Chemistry trip to Japan

In the first week of half term, 26 girls and four staff from the Chemistry and MFL departments travelled to Japan for a cultural, culinary and chemical experience. The whistle stop tour of the country included some amazing visits. We started with two days in Tokyo, where the group explored the back streets of Asakusa, the Shogun garden of Hama Rikyu and the lights of Ikebukuro. We spent a morning at Jiyu Gakuen School, attending Chemistry lessons, eating lunch with Japanese students and learning traditional calligraphy with Sixth Formers. Later that day, we took a 400km bullet train journey, with views of the sun setting over Mount Fuji, to Hiroshima. We spent a moving day vising the site of the atomic bomb, where we paid our respects to affected children, laying paper cranes at the memorial to Sadoko Sasaki. Before another journey on the Shinkansen, we had the most memorable meal of the trip – traditional okonomiyaki. Two days in the ancient capital city of Kyoto were to follow and the group visited some of the most important Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. A scientific theme ran through the week, from traditional indigo dyeing to modern robotics and life sized blue whale models to exploding bottles of hydrogen. Everyone had a brilliant time and we can’t wait to go back to this incredible country! Mr Gill, Head of Chemistry

NEW SIXTH FORM CENTRE - OPENING AUTUMN 2026