Cultural Exchange Activity by Level 4 Japanese Language Course Students(Thursday, June 12)

On Thursday, June 12, fifteen students enrolled in the Level 4 Japanese Language Course visited an after-school childcare center located near the Mito Campus of Ibaraki University. There, they introduced traditional children's games from their home countries to twelve children attending the center.

This activity was part of a class project. The international students were divided into groups by country—Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Korea—and each group prepared and demonstrated games commonly played by children in their respective cultures.
Indonesia: “Bekel” — a game played using super balls and small shells
Thailand: “Let’s Play with the Sheep” — a group game involving “sheep” and “fences”
Vietnam: A drawing relay game where players draw on each other’s backs to pass on a message
Taiwan & Korea: A game that inspired the currently popular song “APT”

Although both the children and the international students were a bit nervous at first, they gradually warmed up to each other as the games progressed. By the end, everyone was enjoying the activities together with smiles and laughter. For the international students, it was a valuable opportunity to interact with a younger age group they don’t usually encounter, and to practice communicating in a different style than usual.
This activity is not a one-time event—the next session is scheduled for Thursday, July 3. Stay tuned!