NAIST participated in the Ikoma International Friendship Festa (October 30, 2022)

　Ikoma City Hall organized the Ikoma International Friendship Festa at Belle Terrasse Ikoma and Takemaru Hall on October 30th, in cooperation with the Ikoma International Friendship and Communication Association (Ikoryu) and NAIST.

　Ikoma City Hall contacted Ikoryu and NAIST in the beginning of 2022 to discuss holding an internationally-themed festival or event for Ikoma citizens. After months of preparation, the contents of the event were decided and activities that allowed for NAIST international students to experience Japanese culture and meet new people were included in the event.

　During this time, NAIST called for performers and international students who would like to introduce their country's culture, Our Indonesian students volunteered to perform during the event opening and also to give a performance, and began preparing and practicing using the Angklung, a traditional musical instrument, while also practicing traditional Indonesian dances as well. The NAIST Kung Fu and Volunteer Club also volunteered to give a demonstration by NAIST students and the children of NAIST students, faculty and staff. In addition to these performances two Tanzanian students came forward wanting to introduce Tanzania to Ikoma citizens.

The general outline of the event was:

At the outside stage
10:00 Opening greetings and performances (NAIST Indonesian students & Ikoma Hangul School students)
11:00 Indonesian international student angklung performance
12:00 New York Kung Fu demonstration
14:30 Mara Kita High School calligraphy performance

Throughout the event the NAIST Tanzanian international students' booth was open along with booths introducing children's games and various countries clothing that could be tried.

In Takemaru Hall
There were four different classes for NAIST students and the community
1．Halloween introduction and craft event
2．Traditional Korean Paper folding craft lesson
3．Calligraphy and fan-making event
4．Yukata lesson

　On the day of the event, the weather was perfect and a large audience gathered for the performance, staying afterwards to view the booths and talk with the event participants. Many NAIST students signed up for the Takemaru Hall events, and were able to not only experience Japanese culture firsthand but were also able to make ties with the community.

　Ikoma City Hall, Ikoryu and NAIST collaborated to make this wonderful event possible and we hope to hold this kind of festival again next year.