July 31, 2025, began very early. After a warm yet bittersweet farewell in Tokyo, we boarded our bus to Narita Airport at exactly 7:00 a.m. The streets were still quiet, while on the bus there was a mix of tiredness, wistfulness, and quiet anticipation. Some of the young people gazed silently out the window, while others quietly reminisced about their last experiences in Japan. Upon arrival at the airport, our first task was to check in our luggage. This went surprisingly smoothly, perhaps because everyone knew exactly what to do, or simply because we were all in the travel flow. After that came the obligatory security check. Even then, you could already feel it: we were on our way home.
Before boarding the plane to Vienna, we took some time for one last important moment and our Five-Finger Reflection. Each finger represented an aspect of our journey: something we especially enjoyed, something we wanted to point out, something that didn’t go so well, something we wanted to take with us and carry back to Berlin, and something we felt was missing.
The young people shared their thoughts openly from their amazement at Japanese culture, to new friendships, to moments that had made them braver. It was a fitting and heartfelt conclusion to our shared time in Japan. Then it was time to go. Departure to Vienna. For many, the long flight was a chance to mentally revisit the last few days or simply to sleep. Upon arrival in Vienna, we had a short layover. It was nice to sit together one more time, to talk, and to slowly realize that our adventure was coming to an end. After a total of 27 hours of travel, we finally landed in Frankfurt. Tired faces but shining eyes; that’s perhaps the best way to describe that moment. We had made it. And although exhaustion was etched into all of us, the joy of being back on German soil was great. Still, saying goodbye was not easy. With a smile and a tear, we said “see you again.” Smiling, because we were returning home with so many wonderful memories and deepened friendships. Tearful, because a very special shared time had come to an end. Now we look forward with excitement to our reunion in Berlin on 25th of august. This chapter may be closed, but it certainly won’t be our last adventure together.