{"id":73099,"date":"2026-08-12T21:01:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T21:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/73099\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T21:01:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T21:01:12","slug":"burbank-high-school-students-study-abroad-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/73099\/","title":{"rendered":"Burbank High School Students Study Abroad In Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"japan\"<\/a>Burbank High School students Sofia Obradovic and Chloe White explored Japanese culture during a summer intensive trip. (Photo Courtesy Kristopher White)<\/p>\n

Two Burbank High School students attended an immersion program at Koyasan High School in Japan during their summer break. Rising junior Chloe White and sophomore Sofia Obradovic were selected from a pool of more than sixty applicants by the Rockwell Education and Beyond foundation for the experience.<\/p>\n

\"Water<\/a>\"Providence<\/a><\/p>\n

Obradovic and White visited Japan from June 8 to 15, attending Koyasan High School in the Koya region south of Osaka, and touring places of note in Kyoto. While attending classes at the high school, the girls stayed in the student dormitory on campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe luckily didn\u2019t have much jetlag when we landed in Japan,\u201d White said.\u201d \u201cWe hit the ground running, visiting the Seishu-no-Sato shrine, which honors a physician who pioneered the use of general anesthesia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first day we spent meeting the students and attending one English class and one special lesson given by Shoko Ieda [popular author] on drug abuse,\u201d said Obradovic. \u201cThe following three days we spent the first half of the day attending various lectures in the school and then after lunchtime we would head out with the English teacher and do some sightseeing around Koyasan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t challenging to communicate when attending school since Chloe and I had translation apps on our phones plus the students were able to understand some of what we said,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\"shingonBurbank High School students Sofia Obradovic and Chloe White took a class in Shingon Buddhism at Koyasan High School in Japan. (Photo Courtesy Sofia Obradovic)<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were definitely some challenges with the language barrier, but everyone was very patient and accommodating,\u201d White said. \u201cWe managed to fumble through conversations with minimal Japanese, waving our hands around and using translation apps.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSince we were in the girls dorms we got to live alongside the students and help with daily chores,\u201d she also said. \u201cI really enjoyed being a part of that community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a mix between specialty classes and normal classes. We learned calligraphy, Ikebana (flower arranging) and religious studies. My favorite was the calligraphy class,\u201d she added. \u201cThe teacher showed us all the steps and had us make custom souvenirs with calligraphy on them. The school also has a Buddhist class and a temple where we went to morning assemblies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Koyasan High School is located near Mount Koya, one of the most sacred places in Japan and the place Shingon Buddhism was founded in the early ninth century. The small school with a population of about 200 students offers both religious studies and general studies tracks.<\/p>\n

The school \u201cwelcomes international students from around the world, making it a uniquely global environment,\u201d explained Etsuko Iwai, President of Rockwell Education and Beyond and the chaperone for the Burbank students\u2019 trip. \u201cBecause of its small size, the principal\u2019s educational philosophy is reflected quickly and consistently throughout the school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the case of Koyasan High School, dormitories were originally established for students in the Religious Studies track (many of whom come from temple families), but many General Studies students \u2014 both boys and girls \u2014 also live in the dorms,\u201d she went on to say, noting that dormitories are not a common feature of Japanese high schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cKoyasan High School is part of the Shingon Buddhist tradition, and its educational approach is rooted in that cultural environment. Every morning, students recite the Heart Sutra.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur two scholars participated as well, and the principal emphasized that this practice is not about religious indoctrination but about cultivating emotional development, discipline and moral grounding,\u201d Iwai said.<\/p>\n

