Written by Lin Han Lu (Brandeis University), Student Correspondent for CET Japan, Summer 2026
With two weeks of my program left, this will be my last photography blog post! Throughout the program, the academics have been pretty rigorous; from completing my second oral and written exam to memorizing countless vocabulary and grammar points, it’s quite the challenge. Unfortunately, there was also a flu going around the program during this time, so it’s been tough on everybody!
Despite these difficulties, there has still been plenty of fun with festivals, excursions, and events. It has definitely been a great journey up to this point, and I want to share some of the fun things I’ve done.
Visiting a Japanese High School
For one of our long planned excursions, all of the CET Japan students visited a Japanese high school where we interacted with high school students. On a previous, smaller excursion, I was also able to visit a middle school where I participated in some after school club activities that middle schoolers participated in. We spent about five minutes with each club, which was unfortunately short because I really was having fun in some of these activities!
My most memorable ones were winning a typing test against the computer club and other CET students, but also getting totally eviscerated by some track club students in a running competition lol. Going back to the high school excursion, we were all greeted by some high schoolers and chatted about ourselves as they gave us a school tour. We spent our day having lunch together and also creating a presentation about the differences between our cultures.
Taiko Performance
One of the highlights of the program was watching local high school students perform Wadaiko, a style of traditional Japanese drumming. As someone who plays Taiko no Tatsujin, an arcade rhythm game inspired by taiko drumming, I was especially excited to see a live performance, and I was totally amazed by the students’ energy and how perfectly synchronized they were throughout the performance. Even better, they invited us to try playing the drums ourselves while wearing traditional performance clothing!
Fun with Fabrics
For one of the optional CET activities, we were able to make our own cloth through Saori weaving, a style of weaving that uses a Saori loom. One thing that I love that makes this special is that Saori weaving centers around embracing imperfection and developing individual creativity. So, when I snapped this picture of everyone creating their own fabrics, I can definitely sense the creativity as people experimented and chose their own colors of string to make their final piece.
A Bit of a Sidequest
At one point, I was unfortunately one of the people who caught the flu and ended up with a fever for a week. Most people would take this time to rest at home, but because I’m in Japan and I was feeling adventurous, I went to Kyoto for a couple of days to visit shrines and temples (definitely do get rest when you’re sick!).
Something special about being in Osaka is that going to other prefectures and cities is super convenient because of public transportation. Going to Kyoto was around a 45 minute train ride! It was very much worth going, as I could see incredible views like the image above at the popular sightseeing spot, Kiyomizu-dera temple.
While in Kyoto, I had some family over, so we traveled around the area, also visiting shrines, temples, and castles! My most memorable experience was crossing the Kamo River after visiting Shimogamo Shrine, one of the oldest Shinto shrines (a World Heritage Site according to UNESCO, woah). Near one of the bridges crossing Kamo River, there are large stepping stones that you can use to cross the river, and we saw people wearing yukatas relaxing as well as kids soaking in the river. Despite being sick, I was honestly inspired by these kids chilling in the water, so I ended up walking in the river barefoot, and it was super refreshing. Definitely recommend chilling in the cold water on a hot sunny day!
Additionally, one thing I wanted to experience myself during this summer program is to go to a matsuri, a traditional Japanese festival that usually focuses on celebrating a shrine’s deity or historical event. So, I also took a solo trip back to Shimogamo Shrine to celebrate Mitarashi Matsuri, where I participated in ashitsuke-shinji (foot-dipping ritual to wash away impurities and pray for good health in the Mitarai pond), offering lit candles, and also receiving sacred spring water. Between the river crossing and the festival, I somehow spent a surprising amount of my Kyoto trip standing barefoot in water!
Ending this off with a blast!
To end my last photography blog post, I wanted to include one of the biggest highlights of my summer: celebrating Tenjin Matsuri! I first visited Osaka Tenmangu Shrine on the eve of the festival, where I watched a lively lion dance along with several other traditional performances. The shrine grounds were already filled with people, music, food stalls, and festival decorations, so it felt like the celebration had begun before the main day even arrived.
On the actual day of the festival, I spent some time exploring Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street, known as the longest shopping street in Japan. It was fun walking past all the stores and festival stalls, although the combination of the summer heat and the huge crowds made it a little exhausting. At one point, a group carrying a brightly decorated mikoshi, or portable shrine, came directly through the shopping street. It was so memorable to see such energy happening in front of me as the performers were chanting and lifting the shrine through the crowd.
To end the day of the festival, I met up with other CET students to watch the boat procession and fireworks along the river. Seeing the illuminated boats move across the water while fireworks filled the sky was an incredible way to finish the celebration. Even though it was hot, crowded, and difficult to find a good viewing spot, sharing the experience with everyone made it much more memorable.
Looking back, what made this summer so unique was how much of the experience happened beyond the classroom. CET gave me opportunities to connect with local students, try traditional activities, and experience parts of Japanese culture that I had previously only read about or seen online.
At the same time, living in Japan made it possible to turn an ordinary free day into a spontaneous trip to Kyoto or an evening surrounded by festival performances and fireworks. Even with the difficult classes, intense summer heat, and getting sick along the way, these experiences made the program unforgettable.
I’m probably known for always bringing my camera everywhere throughout the program, but I’m glad I did because it allowed me to capture so many moments that I might otherwise have forgotten. As a photographer, I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to share these experiences through my blog posts. Shout out to my housemates Lucy, Ayaka, and Hinata, as well as my classmates in 321A, and to my teachers who have made my experience great!