Newsletter Of

Czarina Dominique Rodriguez
InsideInternational Friendship Party
KUFSA Culture One Day Trip

Sushi Making Party
Cover Page Model –Enjoy Life in Japan-

Enjoy HANAMI!
And more

Photo credits : Durgesh Darekar

InternationalFriendshipParty 2015
I was invited by my friends and had
a wonderful time! I would love tojoin next time as well. What wasinteresting for me was theintroduction of KUFSA officers anddancing with everyone!
Satomi Hayashi, Japan

The party was involving andinteresting with quite a numberof activities. Sumo wrestling
attracted attention from all andwas the most interesting andfun for me. I participated andlost all rounds but had enjoyed
the experience. Thanks KUFSA
for bringing on-board various
foreign students and Japanese,even from other universities.
Mugabi Jophous, Uganda

1The party was SUPER FUN! I could
meet some friends that I haven’t
seen for a while. In addition, I
could make more international
friends. Interaction with thosekinds of people was so wonderful!
The most interesting part for me
was the Sumo tournament. It wasdifficult to control the heavy bodysuit, but it was the mostinteresting part! I had never had
such an experience before. Thanks
KUFSA for letting me join in thisevent.
Atsushi Shirahama, Japan

Apart from what Atsushi said,
the food was also delicious. I
laughed a lot during the sumo
tournament. The karaoke andconfession corner were alsointeresting.
Kevinsanny, Indonesia

KUFSA Culture One Day Trip

Early in the morning we took the bus to our first stop, the Hiyoko factory.
First, we visited the shop in which all the sweets produced by the factorywere sold. This made us very curious to see more! The production line
was very impressive, the sweets kept on flashing by and we saw theHiyoko grow from white bean paste to a cute little bird shaped manju.
After our visit, the factory offered us tea and the freshest Hiyoko one canpossibly eat. And delicious it was! Our second stop was the museum of
Hakata’s food and culture ‘HAKUHAKU’. We visited the museum and thementaiko production line. In the end we got the chance to taste various
kinds of mentaiko. Although they looked very cool and interesting, I still
don’t like the taste and texture of this speciality.

After lunch at the cafeteria that sold various mentaiko flavored dishes,
like mentaiko karage. I was very excited about the last visit of the day.
Visiting the Nanzoin temple had been on my bucket list for a while.
Seeing the biggest bronze Buddha in the world was even better than I
had imagined. The amazing surroundings and great weather only added
up to this experience.

Annelies, Belgium
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Sushi Making Party
First Experience of Making own Sushi

Not only Japan’s culture but also its
cuisine is unique. In Indonesia, we
hardly eat raw food which makes me
wonder why Japanese love foods
like sushi and sashimi so much.
On February 5, I participated inSushi Making Class hosted by Nishi
NipponFoundation,asa
representative from KUFSA. The 30
participants came from various
countries like China, India, Vietnam,
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand,Indonesia, etc. All of us were soexcited to experience how to makesushi, taught by the expert Sushi
Masters.
Sushi Master demonstrated step bystep of making nigirizushi, the mostcommon type of sushi in Japan.
Firstly, prepare the rice pods byhands, a dab of wasabi under thetoppings and then put the slices offish or other toppings onto the rice.

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After explanation, we were allowed
to make sushi by ourselves. I madebig rice pods for my sushi, too big to
eat in one go! After making
Nigirizushi, then the Master showed
us again how to make rolled sushi
with cucumber as filling ingredient.
Wow! I liked the latter better! All of
us enjoyed the sushi that we made,with hot miso soup and a cup ofgreen tea. What a perfectcombination to feel the taste ofJapan! Best sushi makers wereawarded prizes and certificates.
All in all, I was so pleased to join thiskind of event and engage with theJapanese as well as the Internationalcommunity in Fukuoka.

Mohammad Fadillah, Indonesia

Cover page model -Enjoy Life in JapanCzarina Dominique Rodriguez

Department of Chemical Systems and Engineering, M1, From the Philippines

Setting foot on the Land of the Rising Sun had always been my dream,
and I am very grateful that I was able to not just come here for a trip butto live and study here. I have been living here for almost a year now, and Ican say that although it was a dream-come-true for me, it has become
both a challenge and an adventure. It is not easy to live independently, all
the more in a foreign country where almost all of the people speak alanguage unfamiliar to you. It may be frightening at first, but instead ofgetting discouraged, I have treated this as a challenge. Everyday has
become a learning experience. It did not hinder me to venture off andexplore different places, experience a different culture, and meet a lot ofJapanese and non-Japanese friends. I have been here for just a year, but I
am already looking forward to have more adventures to experience thebeauty and uniqueness of Japan. So just a tip, especially for thenewcomers- do not fret, explore, meet a lot of people and most of all,enjoy your life here in Japan!

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We
日本

Enjoy
HANAMI!
Yuka Sonoda, JapanI am sure you have heard of Sakura, Many Japanese would try to guess5

the exact day to see Sakura in full
blossom and reserve special spots inadvance. No matter if it’s day or night,
people party, eating and drinking
under the beautiful Sakura trees, aflourish and fun event to welcome
Spring!
Hanami is also done during the night;
a tradition known as ”Yozakura”.
Under illumination, at night, manydifferent faces of Sakura can be seen,
making it truly special.
We hope you enjoy HANAMI withyour family and/or friends. Create
precious moments in Japan with thepeople you love during this beautiful
season.

From the Japanese animation,“5 centimeters per second ”

the symbolic flower of Japan yearned
for its beauty and warmth. Every year,
in the cheery blossom season, parksand temples all over Japan are packed
with people enjoying Hanami (SakuraViewing). The special way Japanesepeople enjoy Hanami is what makes
this cultural event fun and unique.
When spring comes, Sakura start tobloom. It is believed that the practiceof HANAMI started from Nara period,
8th century. They fully bloom
simultaneously in each area and start
to fall within only two weeks. Becauseof the ephemeral nature of thisfleeting beauty, Japanese people
often compare Sakura to our lives,that “all things will eventually pass”.

Information from the International
Student and Researcher Support Center外国人留学生・研究者サポートセンターからのお知らせ

International Student and Researcher Support Center has been established forinternational students and researchers to start off your studies or research
activities smoothly. Please feel free to contact us when you have any questions orproblems.
We extend you our best wishes for your pleasant stay in Fukuoka and fruitfulstudies and research at Kyushu University.
WebsiteWe are providing various information regarding campus facilities, immigration
procedures, and events/news for foreign residents in Fukuoka through thiswebsite.
We hope that you will check our website regularly and get useful information.
Business hours
9:00 am - 5:00 pm (Hospital campus: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm)
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and New Year Holidays
Location
Japanese: http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/supportcenter/contact
English: http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/supportcenter/en/contact

Please check more information at Support Center Website!!

http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/supportcenter/en6

Caption the photo, ‘…that time it snowed in Fukuoka’

Photo by

Next Event

Durgesh Darekar Mechanical Engineering, India

COMING SOON
Please check our facebook page and web site!!

We hope you can be part of a fruitful year for KUFSAWith you always, KUFSA. Please feel free to contact us at
KUFSAinfo@gmail.com
http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/kufsa/
http://www.facebook.com/KUFSAKUFSA RENGA Editorial Committee
Jecinta Kamau, Iswarya Sankaralingam, Yusuke Egawa, Yoko Kitagawa,Yuka Sonoda – Design and Illustration

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