Date: January 7-9
Location: Hiroshima
Program:

　　The first program of 2023 was the visit to Hiroshima as their second LIT project. We met at Hiroshima station on the first day and visited the Itsukushima shrine. We walked up to the famous torii gate, had some local snacks, and overall enjoyed the visit to the World Heritage Site.

　　On the second day, we went cycling on the picturesque Shimanami Kaido. There were a few hiccups along the way, such as finding a mistake in the budget, forcing them to change the plan slightly, and one of the members getting lost. However, the weather was warm, the view was spectacular, and we all thoroughly enjoyed the day.

　　The third and last day was the visit to the Peace Memorial Park, the main event of this project. A local guide, who has been involved in peace activities for many years, gave us a tour around the park. She told us stories and gave us extensive explanations at each exhibit, far more than a document and signage could provide. We also visited the Memorial Museum and saw more displays of the devastating effects of the Atomic bomb. After visiting the park, we had reflections with the guide on what they had learned, how they felt, and what they wanted to know more about.

　　In this project, each member had their own roles, such as scheduling, budgeting, and meals. They had limited opportunities to meet face-to-face and had difficulty organizing themselves at a time. A few issues arose even on the day of, but they managed through them and were able to complete the project in the end, and the visit to the Memorial Park was truly a memorable event. This was their first time visiting Hiroshima, and besides the sightseeing, we enjoyed the food, the conversation, and even the time we spent together on the train.

　　There are less than 3months left in this year’s LIT program, and LITs are all starting to prepare for their next step. We look forward to seeing what they have gained this year and how they can apply it to their next stage.