Field Activity (Japanese language class , Monday course)

Field Activity (Japanese language class , Monday course)　

～Beautiful Riverside on Itako and Iris Garden～

We went on a bus trip to Itako( Ibaraki pref.) where is famous for Beautiful Riverside and Iris Garden　on June 7(Mon).
Twenty-eight people (16 NIA members including 7 children,5 non-members and 7 NIA staff) joined.
Foreign members were from Thai(4),Taiwan(4),China(3),France(7) and Australia(2).
It was occasionally cloudy, but mostly sunny throughout the day.
The Bus left Noda city hall for Itako at 9:00 a.m.and arrived at Itako at 10:45 as scheduled without being involved in a traffic jam.
We had a good time making self-introduction and speech in the bus.

We took “the 12 bridges of Kato states” course in the tours of Beautiful Riverside on Itako.
We went aboard a Japanese-style boat driven by scull,and enjoyed the charm of tasteful Suigo-Itako while having lunch on board.
Next, we visited the Maekawa Iris Garden in which multicolored (purple, white and yellow) irises are in bloom.After that we visited the Katori shrine which has an old history, and Sawara which is called small-Edo and famous for the home town of Ino Tadataka (the first Japan’s map builder).

All the members in a commemorative photo・・We enjoyed very much.

A Japanese-style boat tour of Beautiful Riverside.

Enjoying the beautiful scenery , we had lunch in the boat.

As the boat is equipped with an engine, the boatman did not often work a scull.

Maekawa iris garden

There are 500 kinds of irises in this garden. We hear one million stocks of irises

will be in full bloom in season.

In the future,I will be a photographer！

We wonder if she can tell Ayame from Hanashoubu or Kakitubata.

In front of the bronze statue of “Itaro Itako”

Katori-jingu

The head shrine of about 400 Katori shrines which are located all over the country.

Snap shot in the cedar tree which is 800 years old

The canal in Sawara

Troughout this field activity, we could promote mutual friendship and touch Japanese traditional culture and nature.