【December/January】Report on On-Campus and Extracurricular Events

18.Jan.2023

EVENT

【December/January】Report on On-Campus and Extracurricular Events

ISI organizes a wide variety of extracurricular activities and events for students in accordance with the seasons. We also offer a variety of support services to meet students’ study abroad objectives. Some of the events held in December and January are listed below.

January 2023 semester starts

January new semester has started.
Orientation for new students was held on Tuesday, January 10, and classes started on Wednesday, January 11. The new students who came to Japan over the year-end and New Year holidays looked a little nervous, but they participated in the orientation in high spirits. We hope you will enjoy your student life in Japan while meeting students from all over the world and enjoying Japanese culture to the fullest.
All of our staff will support new students so that their study abroad experience will be fulfilling and they will be able to achieve their goals! (Photo: Harajuku Campus Orientation)

Tokyo-Takadanobaba Campus

Visiting Yomiuri Land amusement park.

On Friday, December 9, a group of 1,500 students visited Yomiuriland Amusement Park as part of their extracurricular activities. Yomiuriland Amusement Park is a popular amusement park in Tokyo with many attractions and can be enjoyed all year round, including swimming pools in summer and illumination in winter.
Due to the large number of participants, a collaborative event was held at Yomiuriland Amusement Park and Takadanobaba Campus, where participants could get original goods by posting photos taken at the amusement park with tag “#yomiuriland_tokyo” on SNS. It was a fun and memorable event for the last days of the year 2022.

Tokyo-Ikebukuro Campus

Santa Claus has come to school?

On Friday, December 16, the last class day of 2022, teachers dressed in Santa and reindeer costumes delivered small Christmas gifts to students in each class. There was much excitement in the classes, with cheers and pictures being taken.
We hope it was a relaxing and enjoyable time for the students who live away from their families in Japan.

Kyoto Campus

Christmas Activities

On Friday, December 16, Christmas activities were also held at Kyoto Campus. In each classroom, various corners were set up for students to experience a variety of activities, including a New Year’s experience corner, Christmas card making, balloon making, target shooting, and an ISI life game experience.
At each corner, students were given prizes and sweets, and we saw students enjoying Japanese toys and snacks.

Tokyo-Harajuku Campus

Future Classroom “Let’s convey the charm of traditional Japanese musical instruments”

Harajuku School offers a unique program (project work) called “Future Classroom” every semester.
In this class, students are divided into groups and present their own proposals based on a theme in front of everyone.
This time, we welcomed Mr. Hattori, president of Heart Tree Corporation, which produces the Japanese instrument unit “AUN J Classical Orchestra,” and worked on the theme “Let’s convey the charm of traditional Japanese musical instruments”

In the first class, President Hattori spoke about his thoughts on his business and his approach to spreading Japanese instruments around the world. The Harajuku students listened intently to President Hattori’s passionate words.
The students were also treated to a wonderful performance by koto player Ms. Saki Matsui.

For about a month after the first class, the students prepared for their presentations, and on the last day, they gave their presentations in front of President Hattori.
This was a valuable opportunity for the students to prepare in Japanese with their group members and have it evaluated by a representative of the company, which is a valuable opportunity for students who are seeking employment in Japan.

New Year’s visit to Meiji Jingu Shrine

On Wednesday, January 11, right after the new semester started, new students and current students went to the nearby Meiji Jingu Shrine for Hatsumode. Meiji Jingu Shrine is located in a vast area of lush greenery and has an atmosphere that makes you forget that you are in the city.

What did the students ask for…?

“Hatsumode” is an event in which people visit shrines and temples for the first time after the New Year. It is a custom to express gratitude for the old year and pray for good fortune in the new year, and is one of Japan’s representative cultural traditions that has continued from ancient times to the present day.

Nagano Campus

Cultural Experience “Calligraphy” and “Tea Ceremony”

On January 11 (Wed.), we held a hands-on class of Japanese traditional culture, “Calligraphy” and “Tea Ceremony.
The theme of the calligraphy class was “New Year’s Goals!” Everyone wrote their favorite Kanji characters.
In the tea ceremony class, a student from the U.S.A. mumbled after drinking tea, “It was pretty good…” ^^^.
We hope that the Nagano campus students have made good memories of their stay in Japan.