INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS PROGRAMS
Outdoor education aims to build life skills.
Challenges are encountered and the group needs to explore solutions, be innovative, learn from each attempt, and have the resilience to keep going.
Through this collaborative interaction, they develop thinking and communication skills, learn to trust and support others, and are often surprised by their outcomes having been confronted by a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.
All these skills are required to conquer the challenges and succeed in life ahead.
Feelings of empowerment and a sense of achievement inspire confidence for future adventures.
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”
John Muir
Canyons is one of the leading providers of outdoor education to school groups in Asia. We have over 20 years of experience in Japan providing world-class programmes throughout the four seasons.
We understand the needs of international schools and we have been working with top schools in Asia to develop programs that meet the requirements of all international standards.
We offer a variety of standard programs but also can create custom programs to suit your needs:
Expeditions
Winter Programs
Summer Programs
Japan is the perfect destination for overseas school trips with its high level of safety, rich culture and great tourism infrastructure. Canyons are now registered as a travel agency as well, so we can help organise everything from the time you land to the time you fly out.
Our domestic school clients:
The British School of Tokyo
Yokohama International School
Nishimachi International School
Seisen International School
and many more.
Our overseas school clients:
Dulwich College Seoul
Dulwich College Singapore
Singapore American School
The British School Manila
UWCSEA
and many more.
EXPEDITIONS
Hiking
Japan is blessed with 1000's of kms of hiking trails, through its 34 national parks and historic routes. Here we can learn about flora, fauna, culture and sustainability, practical outdoor skills as well as soft and meta skills.
From easy half days to 7 day multiday programs we can customize a program for your schools needs.
Discover Kumano Kodo, Mt Fuji, Oze Marshlands and more!
Whitewater
With an abundance or pristine waterways, Japan offers some amazing whitewater experiences ranging from grade 1-4 rapids over 1-5 days.
Travelling through secluded valleys and terraced rice field plantations enables us to see rural Japan from a very unique angle.
Trips can be run self-contained or with full road support, depending on the goals of the group.
Packrafts are also available to maximise the learning experience.
Snowshoe & ski touring
The mellow tree line terrain ranging from 1200 - 2000m is the perfect introduction to winter touring.
See spectacular mountain panoramas and native flora and fauna. There are a number of possible routes that can be customized to the needs of the group and the time of the season.
Snow science and avalanche safety sessions will also be included as well as a choice of camping options.
WINTER PROGRAMS
Japan has amazing consistent snow conditions with a long winter season from December through to mid-April.
We have a large variety of ski resorts to choose from and all are easily accessible from Tokyo airports in under four hours.
The ski resorts are often uncrowded meaning you spend little to no time waiting in lift queues.
Snowsports Lesson
Season: Dec - Apr
Professional instructors guide students through the progressions of learning to ski or snowboard.
This is great for building self-confidence.
Snowshoe & Ski Touring
Season: Jan - Mar
Experience the freedom and grandeur of the mountains while learning about the environment and how to move through it safely in winter.
Snow Studies
Season: Jan - Mar
Learn the basics of snow science and avalanche awareness while experiencing the freedom and grandeur of the snow covered mountains.
Igloo Building
Season: Jan - Mar
A great team-building activity and useful survival tool, snow crafts are one of our most popular and satisfying winter activities.
SUMMER PROGRAMS
Sitting on the border of Gunma and Niigata Prefectures, Minakami town in Gunma is just two hours away from Tokyo and the metropolitan area.
Minakami is situated at the entrance to Joshinetsu National Park, with the Tone River flowing nearby and the majestic Mt. Tanigawa guarding the horizon.
With spectacular nature right on our doorstep, you can enjoy a wide range of outdoor adventures.
Canyoning
Jump, slide rappel, climb. We offer plenty of different canyoning courses, ranging from easy half-day to highly technical full-day courses.
Rafting
Half-day to multi-day adventures navigating the Shinano and Tone Rivers (largest and second largest in Japan).
Packraft
Learn the basics of using a double blade paddle in this exciting new sport. Explore lakes and rivers with the ultimate portable whitewater craft.
Hiking
Minakami is surrounded by two extensive national parks and has access to over 400 km of trails. Anything from an easy half-day stroll to multi-day expeditions are possible.
Orienteering
Teams use orienteering skills to navigate around a course and perform tasks to obtain clues to solve the final puzzle.
Team Building
Based on the project adventure model, we work through the phases of group development using a variety of challenging activities and games.
Cultural Activities
Japan has a rich cultural heritage and you can discover more about it through the range of hands-on experiences that we offer, such as arts and crafts.
Evening Activities
The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Evening activities can be tailored to the program, weather conditions, environment and the age of the students.