Up bright and early, the students gathered downstairs at 8:00 AM for our daily briefing to prep for the schedule ahead. Today was always going to be a long, action-packed day with plenty of miles clocked up on foot and several journeys on the Tokyo Metro. After a thorough rundown of safety expectations, the boys grabbed breakfast and made a quick stop at the local konbini (convenience store) to stock up on snacks for the day.

At 9:00 AM, we met our ever-friendly guide, Kanu, who greeted us with her trademark smile, ready to lead us to our first main event: a Lantern Robotics Workshop.

Hands-On Tech & Arduino Coding

Before setting off, the students were given a safety briefing on navigating the Metro and what to do in the unlikely event anyone got separated from the group. Thankfully, the boys were spot-on: everyone stayed close to their allocated staff member and checked in religiously during the busy Tube changes!

After a 15-minute walk in the morning heat, we arrived at the workshop and were very glad to step into the air-conditioned studio.

We were met by the lovely Trent and his team, who led the session. The students split into groups of four for a quick refresher on Ohm’s Law and electrical resistance before getting hands-on with breadboards. Although this is primarily a Computer Science trip, several students from non-coding backgrounds threw themselves straight into the challenge.

The task was to program an Arduino board using C++, utilizing loops and board pins to connect a series of lights. Once wired up and battery-powered, these boards illuminated custom-built lanterns. It was fantastic to see their code come to life! (Check out the drive for pictures of their creations). Special mentions go to Sashi, Geordan, Yash, Leo, Alex, Rishi, Soham, Srujan, Areeb and Jude on this one. All of these students managed to work together to fully complete and test their lantern. See if you can spot them in the pictures. 

Buffet Lunches & Bargain Gaming

Following the workshop, we headed to a nearby mall for a buffet lunch. It was brilliant to see so many of the boys actively turning down familiar options in favour of trying more authentic Japanese dishes—they are truly making the absolute most of every cultural experience on this trip.

During a bit of free time afterwards, Pip was over the moon to find a console game he’d been eyeing up at half the price it would cost back in the UK. He even treated us to a quick lesson on how modern games are no longer region-locked—you learn something new every day!

Immersive Wonders at TeamLab Planets

Next, it was back onto the Metro for our slot at TeamLab Planets—a world-renowned, fully immersive digital art museum in Toyosu. (As you’ll spot in the photos, staff were making full use of the fans while queuing in the heat!)

Inside, the exhibition challenged every sense through a fascinating blend of art and technology:

• The Mirror & Light Maze: Endless reflection rooms using thousands of light points that made space feel infinite.

• The Floating Flower Garden: A room filled with real, living orchids floating in mid-air—as the boys walked near them, the flowers slowly drifted upwards to create a path, reacting in real-time to human movement.

• The Water Experience: Walking barefoot through knee-deep, warm water filled with projection-mapped koi fish. Fascinatingly, these aren't pre-recorded animations; the fish are rendered live by a computer program, continuously reacting to the students' footsteps. When a koi collides with someone, it bursts into seasonal flowers and scatters!

The boys came out buzzing. Jasper even asked if we could stay longer! We spent two full hours exploring, and it was wonderful to see them so captivated by the fusion of art and complex algorithms.

The Vibrancy of Harajuku & Pizza to Wind Down

To round off the afternoon, we hopped back on the Tube to experience the legendary district of Harajuku—the undisputed capital of Japanese street fashion, youth culture, and visual trends. The area was a proper eye-opener for the group! They were fascinated by:

• Gachapon Culture: The endless rows of capsule toy vending machines. Did you know the word "Gachapon" is an onomatopoeia? "Gacha" represents the metallic cranking sound of the dial, and "pon" is the sound of the plastic ball dropping into the tray!

• Pop Culture Icons: The sea of Hello Kitty memorabilia and towering street fashion, featuring bright neon outfits and massive platform boots.

• Car Culture: A few of the boys made a dash to a nearby street to admire some incredible, souped-up Japanese sports cars (like Nissan GT-Rs and RX-7s), taking plenty of photos to share later.

• Pet Café: There were a few of these on the street where you could go and have a coffee and play with the animals for half an hour. There were micropigs, otters, birds, you name it! 

Shopping bags in hand, we navigated the Metro one final time back to the hotel.

After such an energetic day, the boys were understandably exhausted. To recharge their batteries, Kanu kindly arranged a well-earned Domino's pizza feast at the hotel, catered to everyone’s dietary needs—a welcome bit of comfort food after a relentless day on their feet.

Day 3 was an absolute blast, and we honestly couldn't ask for a better group of young men to represent the school.

Photos here! - Stay tuned for tomorrow!