Japan with Nanaka - Vol. 2
Monthly Newsletter curated by Nanaka Okamura, a Japan Outreach Initiative (JOI) Coordinator
Onigiri Action × Japanese Calligraphy
On November 3, students participated in the Onigiri Action with calligraphy. They were in charge of one character each from the "おにぎりアクション @ WCU 2021" and wrote the character using a brush. They also drew pictures of the onigiri.
Onigiri Action × Clay
On November 4, students used clay to create onigiri magnets. A few students struggled to make onigiri shapes out of clay, but everyone was able to make them well. We also made a small box out of origami.
Talk in Japanese
On November 10, students spoke in Japanese and practiced handwriting in Japanese. Many of the students were nervous about speaking in Japanese, but I could see that they were trying their best to speak in Japanese.
What is Today?
On November 11, a site visit for the JOI Program was held, and two JOI Program staff members participated in the event with the students. The students learned how to say numbers in Japanese and also learned about Japanese puns. They also learned about Japanese national holidays and other unique anniversaries. The day of the event was Shogi (Japanese Chess) Day, so the students learned about Shogi and made Koma (Shogi pieces) out of origami. The students wrote their favorite characters on their pieces.
Japan Night
On November 18, the students had the opportunity to think about their careers. In the first part of the event, we welcomed Activ8, who gave us an overview of their company and talked about Japanese companies in the US market. In the second part, JOI coordinators Aya and Maika were invited to talk about their careers.
Japanese Conversation Table
On November 19, I co-hosted an online Japanese conversation table with Western Michigan University and the University of Central Oklahoma. The Japanese level of the participants was very high and we enjoyed conversing almost exclusively in Japanese.
For More Information
For more information about the events I am hosting, please check out my Instagram (@NNK_JOI19_WCU) and Facebook Page (@JapanwithNanaka). I also put posters up in the McKee Building and University Center, so please check those out as well. Please feel free to visit my office (G08C, ground floor of McKee Building).
Learn more about the Japanese Outreach Initiative at laurasian.org/joi
