On Thursday, February 11, ? fifty-two?people, ?including sixteen?people from sixteen?different countries,?played soft volleyball at Izumisano Health Increase?Center.? Four teams were made?and matches were played?according to local ica rules.

In Izumisano you can find a lot of foreigners like these to play with .
– Sugita

I was surprised that Eddie, who is taller than the net , was able to block simply by raising two hands.
-Okuda

I was able to play?soft volleyball with people from different countries, and my child?was held by many different people .??We had a?fun time.
-M

I’m really old?(?28 years old).??I didn’t try too hard?since my whole body would have been?in pain(laughing).
-Jose, Panama

People of all ages can enjoy soft volleyball; it’s such a good idea. ?It was a nice break from the usual day.??It was a great opportunity to learn Japanese.
-Andy ,Albania

It was my first time playing soft volleyball. It was fun to meet so many different people.
-Sadigo, Azerbajian

A toast to the world!

It was a packed house for the last and biggest event of 2015. ?Nearly?120 people including 39 people from 26 countries, came to the 2015 End of the Year?Party at Shakai Fukushi Center?to chat, dance, and make new friends.

ica Japanese language students dressed in costumes, performed?the famous Russian folktale, The Gigantic Turnip.

This Moldovan folk dance was led by Daniel. Under his skillful?direction, everyone held hands,?formed a circle, ?and took three steps to the left?and five steps to the ?right. When?everyone gathered in?the center, the men?chanted in a low voice,? “Ororororo…”;?the women chanted in a high voice, “Rururururu …”.

“It was really fun!”

“I was a bit nervous narrating the play, but because I did it with a smile I was less nervous.” (Ogi, Mongolia)

“The skit was a success!” (Li , China)

“There were many people from different countries. I spoke in?Japanese, English, and Sri Lankan. We talked a lot.” (Tirini , Sri Lanka)

“The party had a?great?atmosphere!” (Russia)

“Everyone helped to make this a great party!” (Japan)

The?7th Annual Izumisano Cross-cultural Association’s International Festival took place in Rinku Town. This year attendees had?the opportunity to experience?various Japanese?pastimes. ?Participants?played?traditional Japanese drums, spun plates on poles,??and danced Yosakoi, a dance that?originates from in the city of?Kochi.?In addition, there were Philippine and Indonesian dances, an Indonesian style flute performance,??Nankin Tamasudare, a traditional Japanese street performance, and a lively hip-hop dance?by local high school students.??Offstage children made dragonflies and frogs out of paper.

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.

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.

On?a?Wednesday afternoon in October, Hineno Elementary School students had a chance to learn about various?cultures of the world thanks to ica’s?Exciting World program.