“Community Learning `Super? Experience Program in Gokayama” took place from February 10 to 12, and 27 students including international students joined the event.

This subject consists of prep classes (3 times), camp (3 days and 2 nights), review class (one), report meeting and final report. Its aim is to nurture human resilience which will help the students to train and develop themselves through recognizing the importance of physical and mental strength, accepting diverse ways of thinking, and becoming aware that they are members of the society in an environment where they share joys and sorrows with each other.

The participants cooperated with each other in removing heavy snow, listened to the lectures by Vice President Ohtake and local workers, and learned the traditional local dance “Mugiya Bushi” from Nanto Taira High School students. On the second day, they experienced the difficulty of life in heavy snowfall zone by walking in snow with Japanese traditional walking implements “Kanjiki” made of bent bamboo or wood. Then they listened to a lecture by President Yamazaki and joined their host family to deepen their understanding of the area through working and talking with the locals. On the final day, Mr. Tanaka, Mayor of Nanto City, attended the home-stay report meeting, and some participants said that there were a lot of things they never knew until they visited Gokayama in person. After the meeting, they visited the nationally-designated Important Cultural Property, Iwase Residence, the largest surviving Gassho-style house and pondered on the history of the Gokayama area.

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