Risako and Sakurako, hosted by the Heyes family, joined their host father in the garden to plant Japanese plants alongside Australian natives.
Just like these plants growing together, our cultures can grow side by side — each unique in character and heritage, yet connected by shared experiences and a common ground.
A lovely symbol of friendship, connection and the bonds created through homestay.
“Evie and I are missing Nana and Airi very much. You and John helped to make it a successful visit for all. Your Homestay organisation is the best organised and most supportive that I have experienced in my 20 years of hosting International students. I look forward to hosting again for you.”
Kingham Family
Earlier this month, EdVenture welcomed a wonderful group of students from Niigata Shogyo High School, Japan, to Brisbane for a 10-day study tour. As part of their program, we organised a Buddies and Students Tour, giving the students the opportunity to explore Brisbane alongside local university students. Throughout the day, they practised their English, experienced Australian culture, and, most importantly, made new friends and connections. A huge thank you to all the university students who volunteered their time and brought such great energy to the tour. We received wonderful feedback from both the Niigata students and teachers, and it was fantastic to see the students leave Brisbane with big smiles, great memories, and new friendships. We hope to welcome them back to Brisbane again in the future! 🇯🇵🇦🇺✨
We’re excited to welcome Shitennoji Junior and Senior High School from Osaka, Japan this July and August! Shitennoji is one of our longest-standing partner schools, and we always look forward to hosting their students each year!
Established in 1922, Shitennoji is a well-respected private school with a long history of academic excellence and a strong focus on holistic education. The school is known for nurturing well-rounded students through a balance of academics, cultural activities, and character development.
Students at Shitennoji enjoy a vibrant school life, with a wide range of club activities including sports, music, and cultural clubs. Their strong school spirit and commitment to both study and extracurriculars really stand out, and you’ll often find students actively involved in school events and teamwork-based activities.
Located in Osaka, one of Japan’s most lively and culturally rich cities, students come from a dynamic environment filled with history, food, and modern city life. Hosting a Shitennoji student is a great opportunity to learn more about life in Japan’s Kansai region—and to build a meaningful cross-cultural connection.
This year’s group will be visiting the following schools from 28 July to 8 August:
Interested in hosting? Send an email to homestay@edventureconsulting.com or apply here.
Want to know more about Shitennoji? Visit their website from here.
Japan has two beautiful traditions dedicated to celebrating children — Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day. These special occasions are not only meaningful for families but are also filled with colourful decorations, unique foods, and heartfelt wishes for children’s happiness and growth.
Let’s take a closer look at how these days are celebrated across Japan.
Hinamatsuri, also known as Girls’ Day, is celebrated on March 3rd each year. This day is dedicated to wishing girls good health, happiness, and a bright future.
The most iconic part of Girls’ Day is the display of hina dolls. Families set up a tiered platform covered in red cloth and decorate it with ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, and members of the royal court.
These dolls are often passed down through generations and are treated with great care. Traditionally, families take them down soon after March 3rd, as it is said that leaving them out too long may delay a daughter’s marriage — a fun cultural superstition!
Girls’ Day is also known for its beautiful and symbolic foods:
Families may also drink sweet rice wine called shirozake to celebrate the occasion.
Children’s Day, originally known as Boys’ Day, is now officially called Children’s Day in Japan. While it celebrates all children, it still has strong traditions focused on boys’ health, strength, and success.
One of the most recognisable symbols is the koinobori (carp streamers). Families fly these colourful carp-shaped flags outside their homes, with each fish representing a family member.
The carp is a symbol of strength and perseverance, inspired by a legend of a carp swimming upstream and transforming into a dragon — a powerful message for children to grow strong and overcome challenges.
Inside the home, families may display samurai helmets (kabuto) or warrior dolls to represent bravery and protection.
Traditional foods for this day are just as meaningful:
Both Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day reflect how deeply Japanese culture values family, tradition, and the well-being of children. While the decorations and foods may differ, the message is the same — wishing for children to grow up healthy, happy, and strong.
Whether it’s admiring elegant hina dolls or watching colourful carp streamers dance in the wind, these celebrations are a beautiful reminder of the joy children bring to our lives.
