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International Exchange and Cooperation Day 2016
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This event was held at International Conference Center Hiroshima, the green strip on Peace Boulevard and other venues on November 20, 2016, marking the 17th time the event has been held.
Sixty-nine civic organizations and companies that are involved in international exchange and cooperation activities in Hiroshima City and the surrounding areas held 37 diverse events on intercultural understanding, the global environment, multicultural coexistence and Japanese cultural experiences, and a total of around 9,500 people participated in the various events.
This became a day for both non-Japanese and Japanese participants to come into contact with cultures from around the world (Organizers: this Foundation. Joint organizers: Japan International Cooperation Agency Chugoku International Center, Hiroshima International Center, the City of Hiroshima).
Talk show: 'Becoming the Indy Jones of the World of Science'
The guest speaker Professor Takeshi Naganuma, of the Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biosphere Science, gave a full 2-hour talk on 'Becoming the Indy Jones of the World of Science'.
Professor Naganuma travels the world conducting research on living creatures in places that are hard to survive in, called outlying regions.
'Hard to survive' has two meanings: 'hard to get to' and 'hard to live in'.
Among the living creatures living in such extreme environments is a mysterious creature known as the 'tube worm', which is receiving attention in cancer prevention research.
The audience was captivated by the photos shown on the screen.
Professor Naganuma's talk included descriptions of various different outlying regions, from the desserts of Chile and Tunisia and the mountaintop glaciers of Uganda, to high-altitude caves in Venezuela, sea-floor volcanoes, the Artic, Antarctica, and then moving away from Earth, he talked about Mars and Europa, the second of Jupiter's orbiting moons.
Presentations on international exchange and cooperation activities
In the section for activities by civic organizations, there were booths on the activities of sixteen organizations, explaining the international exchange and cooperation activities of each of the respective organizations.
There were also booths set up for public entities, civic organizations, NGOs, university students and companies.
Participants enjoyed looking at displays of photos, trying on the local dress of different regions, and participating in quizzes.
There were also presentations and report sessions on international exchange and cooperation activities by young people and university students.
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Introduction and experience of foreign cultures and Japanese culture
In the area for experiencing foreign cultures, there were sections set up where participants could try making paper flowers from England, paper collages from China and Chinese knotting, and in the traditional Japanese culture section, visitors could try wearing a kimono, tea ceremony, ikebana flower arrangement, Japanese calligraphy and playing the koto (a Japanese stringed instrument).
Both foreign and Japanese participants directly experienced the wonderful cultures of different countries.
World cuisine and craft bazaar
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International students from Asia trying Japanese calligraphy
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At the green strip on Peace Boulevard on the south side of the International Conference Center, there was a section called Hiroshima International Village World Food Stalls, where nineteen organizations sold various foods from all over the world at food stalls.
Thirteen organizations participated in the International Cooperation Bazaar, where they sold crafts and the like from different countries.
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International cooperation bazaar
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There was also a quiz rally, where participants could win a present by answering the quiz questions at each of the different event venues, the 'Earth Stage', where visitors young and old could enjoy cross-cultural experiences, a section where participants could learn about Hiroshima City's sister cities and friendship cities while making crafts, an outdoor stage with performances of dances from all over the world, a free consultation section for foreigners about visa matters, a display section introducing Japanese language schools in Hiroshima City, a section supporting children in developing nations by donating coins from all over the world, and others.
Each section was bustling with people, and participants developed greater knowledge of international exchange and cooperation.
Many citizens and international students participated in this event as volunteer staff, and had a great time together.
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| (International Relations & Cooperation Division) |
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