On July 7th, iCLA students had the delightful opportunity to celebrate Tanabata Matsuri, the Star Festival, alongside the energetic children of Yamanashi Gakuin Kindergarten.
Earlier this year, the students participated in a cultural exchange event with the students of the Yamanashi Gakuin Kindergarten on the iCLA rooftop. At the event, iCLA students from seven different countries enamored the young children with stories of their home countries and cultures, so the kindergartners were excited to meet them again. On July 7th, iCLA’s international students were invited to Yamanashi Gakuin Kindergarten for the Tanabata Festival.
The international group of students who attended the event represented an array of countries, including Bangladesh, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and the USA.
Upon arrival, they were met with beaming smiles and cheerful greetings in their native languages. According to their teacher, the children had carefully practiced the greetings in advance to make their guests feel welcome. In addition, the children had decorated their school with colorful crafts, including the national flags of their visitors’ countries.
Together, the iCLA students and kindergarten children explored the story behind Tanabata (Star Festival): the romantic tale of star-crossed lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi, destined to reunite only once a year across the Milky Way. The story set the tone for a fun-filled day of learning. iCLA students and the children enjoyed playing festival games together such as ring toss, yo-yo fishing, and an imaginative ice cream stand which was joyfully made by the kindergartners. One of the day’s highlights was the spirited Bon Odori dance held in the gymnasium. With the echo of the wadaiko drum filling the room, iCLA students and children had a fantastic time dancing together.
To wrap up the event, the kindergartners presented gifts to iCLA students and origami hearts decorated with the national flags of their countries, each handmade by the children as a token of appreciation and friendship.
The students came together from across the galaxy in the eyes of the children, in a style true to Tanabata. They had a wonderful time together which bridged age, cultures, and backgrounds.