As part of the “Professional Training” in the English course of the Graduate School of International Relations, the students visited government institutions as well as private corporations and Japanese traditional crafts in Ayabe City on June 5th and 6th.

At the Ayabe City Hall, students attended a presentation by Mayor Yamazaki on the decreasing in population and the problem with the aging population. Students also learned some of the tasks local governments face nowadays. 

The students attended an observation tour at the Nikko Seiko Co., Ltd. and they acquired the knowledge of how a local company was able to expand and to develop into a global-scale corporation.

After the observation tour, the students paid a visit to the Kuroya Washi Kogei no Sato (Kuroya Japanese Paper Handicraft Village) which is located in Tokuranabatake town. The students learned the process of making traditional Japanese handmade paper and they also accepted the challenge of making it. It was the first time for many of the students and they were able to produce a Japanese paper that is unique and unmatched.

The last stop of the tour was at Gunze Memorial Hall where the students learned the entrepreneurial spirit which was established 130 years ago and the management philosophy of serving the society. 

Students from 13 different countries and Japanese students gained a brand new prospective on Japan and Kyoto after this training tour.