We are happy to share some great news from Brisbane State Secondary College (BSSSC)! While studying in Brisbane, visiting students from Niigata, Japan, joined local Art classes and explored their creativity in a new way.
Out of all the artworks made, two pieces by Minami and Nao were chosen for the Fire & Flourish Lantern Project. Their designs are now featured at the Brisbane Festival’s Afterglow exhibition in the City Botanic Gardens.
This is a fantastic achievement and something both the students and their schools can be proud of. Their drawings were turned into glowing lanterns, becoming part of one of Brisbane’s most loved cultural events.
This experience shows the value of cultural and educational programs that connect students from different parts of the world. Students not only improve their skills but also leave something meaningful behind in the communities they visit.
Congratulations to Minami and Nao – your creativity is shining bright for all of Brisbane to enjoy! 🌸✨
(Attached below are the students’ original artworks and photos from the lantern display at the festival.)
We’re excited to welcome back Niigata Shogyo High School from Niigata, Japan this July! Originally established under a different name in 1883, the school is celebrating its 142nd anniversary this year.
Niigata Shogyo has three main departments—Business, IT, and International Studies—each designed to prepare students with practical skills for future careers. In the International Studies department, students strengthen their English and communication abilities through exchange programs and hands-on activities.
A visit to their website or social media offers a glimpse into their vibrant school life, full of energy and enthusiasm, with students enjoying everything from school festivals to sports clubs.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niigata_commercial_high_school/#
Love skiing? Niigata is one of Japan’s top regions for snowfall—perfect for winter sports! Hosting a student from Niigata Shogyo could be the start of a meaningful friendship—and maybe even a future ski trip to Japan!
This year’s group will be visiting Sandgate State High School and Brisbane South State Secondary College from 28 July to 7 August.
Interested in hosting? Send an email to homestay@edventureconsulting.com or apply here.
Want to know more about Niigata Shogyo? Visit their website from here.
Our current Group In Focus school is Keika Gakuen School from Tokyo, Japan. Keika Gakuen was founded 127 years ago and today operates 3 schools, Keika Boys, Keika Girls and Keika Commercial.
With total number of over 2,300 students between the 3 schools, and a rich history, the school is proud to have graduated over 60,000 students to date.
Keika Gakuen has a strong focus on global education. Their students get plenty of opportunities to improve their English, both in Japan and abroad, with programs like the Singapore Study Tour, Guided English Tours of Tokyo, Cebu Island Language Training Program, and of course, the Brisbane Study Tour.
EdVenture has been proudly welcoming Keika Boys for over 20 years, making them our longest-running group! We greatly value our relationship with Keika Boys school and we know that our local schools and families in the area are also always ready to welcome them back. In recent years, the group has also had some Keika Girls join – a sign of how successful this tour has been.
This year, the group is coming back again and the students will attend North Lakes State College and Murrumba State College from 21 July to 2 August 2025.
Interested in hosting? Send an email to homestay@edventureconsulting.com or apply here.
Want to know more about Keika Junior / High School? Visit their website from here.
“Thank you for the opportunity. My life was so filled with joy with the noise, fun, frivolity and craziness that they unleashed. I wasn’t quite prepared for the let down that the girls heading back to Japan created. Both girls wrote me beautiful letters of thanks recounting the many highlights for themselves. Their letters are my treasure!! I would like to say how professional EdVenture has proven themselves to be over the the very challenging past 5 days. Your communication was top notch with both written and zoom meeting to keep hosts and students alike well informed. It was evident all care, consideration and thoughtfulness to all was paramount .”
Doyal Family
“Our consultant Carol made the process of joining the host family team easy and explained everything we needed to know in the months and weeks beforehand. We had access to dual English Japanese speaking staff during the visit and this made anything a little tricky easier to navigate. We really appreciated the little bio’s of our students that were given to us a few weeks before they arrived allowing us to personalise our welcome gifts and prepare a welcoming home for them. The bio cards also gave us some ideas on their interests and favourite activities so we could build these into our planned time with them.”
Simpson Family
