Narooma High School student are kicking off fundraising for a cultural exchange trip to Japan.
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It will be a plunge because they will attend a local high school while they are there as well as homestay with Japanese families.
So far 21 Year 10 students have put up their hand for the deep dive into Japanese culture.
It is the 13th school trip to Japan that Shirlee Rowland, the school's head teacher of wellbeing and languages, has organised during her career.
Doughnut drive, noodles at Oyster Festival
"In August we will be hosting 15 students from Inami Junior High School and in return we are travelling to Japan in December," Mrs Rowland said.
The students are now taking pre-orders for a Krispy Kreme doughnut drive.
The doughnuts will be delivered fresh on April 13.
They also hope to sell yaki soba - barbecued noodles - at the Narooma Oyster Festival.
"I would love to raise the cost of each student's airfare,' Mrs Rowland said.
Costings will not be finalised until October but the ballpark figure for a return flight is $1500.
The school is getting quotes for tour shirts and jackets.
Rich and varied itinerary
Inami is on Japan's west coast and is a heritage town.
During their homestay there, the students will have a go at traditional paper making and wood carving.
After six days in Inami they will travel to Hiroshima.
There they will visit the Peace Memorial Park as well as the nearby island of Miyahima and join a traditional Japanese sweet-making workshop.
They will experience more traditional Japanese culture in the former imperial capitals of Kyoto and Nara with their many shrines, temples and palaces.
Osaka Castle, built for a samurai warlord, is included in the trip.
It will finish with five days in Tokyo and will take in a visit to Disneyland.
Students will get to travel on a bullet train as well as Japan's underground train system.
Lovers of culture
Charlie N is keen to experience Japan's culture.
"I want to put into practice what I have learnt in class and to get practical experience over there," she said.
Charlie has been studying Japanese for some time but thinks "the homestay family will need to be very patient".
Marli enjoys visiting places where there is a lot of respect for the traditional culture.
Unlike Charlie, she has not studied Japanese.
"I am a bit nervous about the homestay but it will be a good experience to be in a home so different from what we are used to," Marli said.
Meanwhile Year 7 students did a lesson over Zoom with students from Inami Junior High.
They had to speak in Japanese while their counterparts spoke in English.
"They were so excited about it," Mrs Rowland said.
"It makes it a bit more real."
