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We held the first multicultural exchange event of the neighborhood association in collaboration with the Shimomeguro 5-chome Neighborhood Association and the Meguro Haracho Association in Meguro Ward, Tokyo!
As the number of foreign residents living in Meguro Ward increases, local neighborhood associations are struggling to find ways to connect with both local and foreign residents. There is a growing need for initiatives that enhance the awareness of cultural synergy among neighborhood residents.
Amidst this, we have planned a unique event that allows local residents to directly interact with foreign residents while enjoying foreign cultures, with the goal of deepening mutual understanding. This event is designed for families to enjoy together.
The event is themed as an adventure where children explorers travel the world, allowing participants to sample sweets at booths representing different countries as they journey around the globe.
Over 50 children participated on the day!
Children will hold their original "passports" as they sample snacks from various countries, take on quizzes, and earn stamps for correct answers!
As an explorer, enjoy a "journey of sweets" around the world...
I enjoyed a world tour while deepening my understanding of different countries through quizzes✨
The booth represents a total of seven countries: the United States, China, Germany, Nepal, Ukraine, Senegal, and Indonesia.
At each country's booth, volunteers from Otonari-san and individuals from that country provided information and insights about their respective nations.
The Indonesian booth was managed by caregivers from Indonesia who work at "Tokushinkai Kobushien," the venue that hosted us. They had the opportunity to engage in conversations with local residents, which is not something that happens often, and they provided a thoughtful introduction to Indonesian culture and customs.
The posters introducing each country were created by the foreign representatives themselves at the booths. They are unique and bursting with the essence of their respective countries, showcasing high quality that was very well received by all attendees. 🙌
In the middle of the event, a special quiz was presented by the "Expedition Team Leader," and the quiz competition was a huge hit.
Everyone was seriously discussing the answers to quizzes about how different countries celebrate familiar events like birthdays, Christmas, and New Year's with their parents. While some children jumped up and cheered, "We got it right! Yay!", there were a few who showed a slightly disappointed expression 😣.
The answer to the quiz was so surprising that it elicited a big gasp of "Wow! 😲" from everyone.
Among them, the response that in Germany, "Santa comes along with a demon" surprised the children greatly. 😲
As a conclusion to the event, a Ukrainian individual supported by JII performed a song from their homeland, accompanied by a viola performance from Otonari-san volunteers 🎻.
As the song began, the children sat quietly, captivated by the beautiful melodies and harmonies, their faces filled with wonder. ♬😊
"It was a truly wonderful event!✨"
"The quiz content was, not too difficult and relatable, yet full of surprises and very interesting! My son used the memorable quiz content as a topic for his school homework diary. 😆"
"The children were able to talk to someone from a country they only knew by name, gain knowledge, and even enjoy some snacks... 😋"
We received a lot of positive feedback from the participants! It seems they had a wonderfully satisfying time 🍀
It was very impressive to see the children listening intently to the booth owners, their eyes sparkling, as they seriously engaged with the quizzes.
I believe that directly talking with foreign residents in familiar places and enjoying time together will plant the seeds of "the joy of cultural synergy" in their hearts.💡
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the SVP Tokyo team, many Otonari-san volunteers, and local community members, we were able to create such a unique and enjoyable event, from the initial preparations to the operations on the day of the event!
We will continue to challenge ourselves to create opportunities for practicing cultural synergy in the community together with each neighborhood association!
