On October 31, 2025, AGU International Center held an International Exchange Field Trip for the international and regular students, with approximately 80 participants.
This time, the students who had participated in the workshop, conducted by JTB and AGU Social Cooperation Department, planned the itinerary and guided the tour. The program involved touring the Kawaguchi Lake area while enjoying exchange activities.
Departed Shibuya early in the morning, the bus took the participants for the suburbs. After a short drive on the highway, mountains with vivid autumn colors began passing by beneath cloudy skies.
The journey to the first stop took about two hours. Instead of a time to kill, the tour guide students made it to have fun and to know each other; they suggested the participants to introduce themselves in a group and organized some mini games like quizzes. The bus was filled with the cheerful voices of the participants.

As we approached Kawaguchi Lake, signs of hōtō noodles appeared everywhere. The bus arrived at a spot, where participants can cook hōtō together. In a spacious venue seating about 100 people, they started to make the noodle dough with instructions in both English and Japanese. Helping each other, they gradually completed their noodles. Each group then cooked their noodles in a pot filled with generous ingredients, and everyone enjoyed the taste of hōtō together. After lunch, on the way to the parking lot, the peak of Mount Fuji appeared from the clouds, and the students enjoyed taking photos.

With full stomachs, the participants boarded the bus for Narusawa Ice Cave. Descending stairs into the cave, they encountered large ice that naturally formed, and students captured the mystical view in photos.
After leaving Narusawa Ice Cave, we traveled about 30 minutes by bus to Saiko Iyashi no Sato Neba. This recreated village features rows of thatched-roof houses, each operating as a souvenir shop, cafe, gallery, and so on. The students browsed shops, buying souvenirs or sweets, while also finding photogenic spots and taking pictures of each other. In a little corner along the way, groups enjoyed various traditional Japanese games like takeuma or nagewa.

Though the day had a high chance of rain, it held off until all activities were completed, making for a very meaningful time of international exchange.