AIRA sent instructors and interpreters to help the students from Northern Arizona University (NAU) to experience Traditional Japanese cultures.
(No.24-7)
Date and Time: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 10:00 a.m. ~ 4:00 p.m.
Venue: Room 1, Abiko Civic Plaza
Participants: Eleven NAU students and Professor Kurt Lancaster
Instructors:
(Japanese calligraphy) Mr. Shigeo Arai (art name: 童風Dofu), AIRA member
(Ikebana) Ms. Yasuko Shibata (art name: 香蒲Koho) from Ohara School
Interpreters: Ms. Rie Hama and Ms. Chizu Yamaguchi
AIRA opened the Russian Language Salon in June 2022, aimed at supporting Ukrainian people who might flee Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started in February 2022. Since then, the Russian language class has opened in a salon style once a month. Recently, an exchange meeting with students from former Soviet Union was held. (NO. 24-6)
Date and Time: Sunday, May 19 13:30 ~ 16:00
Venue : Abiko Civic Plaza, Meeting Room 1
Attendees : 5 international students (plus 1 supervisor chaperon), 4 salon members (10 people in total)
The exchange meeting between the students studying Japanese at a Japanese language school in Matsudo and the AIRA Russian language class members broke the ice by introducing themselves. The Russian students talked about their reasons why they started to study Japanese, questions they had while living in Japan, and their future dreams. It was a special opportunity for the AIRA members to hear the real sound of the Russian language. The international students expressed a desire for coming back to this kind of event in the near future.
(Edited from the activity report by Mr. Suzuki, the leader of the Russian Language Salon)
(Translated by KOYAMA Hitomi)