Multicultural Coexistence in Everyday Life — Discovering the World Next Door(Friday, November 7)

As part of the Ibaraki Prefectural Southern Lifelong Learning Center’s Autumn–Winter Lecture Series for FY2025, a five-session course titled “Multicultural Coexistence in Everyday Life — Discovering the World Next Door” was held. The lectures were led by Associate Professor Masaki Seo from the Global Engagement Center at Ibaraki University.

In the first session on October 3, participants explored the current state and challenges of multicultural coexistence in Ibaraki Prefecture. Through real-life examples, the lecture shed light on the lives of foreign residents and the support systems in place to help build inclusive communities.

The final session on November 7 featured six international students — four from Thailand, one from Indonesia, and one from Vietnam — who joined Associate Professor Seo in co-teaching the class. The students shared their experiences of learning Japanese, and participants were invited to try learning a foreign language themselves. This hands-on activity helped deepen their understanding of “Easy Japanese,” a simplified form of the language designed to support communication with non-native speakers.

Through interactive games with the international students, participants experienced the practical use of Easy Japanese in a fun and engaging way. Toward the end of the session, the class discussed everyday biases and discrimination, followed by a lively and thoughtful discussion with the students.

Participants shared that the course was “eye-opening,” “full of new learning,” and “a stimulating experience.” International students commented that they were surprised to learn that many Japanese people are unfamiliar with their own grammar, and expressed joy in being able to interact with a variety of people. One student said, “It was fun to share my experiences and see how people responded.”

This course offered more than just knowledge — it provided opportunities to feel, speak, and reflect on multicultural coexistence, leaving each participant with new insights and meaningful connections.