It has become a tradition for the Japanese students in Shoreline’s TRAJAL Hospitality Program (TJHC) to host a Japanese Cultural Festival for the school. Cultural festivals (bunkasai) are very popular in Japan, in all levels of schools, from kindergartens to universities.

At the Shoreline Japanese Cultural Festival, attendees got to play games with the students, try on kimono and yukata, and make origami. For a souvenir to take home, you could get your name written in Japanese calligraphy (shodo).

This year, students performed Soran Bushi, a traditional dance about a prosperous fishing haul. They also had a wishing tree where you write your wish on a small piece of paper (tanzaku) and hang it from the tree. These are often see in Japan during festivals like Tanabata.

If you see the TJHC students around campus, make sure to say hi! Keep up to date with more events around campus by following the SCC International Education Facebook.

– Meg Humphrey