Yoshinogari Historical Park

Saga Prefecture is not only famous for its agricultural plains but also its diversity of nature. As we visit Saga, we can enjoy the beautiful beach in Ariake or even the mountainous area in the north of Saga. As there are many prefectures in Japan, there are many attractive places for tourism in Saga. The Stamp Rally at Yoshinogari Historical Park is an annual event for international students organized by the Society of International Student Support in Saga. Overall, it was an interesting and unforgettable weekend event for all of us participants.

The attendees who want to take part in the program have to register one month before it takes place. We were divided into 20 groups, and there were local Japanese people in each group to help everyone understand well. Each group has to complete a questionnaire and get a stamp in each station in the park in order to know more about the ancient culture of Saga and Japan.

At the beginning we were instructed to make a tusk out of paraffin stone with a rectangular parallelepiped shape. It looks like a tiny elephant tusk as shown in the photo. At every station we had to find the answer a question and explore one point of Japanese culture. There were questions asking what the Kyushu area is famous for, how many islands there are in Japan, and so on. I really admire the local people of Saga in the way they built up bastions and trenches to protect themselves from the enemy. While looking at the houses in the park, they remindeds me of the similar houses on high land in Vietnam or other Asian countries. Finally, we were the first team and also the team that finished the race first.

The event wasn't only a good outing activity but it also helped us get better at working in groups and was a good chance to improve our Japanese. It should be organized annually for local and international citizens get together and know more about local culture in places all over the world. Coming back from the activities at Yoshinogari Historial Park, the attendees found it a good place for friends or family gatherings on weekends. It provides a cultural and natural landscape for all people to enjoy the fresh air and learn about ancient Japan in Kyushu, and the stamp rally was a chance to build up the relationship between organization members through teamwork.