Japanese students training in medical fields have enjoyed a visit to Berry.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The students spent a week in Australia, ending their trip with an outing to the Berry Men’s Shed on Thursday, September 22.
The idea behind the visit originally stemmed from Masayuki Takagi who studied at the University of Wollongong in 2009 on an Endeavour Scholarship.
During the four month stay Masayuki visited the Berry Men’s Shed twice a week as part of his studies, engaging older people in activities and occupations.
After returning home to Japan Masayuki set up a similar concept, starting a ‘Japanese Shed’ for both women and men to make shoes out of recycled kimonos.
Masayuki said the benefits to the older population and the general community were significant.
Inspired by the difference, Masayuki worked with his former UOW supervisor Alison Wicks to organise a trip back to Australia.
Along with occupational therapy students, nurses, a physiotherapy lecturer and an occupational therapy student, Masayuki said he enjoyed the reunion.
All students were presented with homemade gifts by the Berry Men’s Shed, including a wooden kangaroo and crocodile.
A stroll through a local garden and an alpaca farm was also on Wednesday’s schedule for the visitors.
