Day 15: July 16, 2018
  1. Field trip to Miyajima
  2. Filipino dinner and communicating with local people

This field study trip was postponed from Saturday, July 14. The highway in the Higashi-Hiroshima area finally resumed and thus we were able to visit Miyajima, also known as Itsukushima, where is famous for Itsukushima Shrine, one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Itsukushima Shrine was built by Taira-no-Kiyomori, a general of Heian-period who was assigned to rule Akinokuni (Hiroshima area in the present time). We also visited Kiyomori shrine which was built in 1954 in commemoration of the 770th anniversary of Taira-no-Kiyomori’s passing. In the afternoon, we climbed up to the Daisyo-In temple where consists of complex temples and an important temple for Shingon Buddhism.

After the field trip to Miyjima, We came back to Hiroshima International Plaza (HIP) for Filipino dinner specially made by Ms. Maria Kawasaki who is from the Philippines and lives in Higashi Hiroshima. We have known her since 2015 when she owned a Filipino food restaurant and it was 8th time her to involve this training.

The training is a month long and having trainees’ soul food  is very important for their mind and thus we always provide this opportunity once during the training.  This time, w e also invited a family of a graduate student who went Peace Memorial Park trip with us because her mother is from the Philippines. Everyone enjoyed home-made Filipino meal and conversations.  This session reminded trainees of home and also was a great energy charging time at the middle of the training.