The Japanese exchange students from the UP International Center got to share fun, colorful and interesting aspects of their culture as they opened Japanese Night 2016 to the public last weekend at their residence in UP Diliman Campus. This year the students have chosen “furusato”(ふるさと) as their theme, literally meaning “hometown.” The word invokes a sense and feeling of nostalgia among the Japanese, as it brings to mind fond memories of family and friends there, and they wish to impart those feelings with their Filipino friends through unique activities, food and attractions.
Already on its 11th year, Japanese Night aims to promote cultural exchange of Japan and the Philippines through food and cultural activities, with everyone welcome to drop by, free admission. A long line of visitors was waiting outside the UP International Center even before the 3pm opening, and some of the organizers remarked that this has been the biggest turnout ever.
When 3pm came, guests were ushered in, welcomed by paper cranes and crafted displays of a sakura tree and a map of Japan featuring photos of the various places with photos where the students were from.
There is a breadth of diversity in their culture and traditions from town to town, and the students hoped to share these through the various attractions they have put up around the lobby. Among these was a booth for traditional Japanese postcard making, with Japanese stamps so guests can experience how they celebrate お正月(oshougatsu) back home. We were glad to have our good friend Misaki there to try it out.
There will also be a Japanese calligraphy booth where guests can try out for themselves the fascination of Japanese writing.
At the event, guests also had the opportunity to try out a yukata of their choice, a casual type of kimono in warmer seasons. The staff helped guests wear them properly and got to have photos with them.
It was fun that they had some cosplay outfits and school uniforms too, something the guests really enjoyed.
Tasting authentic Japanese food is probably one of the most enjoyable and pleasurable ways of experiencing their culture, and food originating from different parts of Japan and then prepared by the students themselves was served starting 4:30 PM. Guests couldn’t wait to have a taste of the torimeshi, sweet bean mochi and okonomiyaki.
Hundreds of visitors got to visit the many fascinating attractions Japanese night had to offer, and the booths had to close by 7pm.
The final part of Furusato was the quiz and trivia game where participants had to figure out the answers to questions about Japanese arts, culture, geography and current events. Winners got to take home some really nice prizes from the sponsors.
All in all, UP Diliman Japanese Night 2016: Furusato was a fun and informative event where our Japanese friends got to share their fascinating culture with us. We congratulate them for a successful event and hope for more such events in the future.
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