STUDENTS got a first-hand look at how Japan is regenerating following the devastating tsunami which hit the country eight years ago.

Sixth formers from Egremont’s West Lakes Academy spent eight days in Tokyo and Fukushima, visiting schools and meeting students and teachers who were involved in the regeneration.

The group spent the first few days in Tokyo - where they climbed the Tokyo Skytree, the highest tower in the world (standing at 634m high). They were also honoured to meet the First Lady of Japan, Akie Abe, during a visit to the Prime Minister’s official residence. Students contributed towards making a bamboo lantern that will be lit alongside others to mark the start of next year’s Olympic Games.

The academy’s head girl, Ellie Parr, said: “After walking around Tokyo we got the amazing experience to meet the First Lady of Japan. We were told all about lanterns that were being crafted and designed in order to be placed in the 47 prefectures of Japan. They are being created in order to bring a positive and uplifting light to Japan for the Olympics in 2020. We each got the opportunity to drill a hole ourselves into a lantern which was amazing, because we will actually get to be a small part of the beautiful creation the lights and the moving message they create.”

“We were also given a tour Prime Minister’s residency which had so many grand rooms and stories that were really interesting. One of the highlights of the day was the fact that I got to give a thank you speech to the First Lady herself. This was truly an honour and a moment that I will never forget.”

The group then moved on to Fukishima for the second part of their trip where they had a go at rice harvesting, before visiting a local high school where they took part in sessions in archery, and koto (a Japanese stringed musical instrument) alongside many of the Japanese students who visited West Lakes Academy in August. They also experienced local Japanese culture at a Buddhist temple where they took part in a singing lesson from one of the lead monks, tried calligraphy before ending the session with a prayer.

Students also learned about the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster during tours of the Daiichi and Daini Nuclear Power Plants and the TEPCO Decommissioning Archive Centre.

After a visit to the Futaba-machi exclusion zone, Year 13 student Kathryn Nann said: “We had a bus tour around the Futaba-machi exclusion zone. It was surprisingly beautiful seeing all the house become one with nature again, but the experience was also very harrowing. We passed abandoned houses which had been damaged by the earthquake and tsunami, but couldn’t be returned to and fixed due to the high levels of radiation. We passed a clock that had stopped at the exact time of the earthquake and had remained that way for the eight years after, which reminded us of the impact of the accident on the lives of those who lived there and how there was once life in the town.”

This was the first exchange between the two regions and will see students enjoy what is hoped will be the first of a long-standing relationship that aspires to have teacher exchanges in the future.

Year 13 student Kathryn Nann said:

“The city is so busy, as there is constantly something else to do and explore. The top of the Skytree was spectacular and you could see how the city had developed over time. The highest floor was at 450m and is the highest point in Tokyo and provided amazing views. Walking through the streets of the Ginza shopping district made me appreciate how different this culture is to our own, as the cuisine is so heavily based on rice and fish, and most shops are dedicated to a number of different cartoon icons that many people still appreciate in their adult life.”

Year 13 student, Neve Richardson said: “It was a fascinating experience, however, as soon as we arrived, we had a presentation from a TEPCO worker and the first thing he did was apologise for the fear and anxiety the accident has caused. This was heart-breaking to see that the workers feel responsible, yet they have no control over a natural disaster occurring.

“In the archive centre, we saw of breakdown of TEPCO’s lessons from the incident. After many security checks we toured the Unit 4 reactor, heat exchange building and the mobile generators. I have always lived close to Sellafield, yet have never been inside, so it was interesting to see what a nuclear site actually looks like. We viewed the reactor and storage pools from the control room and then walked underneath the reactor, which was amazing.”

After a visit to the Futaba-machi exclusion zone, Year 13 student Kathryn Nann commented: “We had a bus tour around the Futaba-machi exclusion zone. It was surprisingly beautiful seeing all the houses become one with nature again, but the experience was also very harrowing. We passed abandoned houses which had be damaged by the earthquake and tsunami, but couldn’t be returned to and fixed due to the high levels of radiation. We passed a clock that had stopped at the exact time of the earthquake and had remained that way for the eight years after, which reminded us of the impact of the accident on the lives of those who lived there and how there was once life in the town.”

She added: “We then went on to tour the abandoned city hall and an elementary school; this was a very rare opportunity, as even the townsfolk who lived in the area aren’t allowed to return and tour the facilities. We heard tales of how the town was abandoned, and how no one knew the severity of the accident or that they wouldn’t return. The town is now an archive, and the city hall building has been preserved in order to remember the accident. The tour of the school was an emotional experience as the students of the school will now be our age. We were given a small insight into people’s lives and it allowed me to try and understand the panic that they all must have been feeling. It was harrowing to see the bags piled at the doors, the science projects that had died, the dates written on the blackboards, the old technology and the countdown to the next 6th grade graduation. I felt moved by the experience.”

The trip ended with the students representing the UK at the International High School Summit in Fukushima which addressed the nuclear industry and surrounding infrastructure and job potential in relation to education and future student prospectus. The presenters were described as ‘confident and articulate’ by members of the audience.

Jonathan Johnson, chief operating officer of West Lakes Multi-Academy Trust said: “It was an honour to visit Japan and the prefecture of Fukushima. Our schools aim to change lives through learning. This was a life-changing learning experience for all of us.

“If there was ever the perfect example of the promise of the endless possibilities, resilience, achievements, tolerance, freedom, respect and bravery that young people hold, it was watching our students and the students of their high school meeting and forming new friendships.

“The contribution of our sponsors, parents and community, along with the overwhelming generosity of the Japanese cannot be underestimated.

“Our young people and theirs are the new changers and innovators of our communities and world and they have the courage to make change happen. We just need to give them the space to excel.

“Meeting the First Lady of Japan was an unexpected highlight. She graciously welcomed us in to her home and gave us a tour of the historic landmark. We then had another unexpected highlight of meeting Katrina Johnson-Thompson who was staying in our hotel on the way back from winning gold in the World Athletic Championships. She, Adam Gemili and Andrew Pozzi took time out to talk to our students.

“We were given access to areas not open to the public in order to witness the devastation of the combined disaster that took place eight years ago. Clocks stopped at the time of the earthquake, houses were left abandoned, schools deserted - with bags and shoes left in exactly the same place as they were when the children and teachers were ordered to flee. These are just a few of the deeply moving experiences we had that will stay with us but we, like all the people we met, look forwards and are excited to welcome their students and teachers to west Cumbria again before we make a return visit.”