A social gathering for students from Osaka Prefectural Kashiwara Higashi High School and foreign students studying at OKU was held at Kashiwara Higashi High School on July 13 (Thursday).
The event was held to improve cross-cultural understanding among the high school students and faculty members.
Nineteen foreign students from 7 different countries visited the high school. First, they performed dances and songs from their home countries, and played traditional instruments. Next, the high school dance club performed a dance, and all participants joined together in a circle for a Thai festival dance.
After that, the foreign students divided into two groups and participated in club activities to experience traditional Japanese culture. One of the groups drew the kanji for “soar” using a big brush with the calligraphy club, and the other had tea served by the members of the tea ceremony club while learning about tea ceremony.
After the gathering, Hamamoto Cafeteria at the high school served sata andagi (Okinawan sweet deep-fried buns) and karaage (Japanese fried chicken), and the students asked each other questions in a relaxed atmosphere. The high school students also had lots of fun learning the Korean version of “red light, green light” and tai chi from the foreign students. At the end of the event, the high school students bid goodbye by saying “thank you for having fun with us” and the foreign students smiled and replied, “Come visit us at OKU next time!”
A member of the high school student council who served as the announcer, facilitator, and overall coordinator for the event, said: “After our teachers told us about this exchange, we shaped the plan by making arrangements and coming up with ideas on how to emcee the event. This was our first time interacting with people from other countries, so we put effort into the decorations and other arrangements. We’d love to do this again if we get the chance.”