Seiritsu International Education

An airliner departs from Narita International. All too quick it seems, today our JE students departed after completing the action-packed program!

I'm happy to report all the JE students had no problems checking-in today at Narita Airport for their departure home! And it ended up only being 32 degrees and not that humid, quite pleasant actually!

First up this morning was our German student, Marvin! Here is the final photo with his home stay family The Fukuda's.

Myself and Marvin ready to do karate one last time!

A combined record number of about 53,000 people left from Narita International Airport and Haneda Domestic Airport from Tokyo due to the beginning of the summer obon holiday season. There was lots of traffic jams reported throughout Japan on the highways, and Narita was quite busy, but our JE students seemed to smoothly get right through departure security and off to their gates without a hitch.

Next up into the wild blue yonder was our American student Jessica (far right)! She was seen off by the Hanai family, plus the later leaving Canadians, Justine and Angeline.

Some happy, if not a little teary, faces as Jessica bid farewell to one and all!

Myself and Jessica, just before she went through security and off to customs, during which we all did the Japanese custom of continiously waving for many minutes until she was for sure out of sight.

Since it was a long wait until the two Canucks imitated migrating Canada Geese, Angeline and Justine said good-bye to the Hanai family right after checking-in, because the Hanai's then were to make their slow way by car through holiday traffic all the way back to their home in Tokyo.

I'll write to you first!...
...No, I will write to YOU first!...

Angeline and myself, just before she found a departure security gate with no line-up!

Justine and myself, in a photo that somehow went black and white. It sort of looks like I was seeing her off as she boarded an ocean-going liner of yesteryear...

With the sun setting during my ride on the express bus to Omiya in Saitama prefecture near my home, here's a photo taken while on the elevated highway near the northern part of suburban Tokyo along the Arakawa river, not too far from the school.

It seems all the JE students found the program very worthwhile, a trip of a lifetime, and there were many glowing comments in the completion questionnaires they filled out, plus some good feedback on how to tweak the program for next year.

The school and myself are just very happy the program was a clear success, and that the students who participated this year truly enjoyed it! Not only did each student thoroughly experience Japan from the inside out, they also made many new friends! Today's departure was is in no way good-bye forever for any of us, but simply see you all again, somewhere, sometime, that's for sure! Ja, mata ne!

In a few days I will post a conclusion message with some final photos.

Richard