For our Narrogin Senior High School STEM program, three staff and 27 students had a change of scenery over the spring holiday, from the Wheatbelt’s fields to the neon-lit, vibrant streets of Japan.

However, not everything goes exactly as planned in any journey, and we started ours with an unexpected delay of five hours at the airport in Perth, another six hours at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, and a bit of a mystery as our suitcases disappeared to take a little tour of Thailand without us.

With our emergency shopping for clothes done at Uniqlo, our guide Santi kept us on track to dive straight into the craziness of the subway in Tokyo.

Even the crazy weather conditions of rain and hot temperatures failed to bring us down.

Although the trip was meant to be a science, technology, engineering and maths tour to inspire career aspirations in an ever more technological world, it didn’t take us long to realise learning can happen anywhere outside the four walls of a classroom.

We replaced our usual schoolbooks with the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Miraikan, where we were amazed by the robots and inventions of tomorrow.

Additionally, some of our students made friends with the local students on field trips of their own by doing K-pop dances together.

The excitement of science was at an all-time high when we took a trip to Tsukuba Science City.

Visiting the JAXA Tsukuba Space Centre, which houses actual spacecraft and satellite technologies, and where astronauts also practise their skills, was like entering a scene out of science fiction movies.

Our own skills at solving problems were also put to the test at the TEPIA Advanced Technology Gallery, where we programmed small robots and drone planes.

Japan’s true magic comes in the way it effortlessly blends tradition spanning over hundreds of years with future technologies.

We walked around Asakusa marvelling at the impressive architecture of the historical Senso-ji Temple and then taking a relaxing cruise down the Sumida River to reach Odaiba, which showcased the riverside developments and architecture of modern-day Japan.

Of course, how could we miss out on the cultural heart of Japan?

Exploring the beautiful, energetic and lively neighbourhoods of Harajuku, Omotesando, and Shibuya involved saying “Sumimasen” — “excuse me” — multiple times as we navigated the crowds, just to take a look inside the Nintendo shops and see the colourful lights of Akihabara’s electronics and game district, while others were awed by the selection of music albums.

After days filled with mental work, we definitely deserved a day of fun amusement park rides and a spectacular light parade at Tokyo Disneyland.

We headed back on to the road on our final day in Japan as we entered the beautiful countryside surrounding Mt Fuji.

We visited the Yamanashi Maglev Exhibition, where students learnt about Japan’s remarkable high-speed magnetic levitation train technology.

We then explored Oshino Hakkai, a traditional village famous for its crystal-clear spring-fed ponds, before breaking a sweat hiking in Arakurayama Sengen Park. The stunning scenery provided a wonderful way to finish our time in Japan and offered a striking contrast to the busy streets of Tokyo.

Beyond the activities both recreational and educational, the Narrogin spirit was what made the trip truly special.

Evenings would bring us all together for the fun of Japanese barbecue and hotpot feasts.

From running late-night errands at 7/11 to dealing with travel hiccups together, we created ties that went way beyond our typical friend circles.

However, as we flew back home on October 7, not only were we bringing back memories and mementos of our experience, we were also bringing back a newfound independence, incredible experiences, new bonds, and a new outlook on the opportunities that the world can offer.

For our Year 12s, this was not just a trip but the perfect event milestone on the way to graduating.

A big thankyou to the staff who organised and supervised the tour, the families who supported their children in attending, the Narrogin P&C for their support, and most importantly, the students who made the trip such an enjoyable experience.