Study Abroad Program Students Experience Japanese Culture in Japan
In recent years, the number of students at universities in Taiwan going to Japan do research work or an internship has been steadily increasing. Such students generally spend a shorter time in Japan than other international students there and so they have fewer opportunities to participate in exchange activities. September marks the start of the academic year in Japan. For this reason, the Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan worked with the Kasama City Government in Ibaraki Prefecture to organize a cultural exchange between a group of twenty newly-arrived Study Abroad Program students from Taiwan and a group of young people in Kasama to help the students from Taiwan quickly adapt to life there.
Kasama City Mayor, Yamaguchi Shinju, fully supported this cultural exchange as it would broaden the international perspective of the local young people and help foster mutual understanding and friendship. Kasama, known as the cultural capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, boasts a rich history and it is also the birthplace of the traditional Japanese martial art, Aikido. On October 12, 2024, accompanied by officials from Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council, Kasama City Mayor Yamaguchi Shinju, and other city officials, the Taiwanese students were taken to the Aikido dojo together with the local young people and tried out the basic movements of this traditional Japanese martial art under the guidance of instructors there. After this, they visited the Aiki Shrine, with city staff serving as guides. This is a shrine dedicated to Aikido, built by the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba.
The Study Abroad Program students greatly appreciated this opportunity to engage with young Japanese people. They made an excellent impression on Mayor Yamaguchi and as a result, they were told that the city hall will begin advertising to recruit international exchange personnel at the beginning of next year. The positions offer the same benefits as public officers enjoy, and the Taiwanese students were encouraged to apply.
