My Trip My Adventure in Japan

Day 2 | 3rd February, 2026

Bus Route in Tsukuba

Today started off a bit more relaxed. I took a morning walk around the university and the guest house area in Tsukuba. After that, I got ready because me and my friends were heading to the University of Tsukuba for an event. We took a bus in front of Azuma Elementary School, heading straight to the university campus in Daigaku Koen. 

Upon arriving, we were warmly welcomed by Eri-san. Guided by Nao-san and Nomura-san, we walked to the university's common room. After discussing for a while and taking some group photos, we were given some free time since it was still 10:00 AM, and the main event wouldn't start until 3:00 PM. We decided to go look for some University of Tsukuba merchandise. Unfortunately, the store was closed, so we were directed to check Kasumi instead. After a short walk, enjoying the beautiful Japanese scenery and the university buildings along the way, we finally got there and bought some merch and food to take back to the guest house.

University of Tsukuba Student Support Center

Picture with Mr. Nomura and Ms. Nao

Trip to University of Tsukuba

University of Tsukuba Monument

Since Nabil and I had to perform our prayers, we decided to split up from the others to find a place to pray. Afterward, we headed back to the common room but noticed a stall selling halal food right next door, so we went there to grab lunch. We enjoyed a comforting, warm bowl of soup with rice. A few moments later, our main event began. It turned out we were given a topic regarding educational issues and the use of AI in our educational environments, and we were divided into groups. My group consisted of members from various countries, including Indonesia, China, Japan, and Thailand. We discussed several educational issues occurring in Indonesia, such as frequent curriculum changes and the challenges both teachers and students face in keeping up with those developments every five years. As for the other topic, we talked about the education system in Japan, specifically touching on the stress levels of students as well as the heavy workload and responsibilities from the teachers' perspective. After an engaging discussion, the session concluded with a presentation from each group. 

Once the event finished around 6:00 PM, we took the bus back to the guest house. Nabil and I decided to stop by FamilyMart first to buy some food for dinner and breakfast for the next day. We then went back to our respective rooms to rest and prepare for tomorrow's adventure.

Day 3 | 4th February, 2026

Day 3 began with a journey to the University of Tsukuba campus in Tokyo. We took the Tsukuba Express (TX) train, and this time, we were accompanied by Poe-san, a student from the University of Tsukuba, to ensure we didn't get on the wrong train. After about an hour's journey, we finally arrived at the campus. I'm surprisingly, I ran into several SEAMEO representatives from Indonesia there. After a brief chat, we were called in and handed translator devices so we could follow along with the information being presented.

Translator Devices

We left our bags in a room and proceeded to observe classes at the University of Tsukuba Elementary School. We started by observing a 3rd-grade math class. I didn't quite grasp the whole learning system they were using, but the unique thing was that the teacher used cards to teach multiplication. Next, we went to a 5th-grade class, which was also studying math. In this class, the atmosphere and the students were much calmer. They were learning about the Pythagorean theory and the concepts of flat shapes, exploring how a pentagon could be transformed into other shapes like a circle or a triangle. After the class observation ended, we received an explanation about what had just been taught. Although I honestly still couldn't fully wrap my head around the math concepts, I was able to gain valuable insights into their teaching methods and the classroom atmosphere. 

Classroom Observation 5th class

Classroom Observation 3rd class

Classroom Observation in University of Tsukuba Elementary School

Once the observation session was completely over, we headed to the nearest Lawson to buy lunch and take a short break. After resting, praying, and eating, we went to a meeting room to attend a session hosted by Mr. Roberto from Chile. A lot of insightful things were taught during this meeting, but the one I remember most is when he explained a topic on logic. He presented a case where the answer could vary depending on each person's logical reasoning, as shown on the paper below. This meeting wrapped up our activities for the day, and we took the train back to our guest house in Tsukuba.

Picture of SEA-Teacher Students with Mr. Roberto