Gujo Program (2014 Summer School)
As part of our summer school program, summer school students participated in Gujo program with Director Toyohide Takeuchi and Associate Professor Momoko Tsuchiya of International Student Center from Friday, July 11 to Monday, July 14. They arrived safely in Gujo City although the impact of approaching typhoon No. 8 had been concerned.
This Gujo program is conducted by cooperation and support from GujoHachiman International Friendship Association every year, and this year marks the 19th year since the program started. The participating students enjoyed various events including exchange with Hachiman elementary school students, a shodo lesson (calligraphy), Gujo odori dance, exploring the city on the first day, and sado (Japanese tea ceremony) and kendo (form of fencing using bamboo swords) lessons on the second day. In a shodo lesson, the students worked on writing of the Japanese characters they picked prior to the lesson and practiced over and over for an hour. In a kendo lesson, the students put on practice clothes for kendo, a face protector, and padded gloves. They learned the technique called "men" and had a kendo match in a bath of sweat.
At a welcome party held in the evening on the first day, summer school students enjoyed a pleasant conversation with their host families, introduced a song and culture of their countries, and during the party the students looked particularly impressed by kagura, Shinto sacred music and dance. After the party, the students headed to each host family's house and stayed from the afternoon on the second day to the morning on the fourth day. Every year, students pick the precious time they spent with their host family as the most memorable experience in summer school programs. 2014 Summer School Program ends on Wednesday, July 23. Summer school students enjoy both studying and activities with tutors day and night in this muggy summer.
The next activity of summer school is sumo watching on Thursday, July 17.