2024年2月24日土曜日

Tour for Sustainable Tourism Feb. 21, 2024

 Nine international students from Thailand and Malaysia and their accompanying staff members came to Mt. Takao despite the chilly weather with light drizzle.

Students energetic even in the rain

They are the students participating in the International Science Exchange Program for Youth (Sakura Science Program) at J. F. Oberlin University. Their objective today is to think about the balance between environmental conservation and economic development through hiking on Mt. Takao.

Experiencing Japanese culture

For several days, we, TENGU guide members, had been preparing for the tour. We ourselves learned what “Sustainable Tourism” is. And we discussed to select important guiding points for the students to think about this theme.

In front of the symbolic architecture

Mt. Takao had been severely damaged in the past by trash discarded by climbers. Local community had worked together to pick up trash scattered over the mountain and created a system to prevent this problem from happening again in the future. The stone statue called "Osoji-Kozo,” a.k.a. “Sweeper boy” is the symbol of this activity. 

"Osoji-Kozo,  a.k.a. “Sweeper boy.” 

The students listened with great interest to the history of vegetation changing due to global warming, mountain worship, Shintoism and Buddhism, and the myths that have been handed down in Mt. Takao for centuries. We are happy if the students got some clues to think about sustainable tourism.

Guests listening to the guide

At the Gongen Tea House on the way, everyone bought sesame Mochi dumplings, a specialty of Mt. Takao. Everyone seemed to enjoy eating it.

Happy faces with “Dango-Yaki”

All of the guests today said they love Japan. They like Japanese animation, Japanese actors, Japanese food and so on. Some said they would like to come back to Japan for a longer period of time next opportunity. And at the end of the tour, everyone had a smile on their face. They seemed to have fully enjoyed today's tour.  

End of the tour at Kiyotaki Station 

(Written by HIDE)

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