Middle School Social Studies Teacher Mr. Nate Richie and a couple of his students at Milton plan to take a nine day trip to Japan in June of 2025.
Mr. Richie said they are going to take a bus to an east coast airport, where they will board a plane to Japan. Their hotels have not been decided yet, said Mr. Richie.
Some of their destination include Tokyo, Hiroshima, Osaka and Yokohama. They will go to a park in the city of Tokyo, Hiroshima Museum, Osaka Castle and Miyajima, he added.
They are hoping to learn more about Japan’s culture and their way of living, said Mr. Richie. “I have never been to Japan, and I chose to visit Japan because Asian cultures and traditions have always interested me,” he said.
Mr. Richie said they hope to try unique foods that are famous in Japan, like different flavored Kit Kat chocolate bars. He said they will also visit traditional Japanese sites, building and cultural experiences.
Sophomore Wyett Heintzelman, who plans to go on the trip, said he wanted to learn more about how Japan differs from the U.S. He added that he is looking forward to seeing the transportation styles, local community events, interactions with people and merchandise in the gift shops.
According to Mr. Richie, a concern about the trip is not understanding and being respectful of Japanese culture and/or language. He added there will be a chaperone, in addition to his supervision. They are traveling with EF Tours, he said.
The cost of the trip is $5,489, said Mr. Richie. They are hosting at least one fundraiser for students to earn money towards their trip, but they have not decided when the fundraiser is.
“There is also a payment plan that you can use to pay for the trip,” said Mr. Richie.
According to Mr. Richie, there are currently 12 students who have signed up for the trip. He added there is no limit to the number of students; they just must be a student in the district. If anyone is interested in the trip, they can contact Mr. Richie any time by email at [email protected] or by going to room 204 in the middle school, he said.
