Twelve Kindergarten and Primary students from Tunku Putra-HELP School (TPH) travelled to Japan in July to take part in a week-long Summer School in the Forest programme hosted by Torisawa IB Kodomoen.

The programme provided students with an opportunity to experience Japanese culture, learn alongside local students and develop friendships through a range of hands-on activities and shared experiences.

Throughout the week, students took part in Japanese arts and crafts, practised Zen and participated in an udon-making session with their teachers. The activities encouraged students to explore new traditions and ways of learning while developing greater confidence in an unfamiliar environment.

The visit also continued a growing student exchange between TPH and Torisawa IB Kodomoen. Earlier this year, two Kindergarten students from Torisawa IB Kodomoen visited TPH in Kuching, where they spent a week learning and playing alongside TPH students.

Their visit to Japan gave the TPH students an opportunity to reconnect with the friends they had made in Kuching, highlighting the value of sustained international exchanges in helping young learners build meaningful relationships across cultures.

Beyond the classroom, the exchange allowed students from both schools to learn from one another, experience different languages and cultures, and discover the similarities that connect young people despite coming from different countries.

TPH is grateful to Torisawa IB Kodomoen for welcoming its students and for the continued partnership between the two schools. The exchange reflects TPH’s commitment to providing students with opportunities to broaden their perspectives, develop intercultural understanding and learn through experiences beyond the school campus.