2023.12.13
学生レポ8日目：R-STEPプログラム ＜金継ぎ体験、宇治平等院＞【R-Globe】
2023年12月5日（火）から15日（金）まで、海外協定校の学生を対象に、短期留学プログラム「R-STEP（Ryukoku Short-Term Experience Program）」を開催しています。今回は３ヶ国から１０名の学生が参加。12月13日（水）プログラム8日目は、午前中に「Japanese Pop Culture」「Japanese Launguage」の講義を受けた後、Ryukoku Student Buddies（龍谷大学生バディ）とともにフィールドトリップで金継ぎ体験を行った後、宇治平等院へ行きました。
以下、R-STEP参加学生のレポートを紹介します。
（レポート原文）
It is Wednesday, and the week is coming to an end pretty soon. This morning we started with a Japanese language class. We also made origami in the lesson with the Japanese students. When I arrived in Japan a week ago, I didn't know a word of Japanese, but tomorrow I will give my first presentation about myself in Japanese! How exciting! All the teachers, tutors, students, and other staff members have been helpful and friendly and encouraged me to learn Japanese.
The second lesson was on Japanese popular culture. It was interesting to learn how pop culture came about and what events and influences in history have led to its emergence. The history of Japanese women's fashion was my most interesting part. The lessons on Japanese culture and language have been a very pleasant change as I am studying law for the fourth year in my home country, Finland.
After lunch with friends at the university canteen, we had Kintsugi experience. The guide told us, that instead of throwing away the broken dishes at his restaurant, he repairs them using the Kintsugi method. I think it's great that the dishes can be reused this way. We also had the opportunity to repair cracked bowls ourselves using the same method.
After the Kintsugi experience we headed to the Byodoin Temple and Phoenix Hall a few stops away by train. During the visit, I noticed, for example, the phoenix birds on the roof of the temple, which can also be found on the Japanese 10 000 yen note! The Temple guide also told that the material around the Buddha statue is as much as nearly 1000 years old. The origin of Byodoin can be traced to 1052. Byodoin was built with the desire to attain Buddhist Pure Land.
We ended the evening with a delicious dinner at a Japanese restaurant.
