3日目の朝を静かな島で迎えたUSコース。ラジオ体操と朝食で身体をしゃっきりさせたあとは、地元の方に島の料理を教えていただきます。グループ毎に担当を決め、約30人分の島うどん、さつまいもの蒸しパン、海老のお寿司づくりで生徒は大わらわ。ゴボウのささがきから、蒸しパンの成形まで必死に「大津島の料理の先生」に食らいついていきます。最後は皆で滋味豊かな昼食をいただくことができました。
午後は回天運搬用トンネルと、回天訓練基地跡地を実際に歩いて見に行きました。青い海と、今なお失われた命を私たちに伝える史跡のコントラストに、自然に言葉少なになる生徒の姿がありました。
フェリーで島を離れる際、桟橋には今回の大津島での滞在を全面的にバックアップしてくださった海の郷のスタッフの方々の姿がありました。手を振り返す生徒の背中は、初日よりも少し逞しくなったように見えました。この経験を今後の学校生活の糧にしてもらえれば、幸いです。

The third morning started on the quiet island. After a refreshing breakfast and radio exercises, the students were taught by local residents how to cook traditional dishes. Each group was put in charge of a different task, and the students were busy making Shima udon, sweet potato steamed bread and prawn sushi for 30 people. From whittling burdock root to forming the steamed buns, they desperately tried to keep up with their Otsu instructors. In the end, everyone was able to enjoy a tasty lunch together.
In the afternoon, we went to see the Kaiten transport tunnel and the former Kaiten training base on foot. The contrast between the blue sea and the historical sites, which still tell us of lives lost, naturally made some of the students become a bit more lively.
As we left the island by ferry, we were met at the pier by the staff of Umi-no-Sato, who had provided full support for our stay on Otsu Island. The students waved goodbye to the staff well. We hope that they will use this experience as food for their future school life.