Japanese schools have a tradition of holding “educational tours.” A recurring event rare anywhere else in the world, there is usually one such trip in both junior high school and high school. 

Back when I went on educational school tours in the 1980s, typical destinations included the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara. But young people have no interest in ancient capitals, and I haven’t the foggiest idea of what we saw during that time. However, the pillow fights with classmates deep into the night at our hotel remain joyful memories for me.

Recently, educational tours have spread to include increasingly diverse destinations, with many schools opting for overseas tours. Among the schools choosing to take their educational tours abroad, public high schools account for 10 percent, while private high schools exceed 30 percent.

Quite a few schools now make overseas trips a key attraction for recruitment, with the United States and Australia being popular destinations. However, the large number of students traveling together is better served by sticking to neighboring countries.

One trend we can clearly identify is the sharp drop in school groups traveling to China and Korea, and a corresponding rapid rise of tours with Taiwan as their destination.

The reasoning behind the decline in school tours to China and Korea is quite simple: Other than antagonism between government counterparts, students sometimes encounter anti-Japanese protests and demonstrations, causing parents and schools to worry. This diminishes both countries’ appeal as ideal school tour destinations.

Taiwan Top Choice for Overseas School Tours

In contrast, Taiwan, which is friendly toward Japan, is reassuring and more welcoming, with such popular sites as the National Palace Museum and Jiufen being within easy reach. And delicious food and night markets are other key factors that appeal to young people. (Read: Don’t Tell the Japanese to Visit Jiufen Anymore)

This is why I frequently field questions through Facebook from individuals I have never met before, people who look a lot like teachers, asking me, “Where should I take my students in Taiwan?” on their upcoming educational tours. I also get frequent public speaking invitations. I did my most recent one, a pre-trip talk, in Tamba, a city in Hyōgo that I had never been to in my life.

The streets of this city, well known for growing chestnuts and black beans, retain the old style. It is also home to one of Hyōgo Prefecture’s few prestigious schools, Kashiwara High School.

Two hundred and forty sophomores from Kashiwara High School will be taking an educational tour to Taiwan in mid November, and asked me to speak to them as part of their pre-trip preparations. What is especially remarkable is that all of the students purchased my book, A Decade of Transformative Change in Taiwan, in advance.

                               

The readers originally envisioned for this book were university students and older. But judging from the questions I received from this group of students prior to my appearance, as well as their acquisition of the book before my talk, they had nearly all given it a serious read and had already gleaned a certain level of understanding of Taiwanese history, politics, and international relations.

My two-hour talk ran the gamut on everything from food and politics in Taiwan to cross-strait relations.

“Soup dumplings, which are considered a Taiwanese delicacy, are not a native Taiwanese cuisine, but rather originated in Shanghai. How did this become Taiwanese cuisine?”

“The Taiwan presidential palace was obviously built by the Japanese. How come Taiwan, unlike Korea, did not destroy architecture from the Japanese period, and has actually preserved it to date?”

“How did Taiwanese artists and politicians like Naomi Watanabe and Lian Fang become famous in Japan?”

I took advantage of questions closely related to everyday life to raise certain issues, bringing out the bigger questions behind them. Their eyes lit up as they listened intently, making me feel that the time we spent together on my talk was especially meaningful.

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Lukewarm Atmosphere vs. Spirited Debate

During my talk I took pains to stress the need for us Japanese to consider the importance of Taiwan-related issues.

At this time, everything in Japan can be considered stable. “Just leave it to Prime Minister Abe and everything will be fine” seems to be the sentiment spreading throughout Japanese society. From annual citizen stipends to the national debt and the issue of China, it seems like it’s okay not to think about anything. And this “lukewarm atmosphere” continues to spread.

But in Taiwan, from cross-strait relations to individual identity and the country’s future, there are no easy answers, and many difficult questions are hotly debated among the Taiwanese public.

In addition, discussions of such topics as same-sex marriage, opposition to nuclear power, and how to get along with foreigners - all of which are treated in phlegmatic fashion in Japan - have progressed rapidly in Taiwan.

These should offer considerable opportunities for young people to think about, and get them to ask “why” Taiwan has tackled them while Japan has not.

In my view, it is quite difficult for high school students to sit through a two-hour lecture. Yet this time they all managed to stay alert the entire time, and some students even eagerly raised their hands to ask questions.

One question, “What’s a good way to bargain at a Taiwanese night market?” had me laughing out loud.

Japanese tourists to Taiwan are on the rise. In 2005, only 25 Japanese high schools, with a total of just over 2,000 students, visited Taiwan. By 2016, this number had grown to 262 schools and over 40,000 visitors.

Nearly one-quarter of all participants in overseas educational tours visit Taiwan, making it the obvious top choice. And the figure continues to rise to this day.

To provide assistance, several Japanese scholars teamed up with the Taiwan Association of Japan to establish the Taiwan Educational Tourism Satellite Network of Japan (SNET Taiwan) to provide high schools and students taking part in tours with ongoing presentations.

My First Taiwanese Experience

The tour of Taiwan that the students are about to experience could change their lives, making them fans of Taiwan for life and earning their support for the continued progress of Taiwan-Japan relations. And, just perhaps, they will become my loyal readers.

“First experiences” with issues and things can be quite important and special, and the way we see other people is colored to varying degrees by our first impressions. My “first time” with Taiwan took place in 1988.

Then in my sophomore year of university, I took part in an international exchange program sponsored by Taiwan’s government, under which young Japanese students were invited to spend two weeks in Taiwan with their Taiwanese student counterparts visiting different areas around the island. I even got to shake hands with then-President Lee Teng-hui during the welcome reception, kicking off a pleasant trip. Over the next 30 years, my good feelings toward Taiwan have never wavered.

Kashiwara High School’s educational tour of Taiwan marked its eighth annual tour this year, having been initiated in 2012, the year following the devastating Sendai earthquake and tsunami. Before that, they had gone on ski trips to Nagano, later switching to Taiwan to rave reviews, with plans to continue visiting Taiwan. Kashiwara High School was established in 1897, just two years after the start of Japanese rule over Taiwan. And the school enjoys solid ties with Taiwan on many levels.

I look forward to them continuing to take educational tours to Taiwan for 10 or 20 years into the future, and cultivating outstanding young people who can carry the mantle of Japan-Taiwan relations forward.

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Translated by David Toman
Edited by TC Lin, Sharon Tseng