On the second day of school at Koyasan, Obradovic and White took a calligraphy class and an English class.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the calligraphy class we learned the kanji ume meaning plum and how to write our names in Japanese using the writing system of our choice (hiragana, katakana, or kanji),\u201d explained Obradovic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the English class, we were split into two groups, one with me and one with Chloe. We were asked to write as many colors as we can in English and then have the students teach us the names of those colors in Japanese.\u201d\"japan\"Exchange program coordinator Etsuko Iwai sits with Burbank High School students Chloe White and Sofia Obradovic in Japan. (Photo Courtesy Kristopher White)<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the third day, we attended a class that taught us how to make an Ikebana, a traditional Japanese art of making flowers. After that we attended a religion course where the teacher conducted a lesson out of the textbook he wrote.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the fourth day, Obradovic and White attended two English classes that focused on exercises for the Japanese and American students to get to know each other. The final class was a religion class where students played an adaptation of a card game based on luck.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis experience was new for me. It was the first time I have ever stayed at a dormitory and the first time I have attended classes like this. I thought it was an exciting experience and it definitely helped me see Japan from a new perspective,\u201d Obradovic said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of each day Chloe and I asked some of the girls that stayed at a dormitory to go for a walk. They took us down to the convenience store and we all got late night snacks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my favorite parts was our free time in the evening because the girls at the dorm would take us on walks at night to go to the convenience stores and explore the town,\u201d White concurred.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a little scared at first to stay in a school abroad for some days, but I really enjoyed the new experience and perspective,\u201d she also said. \u201cThe students there were so kind and it was really interesting to see someone else\u2019s completely different lifestyle. I would definitely recommend this kind of experience to anyone interested in going abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0After their Koyasan High School immersion concluded, Obradovic and White went to Kyoto with Iwai and visited the Daitoku Temple, the International Manga Museum, the Kiyomizu Temple, Nishiki Market and Team Labs.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my favorite experiences was when we were in Kyoto on the second half of our trip,\u201d White said. \u201cWe had a chance to do a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and wear traditional kimonos. After the ceremony, we wore the kimonos out as we walked around a giant outdoor food market. It\u2019s a pretty big tourist spot so there were all kinds of different foods lining the shops.\u201d\"japan\"Burbank High School students Sofia Obradovic and Chloe White explored Japanese culture during a summer intensive trip. (Photo Courtesy Kristopher White)<\/p>\n

White also mentioned the Kiyomizu Dera shrine in Kyoto.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe shrine is really unique because it sits on the side of a mountain, and you can look over the entire city below from its balcony,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was packed with people and on the walk up there were tons of shops lining the streets selling drinks, mochi and souvenirs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Obradovic and White noticed some differences between high schools in the U.S. and Japan, apart from the obvious population contrast, as Burbank High averages about 2300 students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe layout of the classes were different. When we walked down hallways, I noticed students greeted every teacher with a bow whereas in Burbank they would go unnoticed,\u201d Obradovic commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe high school was actually pretty different from school here in Burbank,\u201d White agreed. \u201cThe biggest difference was the way the students treated staff. It felt like they respected them a lot more and would put more of an effort into treating their classrooms with care. A good example is how the students would clean the board and sweep the floors in between classes.\u201d<\/p>\n

While they adjusted easily to the time change going to Japan, Obradovic and White noticed they were both pretty jetlagged the first few days back home in Burbank.<\/p>\n

The students found out about the scholarship contest offered by Rockwell Education and Beyond from John Muir Middle School teacher Ted DeVirgilis, who has helped host Muir\u2019s annual Japan Day celebrations for over a decade with visiting students from Rebun Island<\/a>. Their selection was announced in May at the historic Koyasan Buddhist Temple in downtown Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Obradovic and White will share photos and their thoughts on the trip at an event held at The Japan Foundation in Los Angeles later this month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really grateful Rockwell Global Elite gave me this scholarship and opportunity to go to Japan,\u201d White said. \u201cAfter this amazing trip, I can only hope other students take the leap and try to go on their own trips abroad to deepen their connections with other people and cultures.\u201d\"japan\"Burbank High School students Sofia Obradovic and Chloe White explored Japanese culture during a summer intensive trip. (Photo Courtesy Kristopher White)\"japan\"Burbank High School students Sofia Obradovic and Chloe White explored Japanese culture during a summer intensive trip. (Photo Courtesy Kristopher White)\"ikebana\"Ikebana, flower arranging, made by Burbank High School students Sofia Obradovic and Chloe White at Koyasan High School. (Photo Courtesy Sofia Obradovic)\"shingonBurbank High School students Sofia Obradovic and Chloe White took a class in Shingon Buddhism at Koyasan High School in Japan. (Photo Courtesy Sofia Obradovic)\"japan\"Burbank High School students Sofia Obradovic and Chloe White explored Japanese culture during a summer intensive trip. (Photo Courtesy Kristopher White)\"japan\"Exchange program coordinator Etsuko Iwai sits with Burbank High School students Chloe White and Sofia Obradovic in Japan. (Photo Courtesy Kristopher White)<\/p>\n

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