversimplifies the continuity to the country’s great culture. And, as students will find when they visit, there are many reasons to visit Japan and explore its story for themselves.

Modern Tokyo

Students on school trips will quickly discover that Tokyo is not a city, but a metropolis – a conglomerate of cities, in every sense of the word. The largest metropolitan zone in the world, while modern Tokyo houses the Imperial Palace and is home to the ancient traditions of the Imperial family, it is also at the forefront of the modern economy. Students of design and finance will marvel at this technologically advanced city that contains more Fortune 500 companies than any other in the world.

Meiji Shrine

From the flash and up-scale modern technology of Tokyo’s city areas, students on school trips can see another side of the Tokyo metropolis by visiting the Meiji Shrine. Located in Shibuya, Tokyo, the Shinto shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Empress Shoken and Emperor Meiji, who died in 1912. It gives students a chance to see how the ancient traditions of Japan continue into the modern day, proving that there is more to this country beyond its fame for high-tech production and scintillating cuisine.

Kyoto

Kyoto should lure planners of school trips simply because it is offers one of the most focal examples of the continuity between Japan’s past and its present. A beautiful city and once the capital of Imperial Japan, it boasts a fascinating mix of temples, parks, estates, business districts and markets. Students can come to grips with the antiquity of Japan stretching back through the imperial and Buddhist ages to the sixth century A.D., when exploring any of the 1600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shinto shrines and other cultural centres.

Hiroshima

Any number of school trips to Japan will put Hiroshima firmly on the itinerary simply for the historic contribution of one day of its history to world history in general. At 8:15am on August 6, 1945, the United States Air Force dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The impact on the second World War, the science of war, the political hegemony of the post-war era, and, not least, on the citizens of the city was immense. As such, it gives students an important insight into the effects of war and the capacity of human endurance after devastation.