Japan Art & Technology Trip

Never a school interested in off-the-shelf type itineraries, the Jumeriah English Speaking School (UAE) this year enjoyed a highly original Art & Technology subject-based trip to Japan.

Kawasaki Future City

This comprehensive trip was initiated by the school’s technology teachers and included an excursion to the ‘future cities’ of Kawasaki to learn of the county’s green technology initiatives as well as a visit to Toyota’s flagship design facility. This trip will further include time spent prefecture of Hakone to learn of Japanese culture of timber craft design.

No trip to Japan, including this one, would be complete without experiencing some of the country’s unique cultural delights. This included a stay at a traditional Japanese Ryokan, a chairlift excursion to enjoy the best views of Mount Fuji, travel on the Japanese legendary Shinkansen (bullet train) as well as an unmissable sumo experience when students were able to get up close and personal with these amazing athletes.

Interactive Learning — Japanese Style

Amongst many highlights, students visited Toyko’s incredible TeamLab facility – an amazing installation that has resulted from a collaboration between artists, programmers, engineers, mathematicians, graphic designers and animators who through digital technology have released expressions, thus creating a new and highly original relationship between art and people. A true high of the trip for art students was a special hands-on drawing class hosted by one of Kyoto’s premier cartoonists to acquaint art students with Japan’s animation traditions and youth culture.

After a long break from travel, this much anticipated and highly interactive trip was as engaging as it was refreshing.