On March 25, 2017, the faculty of Global Co-existence Studies and the Science and Technology Departments of Aoyama Gakuin University invited international university students from Thailand and France to a walking information tour of Shibuya and Harajuku.
This program was designed for students to explore how the Shibuya, Harajuku, and Omotesando areas have developed over time.
Our geography teacher gave advice about some key places to visit and after the walking tour ended we had a discussion about what was seen.
The students learned about the postwar development of the Shibuya area, how this development was carried out, and what kinds of changes are presently happening in Shibuya.
After our return to the school, we listened to everyone’s opinions about what they saw and learned and put some of the main ideas on sticky notes.
The international students from Thailand and France shared their knowledge about the homeless problem in their countries and some of the differences they see here in Japan.
Most importantly, we all thought about how Japan can improve the lives of homeless people in the future.
In addition to sharing our feelings and thoughts, we heard from some students about how students in some areas are actually looking for homeless people to cook for.
This tour was a fulfilling experience for those who participated because everyone got to hear various opinions, and not only thought about the differences between Japan and other countries but also the differences between Europe and Asia.
