On Thursday, November 13th, eight high school students from Hanoi, Vietnam, who are studying Japanese language, visited our university.
This visit was carried out as part of an "Exchange Project with Hanoi City in the Field of Japanese Language Education" to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Fukuoka Prefecture's friendship partnership with the city.
After receiving an overview of the university from staff Center for International Affairs at the Global Plaza, the group toured the campus with students from Professor Junichiro Sakai 's seminar in the Department Department of Japanese Culture Faculty of International Studies of Culture. Afterwards, they participated in programs prepared by the seminar, titled "Study and Work in Fukuoka!" and "Learn Japanese Language and Culture!", where they learned Japanese phrases for greetings and asking about people's hometowns.
During the Japanese culture experience, students experienced the basic movements and striking techniques of kendo under the guidance of students. Although the high school students were a little hesitant to use the bamboo sword for the first time, they were seen smiling and engaging in the exercises with the seminar students, exchanging gestures and movements.
Kobayashi Sayo (2nd year, Shonan High School), a student in the seminar who taught kendo, said, "I was reminded of the power of culture. Everyone was a little nervous at first, but once we practiced stances and etiquette together, the distance between us quickly narrowed, and I felt like we were communicating our feelings through our movements. In particular, when I saw the high school students' eyes shining as they struck their men, I truly thought, 'It's fun to communicate.' It was a very valuable time where I was able to reaffirm the meaning and fun of kendo myself." Torichichigai Sayane (2nd year, Koga Kyoseikan High School), who was involved in the campus tour, reflected, "Through this exchange, I once again realized the excitement of intercultural exchange, and the difficulty and joy of conveying Japanese language and culture. During the campus tour, I was impressed by the students' keen interest and questions about the Kakiemon-style climbing kiln. Seeing them impressed by the size of the library and the cleanliness of the restrooms, I realized that the environment that I take for granted may seem fresh to people of my generation overseas."
It was a valuable opportunity for both parties to learn about each other's cultures.
Click here for the page about the friendship partnership between Fukuoka Prefecture and Hanoi, Vietnam
[Faculty of International Studies of Culture]
