One-Day Late Hina Matsuri
Time and Date: Friday, March 4, 2016 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Venue: Room 1, Abiko Civic Plaza
Participants: 10 adults and 3 children, 7 AIRA staff members
As part of “Culture Class for Foreigners”, a party titled “Let’s Cook and Eat Hina Matsuri Cuisine” was held and people from South Asian and other countries, 13 in total, enjoyed chatting, cooking and eating. Hina Maturi is a Japanese traditional girls’ festival which is held on March 3. People display Hina-dolls and enjoy special cuisine in households.
Guest Teachers Visit International Exchange Class At Namiki Elementary School
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 9 1 p.m.- 3:50 p.m.
Venue: Gymnasium at Namiki Elementary School
Participants: *70 fifth graders at Namiki Elementary School *13 guests from 10 countries ( Ms. Zhang Hua and Chao Nan from China, Mr. Luigi Hiratsuka from Brazil, Ms. Insho Yamanaka from Malaysia, Ms. Naricha Ouchi from Thailand, Ms. Leticia Pajaret Ignacio and Ms. Jacqueline Teresa P. Bularin from The Philippines, Ms. Cheeping Tsuoka from New Zealand, Ms. Ayu Putri Nuradi and Ms. Liem Tjoe Lan from Indonesia, Ms. Agnieszka Sekiguchi from Poland, Mr. Manase Forau from Tonga and Mr. Nguyen Dang Duy from Vietnam) *6 AIRA Staff members (Ms. Kitajima, Mr. Hesaki, Ms. Adachi, Ms. Ikeda, Mr. Satake and Ms. Yamaguchi) *2 NEC Staff members
AIRA sent 13 guest teachers to Namiki Elementary School to help the international exchange class, in which fifth graders learned foreign cultures through communications in English with them.
Contribution to the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology
Date: January 20, 2016
Venue: Yamashina Institute for Ornithology in Abiko City
Ms F. Kitajima and Mr. K. Murakoshi, both vice president of AIRA, on January 20 handed a modest contribution to Mr. M. Hojo, chief administrator in the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology. The amount was composed of proceeds of Ahodori Manju, albatross-branded sweets sold at the 24th AIRA Matsuri, together with voluntary subscription by AIRA members. AIRA has been donating certain amount of money to the institute in support of their far-reaching project to protect sharply decreasing albatrosses.
AIRA participated in the ABIKO City’s “Antenna Shop” in 
Marunouchi,Tokyo
Date: December 9-10, 2015 11:00a.m.-7:30p.m.
Venue: “City Eye” on B1 floor of Marunouchi KITTE Bldg. Tokyo
Attendees: Messrs. Hayasaka, Hesaki, Kadota and Nakamura
Chiba Prefecture set up temporarily an antenna shop called Chiba I-CHI-BA (Chiba’s Market), a kind of showroom testing sales of local specialties, aiming to appeal the attraction of the prefecture. Abiko City participated in the event, in which AIRA exhibited panels showing its activities as one of organizations in the city, jointly with other entities such as “the Abiko Furusato-Sampin-Ikusei-Kyogikai” (Council for the Promotion of Local Specialties), Chuo Gakuin University (CGU) and Kawamura Gakuen Woman’sUniversity(KGWU).
Kindergarten Kids Enjoy Bamboo Dance
Date/time: Tuesday, December 8, 2015 10:30a.m.-11:30a.m.
Venue: Kashiwa Midori Kindergarten, Kashiwa
Volunteers: AIRA Cultural Dance Group Members (Ms. Imerda Ono, Ms. Yukie Shimada)
Kashiwa Midori Kindergarten implements a program for kids to let them choose any item out of three events, bamboo dance, Japanese dram wadaiko, and wild-horse-dance, and perform in a finishing stage.
Stimulated by a TV program of bamboo dance for one thing, teachers wished to let kids see and practice a real dance for the other. In response to their request AIRA members visited and played with them, which was the second time since last year.