|
1.Study Exchange Activities |
The center supports groups of citizen acting independently, and holds events and courses to support cultural exchange between resident foreigners and citizens as one of our main activities. See below for more details.
Citizens participate in self-planned programs. |
 |
A group called gBamboo Projecth administrates courses about bamboo crafts. The gBamboo Charcoal Courseh shows ways of using one of Kameoka cityfs natural resources. The gBishamonfs Bamboo Craft Courseh focuses on learning traditional bamboo crafts from the Bishamon area of Kameoka city. |
These are all opportunities for deepening the understanding between resident foreigners and Japanese people. |
|
Two or three times a year, we choose a country and invite a representative guest speaker to give a talk about their country.
The guest speaker may introduce their country's customs, language, lifestyle, traditional clothing etc. Afterward there is a small reception held where we can enjoy refreshments and conversation.
A planning committee made up of both Japanese and foreign individuals administrates the World Festa as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of one another.
They decide a theme on food, clothing or shelter of the world and introduce the crossover of cultural exchange.
We hold a World Studies Class as a global understanding course for children to realize that they live with other people in the world. We invite a guest speaker from a country in the world and children learn about that county.
We also have requests from schools in Kameoka for foreign guest speakers. We send foreigners to support the studentsf global understanding. |
 |
 |
In addition to these events, we also provide the following courses: |
 |
¥English Conversation
¥Chinese Conversation
¥Computer Classes
¥World Cultural events (Global Understanding Festa,
Christmas festa, etc)
¥And much more! |
2.International Cultural Exchange Activities |
We need to understand the culture, customs and ways of thinking of people who live in other parts of the world to advance our global understanding. The center holds events (listed below) to support citizensfunderstanding of countries of the world.
Study Abroad Program |
 |
We hold the Studying Japanese Culture Program in corporation with the Study Abroad Program of OSU Landscape Architecture in Oklahoma, U.S.A.
During their two to three week stay, we plan and support programs for students and citizens learn about each otherfs culture. |
Homestay Program |
 |
We can promote grassroots exchange between Kameoka and people from abroad through our Homestay Program. Host families in Kameoka accommodate OSU and foreign students studying at universities in Kyoto Prefecture and other foreigners living in this area.
The foreign students who have been studying in Kyoto Prefecture, particularly Kyoto City, do not have many opportunities to experience Japanese home life, lifestyle, and interacting with Japanese people. We provide a program called "A Look Around Kameoka Foreign Students Tour" to the students. In this program, we invite the students and introduce Kameoka city. Afterward, host families invite them into their home. This way they get the chance to experience the real Japanese lifestyle.
We also provide a program called gOne Day Trip in Kameoka,h in which foreigners do not stay at a host familyfs house, but just spend time with them for a half day. We invite resident foreigners and show them Kameoka city. Afterward they goes to a host familyfs house and spend their time there until the night while cooking meals from their county and having a fun time with their host family. |
 |
| 3. Children Village for
Global Environment |
The Children Village for Global Environment has been established. Through
this facility children can get in touch with nature, study the global environment
and interact with one another. Regular events and activities have begun
in April 2002. For more details, please take a look at the site: Children
Village for Global Environment
Since April of 2002, what was formerly known as the Kameoka International
Center has changed its facility's name to the Kameoka Cultural Activities
Center and has become the center of Kameoka's exchange activities. Also,
the "Children Village for Global Environment" has been set up
within the Kameoka Cultural Activities Center and the development of its
programs has been put into full-scale effect.
At present and beyond, I hope that citizens will enjoy using this facility,
in participation with children, as a place of extensive activities and
exchange.
| Overview: The Progression
of International Exchanges in Kameoka, from International to Inter-Citizens. |
1. International exchanges in Kameoka began with the conclusion of the Sister
Cities agreement. The Kameoka International Exchanges Association was formed
as an organization to promote the materialization of international exchanges.
After the OSU-Kyoto Campus closed down, the Kameoka International Center
was established. From these two things, international exchanges continued
to be promoted.
In 1964, Knittelfeld, Austria was made a Sister City, following Jandira,
Brazil, and Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1985. In 1996 Suzhou, China was formed
in agreement as a Friendship City. Since the formation of these city relations,
and through the Kameoka International Exchanges Association, we have received
and sent city representatives to and from abroad, and various sports and
school exchanges has occurred via the Sister Cities.
In 1990, through the affiliation with Stillwater, Oklahoma as a Sister City,
the Oklahoma State University-Kyoto Campus (OSU-K) was established. Before
the campus was closed, we sent about 400 students to OSU. Likewise, there
were about 20-30 teachers from OSU who came to teach in Kameoka. They were
able to experience daily Japanese life, visit kindergartens and pre-schools.
From this program we began to host guest lectures from OSU, English Conversation
classes, computer classes and exchange was opened on a citizens level. These
developments paved the way for further international exchanges in Kameoka.
In 1996, although the campus closed down, the International Center was established
and the administration and management the facility was moved to the of the
Kameoka Lifelong Learning Foundation. The Kameoka International Center created
the base of its operating system by 1998 and has expanded this facility
into a place for fostering events that promote cross-cultural understanding,
improving and developing skills, and holding various other events.
2. In it's own way, international exchanges are being actively conducted
with Kameoka. Within the past forty years of international exchanges, the
state of world affairs has gone through great changes, particularly that
of Japan's role in the world. The matter of international exchanges has
been fundamentally redefined. With the coming of "multi-culturalism"
and the era of technological advancement, creating a cross-cultural understanding
has taken precedence. It has also become necessary for Japanese people to
reevaluate their culture on a global scale and address the spread of Japanese
culture in the world. Above all, the participation in principal exchange
is required on the citizens' realm. It has become necessary to develop an
efficient system of substantial events, rather than use a system that overuses
funds on irrelevant events.
For this purpose, since 2001, Kameoka citizens and non-Japanese living in
Kameoka, people from other cities have come together through exchange. Today's
children are the future bearers of the next generation and they are key
to supporting the foundation known as the Kameoka Cultural Actives Center.
|
