Every year Technos College hosts a two week-long event called International Week where students and staff members from their sister schools come to Technos to share their school with the Technos students while interacting with and learning about the students at Technos. We had representatives come from schools all over the world and the students made sure that they were welcomed.
During the first part of the week there was a welcome party, tours, presentations, and much more. Students in each of the courses in the Air Travel School gave presentations in English about their course and what they study and, likewise, the visiting students introduced their school to the Air Travel students.
One of the more exciting events that our guests got to participate in were the guided tours around the city. There were many tours that students and staff could pick from throughout the week that took them to places such as Kichijoji, Shibamata, Koenji, Kokubunji, Tokyo Dyeing Museum, and Mt. Takao.
I was assigned to help out with the Mt. Takao climb and so about two weeks before the actual tour three other students and I went to Mt. Takao to plan everything out.
One of the more exciting events that our guests got to participate in were the guided tours around the city. There were many tours that students and staff could pick from throughout the week that took them to places such as Kichijoji, Shibamata, Koenji, Kokubunji, Tokyo Dyeing Museum, and Mt. Takao.
I was assigned to help out with the Mt. Takao climb and so about two weeks before the actual tour three other students and I went to Mt. Takao to plan everything out.
There was a chair lift or cable car that one could take up part of the mountain for a little over 400 yen. We chose to take the chair lift - which was fun for two of us and terrifying for the other two! We walked the rest of the way to the top while stopping occasionally to wander through a temple or buy food from one of the many stands.
We eventually made it to the top and took a commemorative photo and enjoyed the view. On a clear day you can see Mt. Fuji from the top but it was a little cloudy when we went so I can't really tell you which peak in the picture above is Mt. Fuji - or even if it can be seen.
We ate lunch at the restaurant at the top which is famous for it's handmade soba noodles. After our refreshing break we made our way back down the mountain, this time taking a different route. Mt. Takao has many different routes to choose from - some taking about 50 minutes while others take 2 hours. We took route 6 which was recommended to us by one of the English teachers at Technos. All of the routes have a theme to the trail and the theme for route 6 was Forest and Water. The path was a not-too-difficult one that wound through the forest and alongside the creek. It was nice and shady and created just the right atmosphere for hiking on that warm day.
The whole trip took us about 3 hours and we headed back to Koganei City exhausted and with a better idea of what we would have to explain to the international students when we went there again in a couple of weeks. When the day came for us to go again the Japanese guides were prepared to explain all about Mt. Takao and I feel that the international students and staff really enjoyed themselves.
We eventually made it to the top and took a commemorative photo and enjoyed the view. On a clear day you can see Mt. Fuji from the top but it was a little cloudy when we went so I can't really tell you which peak in the picture above is Mt. Fuji - or even if it can be seen.
We ate lunch at the restaurant at the top which is famous for it's handmade soba noodles. After our refreshing break we made our way back down the mountain, this time taking a different route. Mt. Takao has many different routes to choose from - some taking about 50 minutes while others take 2 hours. We took route 6 which was recommended to us by one of the English teachers at Technos. All of the routes have a theme to the trail and the theme for route 6 was Forest and Water. The path was a not-too-difficult one that wound through the forest and alongside the creek. It was nice and shady and created just the right atmosphere for hiking on that warm day.
The whole trip took us about 3 hours and we headed back to Koganei City exhausted and with a better idea of what we would have to explain to the international students when we went there again in a couple of weeks. When the day came for us to go again the Japanese guides were prepared to explain all about Mt. Takao and I feel that the international students and staff really enjoyed themselves.
Thanks again for taking the time to read my post and I hope to have the next one up a little quicker next time. I have about two weeks left to enjoy Tokyo before I return back to the US. Next time will be about a local attraction in Koganei City!