Day Trip to SEIWA BUNRAKU for International Students was held
A day trip to SEIWA BUNRAKU for international students was held on Sunday, July 17, 2022, joined by 38 participants studying at local universities and the National Institute of Technology.
“Bunraku” is traditional Japanese puppet theater, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, so many international students who were interested in Japanese culture applied for this event. The program was about a Yokai Monster in Kumamoto named “Amabie”, which has been believed that the monster can end plagues since the late Edo period. The performance was held in old Japanese, so the students read the brochure written in English to know about the characters and the story in advance, and after that they tried to watch the classic Japanese drama. It was not easy for the international students to follow the story, but many students reported that they could enjoy the puppet show. They seemed to have experienced the tradition of Japanese culture.
For many international students, the number of in-person classes and activities are less than before the covid-19 pandemic, so many of them are eager to participate in the events in which they can interact with international students or local people in Kumamoto in person. Although they couldn’t have enough chance to talk to each other in this event for Anti-Covid-19 precautions, they could make friends with other international students and we hope this trip remains in their hearts.
