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

01.Mar.2023

EVENT

【January/February】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 January and February are listed below.

Tokyo-Takadanobaba Campus

Disaster Prevention Experience

On Saturday, January 21, we went to the Ikebukuro Disaster Prevention Hall of the Tokyo Fire Department to experience disaster prevention.
The students experienced an earthquake of intensity 7, and learned how to extinguish a fire using a fire extinguisher and how to give first aid (how to use an AED) in ” simple Japanese”. Students listened intently to the explanation of the person in charge about what to do in case of an actual disaster.
In Japan, a country known for its frequent disasters, it is very important to learn what to do in times of danger. It was a very meaningful learning experience.

＊An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a medical device used to restore the normal rhythm of the heart by delivering an electric shock to a heart that has lost its pumping function (ventricular fibrillation) due to heart spasm.

Group Acceptance (Certificate of Study Awarding Ceremony)

ISI Japanese Language School group schools accept group students in addition to general students. In January, we held a graduation ceremony for a group of short-term students who came to study at Takadanobaba Campus.
Although the study period was only a few weeks, the students worked hard every day to learn Japanese. At the completion ceremony, they received their “Certificate of Study” from the principal with smiles on their faces, and a commemorative photo was taken at the end. We are happy that the students had wonderful memories of their stay in Japan.

Tokyo-Ikebukuro Campus

Setsubun Event

Friday, February 3 is Setsubun.
At Ikebukuro, teachers explained about Setsubun to students and handed out beans. The students also presented cute devil cookies to the teachers, which made them very happy.
In old Japan, it was said that February 3 marks the beginning of a new year. We wish you all a happy new year…

＊Setsubun is the day before the beginning of each season, which also has the meaning of “dividing the seasons,” and since the Edo period, it has been the day before “Risshun” in particular. It is said that bad things (demons) arise at the beginning of each season, and it is known as a custom to roll beans to drive away the bad things. It has been a part of Japanese culture since long ago to say in a loud voice, “”Oni wa soto (the devil) is outside, Fuku wa uchi (the good fortune) is inside” while rolling up the beans.

Field Trip to TeamLab

On Friday, February 17, we went to TeamLab in Toyosu for an field trip. The day was sunny, warm and nice. Everyone seemed to be having a lot of fun and taking lots of pictures. “It’s great! “It was much more interesting than I thought it would be!” we heard these comments. At the same time, an “insta-contest” was held to post photos taken at TeamLab on Instagram, and the entrants were told that they would receive a nice present later.

＊TeamLabo Planets TOKYO: A giant museum that represents water, flowers, light, and outer space, with the concept of “a museum that goes into the water and a garden that becomes one with flowers”. A new landmark visited by many young people for Instagram photo shoots.

Tokyo-Harajuku Campus

Future Classroom “Kibun Shokuhin Co.”

The Future Classroom was held in cooperation with a well-known Japanese food manufacturer, Kibun Shokuhin Co.
Kibun Shokuhin manufactures and sells traditional Japanese “Osechi” and fish paste products such as “Chi-chiku” and “Kani-kama,” which are popular overseas as well.

＊Future Classroom: This is a unique program (project work) held every semester at Harajuku Campus. In this class, students are divided into groups and present their own proposals based on a theme in front of everyone.

For a week prior to the event, students researched the company’s website to find out about the company’s business and product features, and prepared for the Future Classroom by asking questions about their interests and questions raised in the research.

On the day of the event, Mr. Shinya Horiuchi, General Manager of Product Planning Department 3, Product Development Office, gave a wide-ranging talk about the history and business of the company, explained the cultural significance of each Osechi dish as an offering to the god of the New Year, and gave an outlook on the future of Osechi cuisine amid changes in the Japanese diet.

The students’ questions were answered one by one in detail, making it a very meaningful time for them.

When job hunting in Japan, it is very important to do thorough research on companies before going to interviews.
This class was a very good experience for the students in their job hunting activities.

Participation in Volunteer Cleanup

Volunteer students participated in a cleanup volunteer activity organized by Green Bird, a certified NPO.

The students were given the goal of “talking to Japanese people while volunteering!” They tried their best to communicate with local university students, high school students, and employees of apparel companies who were participating in the program.

It was a very meaningful time for students to experience social contribution activities in Japan as well as to interact with Japanese people whom they rarely have a chance to get to know.

Kyoto Campus

Speech Contest

On Friday, January 27, a speech contest was held at an outside facility with the participation of all current Kyoto Campus students.
The students who participated in the competition gave speeches based on their own experiences, skillfully incorporating expressions they had used in class.
Students at the event commented that they learned a lot from listening to the presentations of other classes and that they wanted to be able to speak Japanese as well as they did.
The students were very happy to have such a big event, as it was the first time in a long time since Corona Disaster that we had not been able to rent such a large outside venue for such an event.

Nagano Campus

Valentine’s Day Event

Nagano Campus held an event themed “Let’s Go to the 6th Floor of Nagano Campus” from Monday, February 13 to Tuesday, February 14.
The purpose of this event was to promote more active interaction within the school as part of the planning for the Valentine’s Day event.

The event site (6th floor) was decorated with heart balloons and other cute decorations, making it a place where everyone could enjoy taking pictures. Also, there was a “message omikuji (a fortune that makes you happy when you receive it)” to make and chocolate gifts to give away, making it a wonderful event that is only possible during Valentine’s Day. The event was a great success with many students participating over the two days.

Speech Contest

On Tuesday, February 14, a speech contest was also held at Nagano Campus.
This speech contest was a valuable event for international students living in Japan away from their home countries to present in Japanese what they felt and thought about through their various experiences in Japan.
For current students, listening to the presenters’ opinions from a variety of fields and perspectives provided a time to think about how to maintain and improve their motivation for learning Japanese and how to live in a multicultural society.