Chit-chat at Kansai International Center

Eighty-four people, representing more than thirty?countries, ?gathered at Kansai International Center to chat about their homelands. Those participating in the cross-cultural event included forty-one?members from ica and Kansai International Center, as well as forty-three Japanese?community members.

map

Europe

  • Azerbaijan
  • Albania
  • Armenia
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Moldova
  • Lithuania

Africa

  • Algeria
  • Egypt
  • Guinea
  • Kenya
  • Sudan
  • Burundi
  • Madagascar
  • Lesotho

Asia

  • Indonesia
  • South Korea
  • Sri Lanka
  • Thailand
  • China
  • Japan
  • Pakistan
  • Bangladesh
  • Philippines
  • Vietnam
  • Mongolia

Oceania

  • Vanuatu

Middle East

  • Syria

Central and South America

  • Ecuador
  • Guyana
  • Colombia
  • Saint Vincent
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Peru
What impressed you most about today’s chat? (from foreign participants)
  • I was impressed that some of the interlocutors had knowledge about my homeland. They were very much interested in my country and its culture, cuisine and history.( Armenia)
  • ?It is very interesting to speak with Japanese people, and know more about Japan and its traditional culture (events, ceremonies) .(Algeria)
  • ?I liked it very much. I learned Japanese words and Kanji. They are very kind and lovely people.( Columbia)
  • ?-the communication skills of the volunteers and their cordial behavior.( Bangladesh)
  • ?I had the opportunity to talk with Japanese people using Japanese. I learnt some useful words.( Sri Lanka)
  • Today I liked getting in contact with people. In occasions like this one we can easily get to know new people and discover a lot : just travelling with the mind.(Italy)
  • …There is much that [people] do not know about my country. So the participants seemed interested to learn about Guyana.(Guyana)
What impressed you most about today’s chat??(from Japanese participants)
  • Someone showed me how to braid without a mirror or comb. I was surprised how skillfully it was done.
  • Moldova is a world leader in wine production.
  • It was interesting to find out about countries that I hadn’t known like?Burundi, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It was also interesting that people in these countries use?multiple languages; this is different than Japan.
  • It was impressive to see everyone sharing their own countries.
  • In Bangladesh a woman’s societal status is higher than that of women in Japan.
  • I had a chance to meet a diplomat that I had met before and I’m looking forward to the next time.