On the evening of Sunday, August 30, 2026, following their visit to Pura Mangkunegaran earlier that day, the delegation from Akashi College, Japan, continued their cultural itinerary with a visit to Lawang Sewu in Semarang. The historic building, once a Dutch colonial railway office, is renowned for its distinctive Indische architectural style and its status as one of Central Java’s most iconic heritage landmarks.
The visit held particular significance as it was led by Adriana Sensei and Emoto Sensei, both lecturers of architecture at Akashi College, who brought a professional and academic perspective to the tour. The two sensei expressed great enthusiasm and admiration for Lawang Sewu, appreciating the building’s structural design, its many doors and windows that give the site its name (“Thousand Doors”), and the historical layers embedded in its colonial-era construction.
For the 11 accompanying Akashi College students, the visit offered a valuable opportunity to observe firsthand how architecture reflects historical narrative and cultural memory, complementing the earlier exploration of traditional Javanese palace architecture at Mangkunegaran.
This continued cultural excursion further strengthened the exchange program’s academic value, blending architectural expertise with cross-cultural learning during the Akashi College delegation’s visit to Semarang and Surakarta.<>