公開日 2021年12月06日
On October 19, 2021, the International Center at Shimane University held its 4th USA Online Cafe for this academic year. There were nine participants from the University of Arkansas, a partner institution of the university, and seven Shimane University students. This cafe's theme was Halloween.
Students talked about Halloween in both Japan and the United States from various points of view, including food, costumes and the history of the holiday. Participants were surprised to hear that Halloween in the United States is mainly for children and in Japan it is primarily for adults. When the topic came up of the Halloween holiday and sweets often eaten on this day, students from both universities named examples of treats and introduced how to make and enjoy them.
One of the students actually showed an example of a Halloween costume, which made for a great opportunity to experience the spirit of the holiday. After hearing about how the other country celebrates Halloween, many commented that they would like to experience it for themselves. Everyone enjoyed learning about different cultures through this exchange and discovered the differences between the way both Japan and the United States celebrate the holiday.
During the free topic session, participants excitedly talked about things such as tips for learning languages, the COVID-19 situation in both countries, music they like, and Japanese anime. One student from the University of Arkansas has been to Shimane Prefecture before, which made Shimane a topic of conversation.
The International Center at Shimane University will continue to actively hold these types of exchanges for Shimane University students to have an opportunity to talk with people outside of Japan and to convey the appeal of studying abroad in Japan to overseas students.
