Happy 2023! Another exciting year has come and gone. Along with the spring blossoms and the warm breeze comes the new fiscal year! Here’s to a great semester at your school or prosperous changes at your home and workplace. With the changing weather, it is easy to catch a cold, so make sure to take care of your health!
TOPIC 1
Kanazawa International Friendship Festival 2022
Last year, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Kanazawa International Friendship Festival, the biggest international exchange event in the entire Hokuriku region! The event featured goods and food sold by 35 organizations from all around the prefecture. On top of that, 16 groups got up on the World Stage to perform, dance, and sing their hearts out! It was a hugely successful event, and we couldn't be more thankful for everyone who came. A huge thanks to the staff and volunteers without whom none of it would have been possible. Please look forward to the next one, and in the meantime, enjoy the following pictures from the event. the unfamiliar instrument, parents and kids played together with glowing smiles. to create a beautiful map of this world we all share. arrow into a pot a distance away. Looking to win, our contestants tried their hand again and again. The kids declared “Trick or Treat!” with all their might in exchange for candy, passed out by Kanazawa's international students. Kateryna Gudzii, born in Ukraine, performed on the bandura. Her stirring songs were filled with passion for her home country. Every booth had large a turnout. They sold out one after another!
Info session about high school enrollment The high school entrance process in Japan is tricky to navigate. Every year, we hold a session explaining the timeline, what exams are needed, and what support is available for international residents, along with a broad overview of the Japanese educational system. Experienced teachers and staff are also available to answer questions and give advice on what schools might be a good fit. This year, we had participants from the Philippines and Thailand.
International cooking classes and events
We hold events led by residents from all over the world. A Slovakian resident taught a cooking class where participants tried their hand at making halušky, a dish made with potato dumplings, cheese, and bacon. Around Christmas, parents and kids decorated cupcakes and learned about Christmas in the United States. In February, we held events about the Lunar New Year and Chinese traditions, and about Belgium and its cuisine. They’re a great way to learn about new cultures and meet new people!
TOPIC 3   Farewells from Our CIRs
With the fiscal year ending, we must say goodbye to Tianling and Seyoung, our Chinese and Korean CIRs. We are sad to see them go but wish them all the best for their adventures ahead! Here are a few words from the two of them. Hello, everyone! This is Tianling from China. Four years have passed in the blink of an eye since I came to Kanazawa! This was my first time living in Japan, and it has a special place in my heart. It has become my second home! I can’t express how grateful I am for all the kind people here who have helped me. I’m sad to be leaving, but looking back on these four years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to meet and get to know so many wonderful people. My time here was meaningful, and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. Thank you all for supporting me in my journey as a CIR!謝謝！ Annyeonghaseyo! I’m Seyoung Kim from Korea. It feels like it was only yesterday when my self-introduction message, but I'm already writing my farewell. Kanazawa is my first experience living in Japan. Everyday has felt like a dream. I am really thankful for everyone. I’m happy to have made so many memories with everyone in Kanazawa through Korean cooking classes, presentations, and school visits. From drawing out authentic Korean flavors to playing traditional games in Korean, I had experiences which would've been hard to find even in Korea! I owe Kanazawa so much for these last 2 years and 3 months. My time as a CIR may be at an end, but I won't forget the bonds I forged here. I’ll do my best from here on out too! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
awa International Exchange Foundation
E-mail : kief@kief.jp