MASTROKALOS CONROY IOANNIS ANDREAS CARL

On March 17 and 18, 2026, I went on a study visit to Okawa City.

Although it was only for two days, I saw and learned many things.

First, we visited a woodworking factory. There, we learned about the process of wood processing.

After that, we all went to have lunch together. We ate onigiri and karaage, which is a specialty of Okawa City.

After the meal, everyone made their own wooden craft. I tried making kumiko. While reading the manual, I put the small wooden parts together and made the piece shown in the photo below.

In addition, we learned about the history of Okawa City. We were told that before Okawa became known for furniture making, shipbuilding was very active there.

After that, we went to see the sunset. It was a very beautiful view, and it left a strong impression on me.

Also, I heard that the area beyond the red bridge is Saga Prefecture.

We also went to a place where kumiko is made. There, we were able to see many different kinds of kumiko. I heard that this kumiko piece was very expensive and took six months to complete.

Finally, we went to a very old building. I heard that it was a building where the Emperor once stayed. There, we learned about the history of the building and also experienced a tea ceremony.