“Undokai” experience in Japanese Culture Class by Izumi Egami sensei

TIAS2.0 students participated in Undokai in Japanese Culture course. Undokai is a Japanese traditional annual sport event for elementary school students. In this Undokai, the event was started with the Japanese traditional Radio excercise. Students experienced Tamaire (Beaning Toss game), Oodamakorogashi (Rolling the Giant Ball race), Oodamahakobi (Carrying the Giant ball race), Nininsankyaku (Three legs race), and Mukadekyousou (Centipede race). Not only students taking Japanese culture class but also international students in undergraduate degree programs came together and competed together. They learned Japanese culture in practice. Clement Williams (from the USA) says, “For me, the undokai was a really fun day because at no point did it feel like work or class, it was just a fun activity that everyone was excited for. While I enjoyed participating in all sorts of events I had never before experienced coming from the US, even better was getting to be on a team alongside my classmates. Building bonds outside the classroom with my fellow Batch members helped make the undokai a truly unforgettable experience!”