Why Is This Village So International???
On March 28 and 29, students and staff from Temple University Japan Campus visited Sasayama!
They left Kyoto early in the morning and arrived by bus at Tamba Sasayama on the 28th. After experiencing Samurai armor fittings at the Oshoin, visiting the Museum of Noh Artifacts Sasayama, and the Ancient Tamba Pottery Museum, they enjoyed a lunch of "Botan nabe (wild boar hot pot)." Then, a group of 18 foreigners arrived at the Takakura community!
Normally this is a very quiet village, but this day was different! The delivery driver who brought the ordered bento for the evening's social gathering was very surprised by the newly arrived group of foreign students. "Why is this village so international today???" π
On the 29th, they enjoyed activities starting in the morning, had a countryside buffet lunch at the Kuromame-no-Yakata then moved to Tachikui area for the pottery experience and free time. It was a very fun-filled schedule before returning to Kyoto by bus in the evening.
Some might wonder, "Of all places in Sasayama, why Takakura??? π"
The origin of this visit dates back to four years ago. One of the staff members who came this time had visited Sasayama for training in 2021, and he had a very positive impression (π). So he contacted me four years later, as I had guided his group back then. His current work is to organize tours to introduce Japanese culture to the students. As a side note, he had initially reached out to me "just to try and see" because it has been 4 years since we met. However, he was encouraged by my response, "I think we can make something happen!" which led to the realization of this training trip.
I heard that the purpose of the trip was "not just sightseeing, but to learn about Japanese culture through interaction with local residents." So, I suggested we do something in our village, and everyone in the community
warmly accepted. Thank you! ππ₯°
After various discussions in the village, we ultimately decided to experience "shoji papering," a part of Japanese culture, and then have a homestay in the village after the social gathering.
From there, the residents organized everything: cleaning the community center, removing old shoji windows (leaving the paper to be torn off on the day itself π), ordering bento for the gathering, and shopping for shoji paper, bingo prizes, drinks, and snacks. Since many people mentioned they had rooms but no futons, we arranged for futon rentals. Our home has 4 guest beds, so 14 sets of futons arrived the day before and were picked up by the host families.
The villagers were excited and nervous at the same timeπ€π€©.
"I can't speak English; will that be okay?"
"What should we serve for breakfast?"
They probably had many thoughts, but as everyone chatted and enjoyed themselves, they all became comfortable, and everything went smoothly. The social gathering featured a lively bingo game, which led to engaging conversations using smartphone translation apps, and the head priest of Kozoji even performed the Dekansho song a cappella.
We all had a great time!
After the actual exchange, the local residents reacted very positively, saying, "We could manage even if we don't understand the language!" and "That was so much fun!"
On the morning of the 29th, a local newspaper came to cover the event, and a few days later, it made the front page!
It was heartwarming to see how connections led to more connections, making everyone happy. The university staff praised the experience, saying, "We've been on other tours, but this is the best!" "The residents are so friendly; it's wonderful!" "We definitely want to come back!"
Among the students were short-term exchange students, some of whom would soon be leaving Japan, if not already. I hope their experiences in Sasayama remain as great memories of their time in Japan. Let's meet again!
Finally, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in this project. There were times when I consulted on challenging matters, but being able to complete this successfully was only possible because of the kindness and love from the people of Sasayama. I truly appreciate all your help! Thank you so so much!ππ