GSP Japan Culture 2018 Hokkaido

May 21, Tuesday: The end

May 22, Tuesday

The end

Beautiful Sunrise on our last day

Some of our students went for a quick hiking to see the sunrise from the top of the Mt. Hakodate

After everyone left HakoBA, a poor Fernando all by himself with 19 strangers....

Memories from Hakodate: Mr.Hijikata postcards series!

Thank you very much for being such wonderful program participants, everyone!

You played, studied, ate, drank, chatted a lot, and tried everything with great enthusiasm!

You connected (bonded well) with your U of C peers, Japanese students, and local people.

They touched your hearts, but at the same time, you touched their hearts, too.

Thank you!

Yoko Kodama

May 20, Monday: Final Presentation/ Izakaya/ Last night

May 20, Monday

Final Presentation/ Izakaya/ Last night

Beautiful Morning: from the top of HakoBA

Working on the final presentation in the morning.

Going to Hokkaido University of Education for the Final Presentation.

The presentations were very informative and interesting. Some were very unique!

Izakaya experience. "Kanpai" with juice to finish the presentations!

Always so sad to say goodbyes....

A little treats for the Debriefing

SO cute!

The squid-shape sweet given by one of the Hokkaido University of Education professor

There were no squid inside...huuu!

.... just nice coffee flavour sweet bean paste with some mochi inside!

Program Debriefing: "Haiku" from everyone

My haiku were...

Sakura was beautiful,

but we made something more beautiful

in our journey...

最後の晩 (Our lats night)

なぜか景色がぼやけちゃう (Wonder why the view is blurry)

.... it means with tears in your eyes...

May 20, Sunday: Goryokaku Festival Parade/ Final Group Banquet

May 20, Sunday

Goryokaku Festival Parade/ Final Group Banquet

The boys joined the Goryokaku Festival Parade dressing up as KYOTO SHINSENGUMI!

The Shinsengumi (新選組, "New Selected Group") was a special police force organized by the Bakufu(military government) during Japan's Bakumatsu period (late Tokugawa shogunate) in 1863. It was active until 1869. It was founded to protect the shogunate representatives in Kyoto at a time when a controversial imperial edict to exclude foreign trade from Japan had been made and the Chōshū clan had been forced from the imperial court. The men were drawn from the sword schools of Edo.

The Shinsengumi fought in defense of Aizu territory under Saitō Hajime and joined the forces of the Republic of Ezo in the north. Shinsengumi numbers decreased to around one hundred in this period and they fought on despite the fall of Edo and clear defeat of Tokugawa.

Hijikata was killed from a gunshot wound during the Battle of Hakodate in Hokkaido. A remaining group of survivors surrendered in1869, marked the end of the Shinsengumi.The forces of the Republic of Ezo would later surrendered, which marked the end of the Boshin War.

Shinsengumi Uniform

The members of the Shinsengumi were highly visible in battle due to their distinctive uniforms. The standard uniform consisted of the haori and hakama over a kimono, with a white cord called a tasuki crossed over the chest and tied in the back. The function of the tasuki was to prevent the sleeves of the kimono from interfering with movement of the arms. The Shinsengumi wore a light chainmail suit beneath their robes and a light helmet made of iron. The uniform was best defined by the haori, which was colored asagi-iro (浅葱色, light blue). The haori sleeves were trimmed with "white mountain stripes", resulting in a very distinctive uniform, quite unlike the usual browns, blacks, and greys found in warrior clothing.