Added Tuesday 13th January 2026 by Jacob Dace (Return to Blog)

ダラムキャンパス生達は、11月も様々なイベントに積極的に参加しました。Ushaw Houseでラフカディオ・ハーンの展示が行われている期間に日本文化の紹介、パリやフローレンスへのヨーロッパ研修旅行、ビーチ清掃のボランティア活動、光の祭典ルミエール見学、地元の小学校訪問、特別講師による「暗黒舞踏」のレクチャー受講など、思い出に残る貴重な体験ばかりでした。

During a special Lafcadio Hearn exhibition at Ushaw House, our students hosted a Japanese cultural exchange within the Refectory. We had many members of the public eager to attend and engage with our students’ activities. Afterwards, we took a walk around Ushaw’s beautiful chapel so the students could appreciate the site’s wonderful history. Lafcadio Hearn was a writer who introduced Japanese culture and ghost stories to the Western world. Hearn studied at Ushaw College in County Durham in the 1860s before later becoming one of the most important cultural bridges between Japan and the West. Teikyo University honours this legacy through our Lafcadio Hearn Cultural Centre.

Our students had the opportunity to travel to Paris or Florence for this term’s field trip. In Paris, they visited Disneyland and the Palace of Versailles, and also enjoyed free time to explore iconic sites such as the Louvre Museum and the city’s historic neighbourhoods.

Those who travelled to Florence experienced the Uffizi Gallery, explored the beautiful Renaissance streets, and even took a day trip to Venice. The trip lasted five days in total, and both cities welcomed us with wonderfully warm weather throughout.

On a surprisingly mild November afternoon, the students went to Crimdon beach to take part in some volunteering work. The Seascapes beach cleaning project helps to protect the Durham coastline by collecting unwanted litter from its shores. This has far-reaching benefits for both local people and wildlife. We filled up many bin bags with rubbish: plastic, bottles, fishing lines, and other debris that had washed up along the shore. It was rewarding to see how much of a difference we could make in just a couple of hours.

Our students also had the chance to experience the last ever Lumiere Festival in Durham. The city streets and historic buildings were transformed by stunning light installations created by artists from around the world. Students wandered through the illuminated displays, took photos, and enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere.

Two local primary schools in Esh and Shincliffe, welcomed our students for cultural exchange activities. Our students led interactive workshops, including Japanese language class, origami instruction, chopstick technique and calligraphy. The visits provided a wonderful opportunity for younger pupils to learn about Japanese culture while allowing our students to develop their teaching skills and confidence in an authentic setting.

The students had the privilege of a lecture from Dr. Alice Baldock, the Okinaga Junior Research Fellow in Japanese Studies at Oxford University.

She traveled up to Durham to give an interactive lecture on butoh dancing. Alice’s knowledge provided students with a rare insight into both the history and practice of butoh, a Japanese dance that emerged in the late 1950s and 1960s.

To end the month of November, a group of students enjoyed a fun evening of bowling at a nearby alley. Everyone embraced a bit of friendly competition as we cheered each other on throughout the games.

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Return to Blog Added Tuesday 13th January 2026