On October 22nd, TUJ LEAD collaborated with the Japanese Culture Club and the Language Exchange Club from SWU to host an event titled ‘Laugh and Discover’, aiming to explore the art and culture in the Sengoku period.
The event began with a fun Kahoot, which featured significant people and culture back in the 15th to 17th century. Participants got to know phrases like “O-temae choudai shimasu”, which is used before you have tea in a tea ceremony. The winning team received a treasure box filled with Japanese snacks, and participants enjoyed learning more about the Sengoku period in an engaging way. This was followed by a Waka workshop, where students expressed their creativity to come up with a unique poem on topics including love and nature. After that was a tea ceremony workshop, and students enjoyed using tools like Chasen which is used to whisk the matcha powder. The event ended with an Igo game, a traditional board game that people used to play back in the Sengoku period. Although many students were new to the game, they quickly picked up the rules and enjoyed a lively and memorable experience with one another.
Overall, this event not only gave students an opportunity to learn and discover Japanese culture, but also to connect with peers from different universities, and make new communities. TUJ LEAD hopes to continue offering these events to help students build communities and deepen their understanding on different cultures to foster an inclusive environment at TUJ.