Kimonos, Music and Culture (7.11.)

Our second day was full of exciting activities. We were able to sleep a little longer and after breakfast, we went to visit a Japanese castle. There, we explored an exhibition and entered the beautiful garden. The garden was perfectly maintained, meticulously designed, and full of beautiful plants. Additionally, the garden had a pond with Koi carp, just like we imagine a typical Japanese garden.
However, the highlight of the day was trying on the warrior armor and the 'Junihitoe,' which is a 12-layered traditional kimono. Not only us, but also the Japanese had a great time!
To immerse ourselves even more in Japanese culture, we went to the General Education Center, where we could showcase our musical talents. Each of us received a 'Koto,' which is a Japanese stringed instrument. The shape of the instrument resembles a dragon, with the strings being plucked at the dragon's head and the back end being called the dragon's tail.
It didn't take long and we were able to play the song 'Ode to Joy' on the instrument with the teacher's guidance and accompanied by singing. The teacher praised us and told us that we were better than the previous groups, which made us very proud. As a conclusion, we watched an informative film about Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which is of great significance in German-Japanese history.
After that, it was time for us to explore the city and do some shopping, while the teachers prepared for a joint dinner with the principal. And of course, for dinner, we had sushi once again!