Little international exchage

One day Trip in Kameoka

The center held the One day Trip in Kameoka under the joint auspices of Kyoto Prefectural International Center.

Resident foreigners in Kyoto come to Kameoka and stayed with host families for a half day.

Foreigners and their host families dug Japanese radishes in the field at Hodu area in Kameoka. The most of them had never dug radish and enjoyedd to do it. They took home the radishes.

After the exchange party at our center, foreigners went to their host family house. They talked to beach other or cooked dishes of their own countries until the evening.

Trick or treat !

Harroween party

The center held the Halloween party. Our staff, CIR, AETs and other guests were in Halloween costume.　
Of course, children came in Halloween costumes too. They came as witches, princesses, cartoon characters, monsters, etc.

Halloween is still not popular in Japan. However before Halloween we can see decorations. Our CIR and AETs explained about Halloween when they were children in the USA.
Afterward, Children started “Trick or treat.” They said “Trick or treat. Give me something good to eat! ” each place and got sweets and candies each place.
Children and their parents enjoyed this party in their unique costumes all day.
Children looked satisfied to get dozens of sweets and said they will come to the party next year too.

Exchange party with foreign residents

The Center held the Exchange party with foreign residents.

Nina Hayakawa, who is Finnish, got married in Japan and had a lot of worries and questions while living in Japan. She thought other foreign residents might have the same kind of problems, and it would be good for the residents and Japanese people to have a place which they could share and solve those problems. So, she established the Foreign Women’s Association Paruyon. They had meetings with different theme each time. In the meeting, she found that there is not only one answer or way. There are a lot of answers and ways depending on the people.

Glory Chakma who is Bangladeshi, lives in Japan with her husband. She introduced her life while showing pictures ; including a picture when she home stayed in Kameoka. The first time she came to Japan, she had a tough time. She didn’t understand Japanese and had several problems with life in Japan. Now she actively participated in opportunities. She started to work at a hotel and learned Japanese through that work from Japanese co-workers. She has been enjoying her life here now.

After that, participants discussed taking up “The way of expressing myself without hurting anybody” as a theme. Both foreigners living in Japan and Japanese living abroad, need to respect each other and to send a clear message to the others.

Global Understading Course

The center held the course “Making bamboo charcoal” over the course of 2 sessions.

On the first day, participants started to cut bamboo into small pieces and put up them into a charcoal kiln. They also boxed up some small pumpkins in an aluminum box and then put the box in the kiln. After that, they lit the fire and kept the fire going until the dusk. It takes almost one day for bamboo to become charcoal.

On the second day, participants opened the kiln. The amount of Bamboo was shrunk because of carbonization. The pumpkins were also carbonized and kept the original form. Participants shared bamboo charcoal and took it home.

It can be said that bamboo charcoal makes water clean, boiled rice delicious and eliminates odor.

Global Understading Course

The Center held “Global Understanding Festa.” Participants introduced their international exchange activity and watched a movie “Moolaade”

Yosie Nishimoto presented about Holland. Holland is called them “Happiest country for children.” Their ecological education is advanced. Their city is planned with due considerations to environment.

Tatalovic Dragoslav introduced his country, Serbia, and its history.

Students of Fushimi Kougyou High School drew upon bamboo music instruments in Bali and made the copies.

Moe Enoki performed picture-card show her mother made.

Suh Hee Young introduced Korean culture and taught Korean traditional dance to participants.

The center displayed pictures of the 100 years anniversary of Japan, Brazil emigration.

Participants watched the “Moolaade.” It is about Female Genital Mutilation and conflict between tradition and new culture.
After the movie, Yumiko Jonson Yanagisawa explained and discussed with participants about the movie.

Host Family Demonstration

San., Aug. 23rd 13:30-15:00
11 participants

The center held “Host Family Demonstration.”

Families who are interested in having foreign guests in their home participated in this event.

Our new CIR of Kameoka city, Margaret Man introduced her home stay experiences in Japan. She said “living with a Japanese family made her understand Japanese culture and improved her Japanese ability.” She also advised participants that Host families need to advise and talk when their guest gets out of line.

One participant, who had no host family experience asked it is O.K if they speak only Japanese. Other participant who had host family experiences and answered: it is better if we speak any language. But you don’t need worry about that. Gesture and other ways help you and guest’s communication.”

The center provides host family opportunities three times a year. We hopemany families try our host family program.

The Craft course in the summer of 2008 for children

The center held “Summer Craft Course Children.”

Children made “acrylic scrubbing brush and crafts made of disposable wooden chopsticks” during the class.

Knitting acrylic yarn, knotting string and putting together disposable wooden chopsticks with rubber bands were difficult for the children, but they tried those works and finished crafts.

They would take those crafts to their school as homework in summer.

One day Portuguese Course

The Center held “ One day Portuguese Course” to learn elementary Portuguese and introduced the relationship between Brazil and Japan.

The instructor was a foreign student, Erika Kubo, who is a Japanese-Brazilian. Some of the students will go to Brazil as members of Kameoka Citizen delegation this September.
The pronunciation of Portuguese is similar to Japanese so it is easy to pronounce for us. Ms.Kubo taught students basic greeting, the way of self-introductions and easy traveling conversation. Ms.Kubo’s mother also advised them for traveling.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the first Japan, Brazil emigration and will be a good opportunity to learn the history of relationship both country.

A Look Around Kameoka Foreign Students Tour 2008
and World Studies

The Centeｒ held “A Look Around Kameoka Foreign Students Tour 2008” and “World Studies”

8 students from 6 countries arrived at our center in the morning and participated in the World Studies with children. An architecture group lectured about environmental issues.
They explained one way of reducing carbon dioxide. It is to use home-grown lumber. If we use home-grown lumber, we can reduce carbon dioxide when lumber is transported. The groups build a mini wooden house with home-grown at the hall and children played with it.

In the afternoon, children and students crafted wooden vases with scraped wood. They made vases with their own ideas and exhibited them with flowers they plucked.

After that, students met their host families and visited their house. They had fun with their host families until the next evening.

The Center held a Speech Class.

Participants introduced themselves and said the reason why they participated in this class. The instructor advised each participant about their speech.
They tried recitations and the instructor showed them examples.

The instructor said that when we say what we want to say, we have better use syllogism of and inflection. It makes it easier to say our what we want to communicate with other people.

To get in shape and　fight daily stress, the Center held a fitness class for women.

Participants tried several exercises set music, stretching and yoga.

They enjoyed the exercise and refreshed their bodies and minds in the class.

　The center held the "One Day trip : Finding history with foreign travelers" and went to Ryouan-ji and Kinku-ji by bus. This trip, for students of the Landscape Architecture Program of Oklahoma State University in the United States and participants from Kameoka thought the students about Japanese cultural through historical places.

　A tour guide introduced general information about Japan and the temples we would see in English on the way to temples.

　Participants and students looked around both temples grounds together while enjoying talking.

　On this trip, there were 21 participants from elementary school students to adults. They and students talked about each other and culture and had a good meeting.

May.9th-20st
13 participants

　Students of the Landscape Architecture Program of Oklahoma State University in the United States arrived in Kameoka to learn Japan's culture and her gardens. They stayed in Kameoka and went to Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto to see Japanese style gardens. They also participated in the One day trip for finding histories with foreign travelers . They also had a home stay experience with families in Kameoka.

　The Center held Foreign Language Demonstration.
We will start two new language classes, Korean and French, in addition to English and Chinese.

The Center introduced English, Korean and French classes. Teachers from these classes explained the contents.

The Center recruit host family and holds events which host foreign guests. We hope these will be good opportunities for students to use the languages they learned.