On June 19^th (Wednesday), 2024, 31 students from 9 countries participated in the bus tour to the Toyota Automobile Museum (Nagakute-shi) and Sanshu Asuke Yashiki (Toyota-shi) . This event offered opportunities for international and Japanese students to discover Japanese culture and learn about engineering/industry-related topics. The event also motivated the participants to interact with other fellow students.

At the Toyota Automobile Museum, participants first watched the demonstration run of the Ford Model T, which was famous for its contribution to the popularization of automobiles among the general public. Inside the museum, participants appreciated the cars collected from around the world and 4,000 pieces of items related to automobiles and their culture. Since cars are an integral part of our lives, it seemed participants had lively conversations over automobiles at the museum.

At Sanshu Asuke Yashiki, the participants observed traditional crafts such as papermaking, indigo dyeing, and straw/bamboo crafts. Through this precious experience, they deepened their interest in Japanese culture. With the help of the staff members, the participants made bamboo rings and played with various traditional Japanese toys (e.g., kendama and otedama). They also enjoyed a relaxing time surrounded by the beautiful nature of Korankei.

Through this bus tour, participants learned about the history and culture of the automobile industry. They also studied the Japanese culture. Last but not least, the participants also deepened their friendships.