On Friday, November 1, 2024, about 80 international and general students from AGU students went on an international field trip to Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture.
They left the campus early in the morning and headed to the rich natural scenery of Chichibu.

First, they tried a river cruise. The water level was low, as the boats sometimes skidded on the bottom of the river, but the splashes of the fast-flowing river made for a powerful ride. The boatman told the students about Nagatoro Valley and photo spots in the mountains, and the students enjoyed the beauty of nature as they took pictures of the surroundings.

After arriving at Nagatoro Leisure Farm, the students experienced mushroom picking. Before they entered a greenhouse with mushrooms, they were instructed how to differentiate delicious shiitake mushrooms. Many of the international students were curious about Japanese shiitake mushrooms, and enjoyed picking shiitake mushrooms, examining their shape and size with the help of the Japanese students.

With freshly picked mushrooms in hand, they headed for the BBQ. Under the ceiling full of grapes, they enjoyed a BBQ while grilling meat, vegetables and mushrooms they had picked. Students who had never met each other before quickly became friends after eating lunch together at the same table. They had a great time with having a delicious meal and communicating each other in both English and Japanese.

After they had lunch, it was time for dessert! They picked the seasonal fruit, “Shine Muscat”. They were divided into groups and looked for bunches with large grains. Some teams shared them among several people, while others tried to finish the whole bunch by oneself. Each team tasted the fresh fruit and deepened their exchange with each other.