The flyer for the 2027 Japan trip posted in the hallways. Information is posted on the flyer and says to relay back to Mr. Gray or to Mrs. Lewis for more information. “Mrs. Lewis and I have been thinking about different cultures and different spiritualities, since we’re both religion teachers…We get to see how the Catholic faith is practiced in Japan, but also what Eastern religion look likes,” said Gray.

Every year, students at Cathedral take a week of school, sometimes two, and focus it on a single subject of their choice. This allows students to explore curiosities and dive deeper into fields that interest them. This is Cathedral’s take on January Term. Also known as J-Term.

Japan would not be the first out-of-country trip, as this year’s J-Term offers an opportunity to go to Greece, for example. Multiple students have signed up for the trip and look forward to going to another country. The newest trip creates a similar opportunity for the school and hopes to excite kids for next year’s J-Term. 

While going out of the country is exciting, the point of the trip is to learn about the different cultures and religions that are practiced in Japan. 

The trip would be 10 days, starting December 31 and ending January 9th. Students will need to stomach a 24-hour flight, landing in the first destination of Osaka – the “kitchen of Japan.” Here the students will get to try culinary specialties and street food.

Following Osaka, the group will then travel to a more historical city: Kyoto. This is where most of the temples are located that the group will be able to explore and learn about.

Mr. Gray, one of Cathedral’s Religion educators, shares that they will be “learning about spirituality and the beautiful ways of Japan that have been there throughout time, because they’ve preserved their history very well in Kyoto”. 

Students will also get to go to Hoki, a beautiful town which is home to the views of Mount Fuji. Here they will get to ride the Bullet Train and stay in traditional Japanese lodging. The trip will end in Tokyo, a town that is a blend of modern and traditional Japan. 

There will be various activities that will take place while in each town, and will be later released by Mr. Gray and Mrs. Lewis. Each activity will share bits of Japanese culture and traditions, helping to show how different cultures relate.

“I hope that students will learn that cultures are different, cultures are beautiful, that we should celebrate diversity, and that humans are innately the same everywhere,” said Gray.