Are you moving to Japan? Settling down in a new country can be tough. Factors such as cultural or language barriers might hinder you from doing simple tasks such as going out and/or making new friends. On the contrary, if you are able to overcome these barriers and find what you like, life in Japan could become an unforgettable memory. With that in mind, learning more about the country’s people and communities could be the first step. Luckily, there are many opportunities like that around Tokyo.
In this blog, I’m going to introduce some groups which frequently hold cultural exchange events between Japanese people and international students. I also leave information on how to get updates about these kind of activities at the end of the blog. Therefore, if you don’t want to miss out, please keep on reading!
Friendship Association for International Students and Japanese Volunteers (RKK)🔗: Improve Your Language Skills
With Japanese volunteers from Kanagawa Prefecture, RKK organizes many different kinds of events for international students, including free private Japanese lessons. When applying, you can choose the language level and even specify the theme of the lesson that you want to attend; they will then assign a teacher who is the best fit for you. Therefore, this is a class where anyone, from beginners to experts, can apply. Moreover, although it is a class, the atmosphere is very relaxed, and you can always ask your teacher for help with any Japanese-related questions. Also, you can arrange both schedule and location (online or onsite), so it is very flexible.
RKK also holds cultural events. During their yearly RKK festival, they hold many workshops and exhibitions related to traditional Japanese arts, such as calligraphy, poetry, and ikebana. There is also a session for overseas culture introductions, where international students give speech about their own country. In this event, students can join as an event participant or as a presenter. There will be someone to guide you in simple Japanese and the presentation can be given in English or Japanese, so there is no need to worry about language skills.
Global City Ota Cooperation Association (GOCA)🔗: Learn More About Life in Japan
Are you curious about life in Japan? Why not ask the locals! GOCA is a general incorporated foundation which aims to promote international exchange in Ota-ku. One of their unique events is “Home visit – visit a Japanese home.” During the event, you and two other students will visit a Japanese family in Ota-ku, where you will be given three hours to freely talk to the family about any topic, including daily life, culture, festivals, interesting spots or restaurants in your area, and anything else. In exchange, you are only required to bring some pictures and/or items that represent your own country for self-introduction. Therefore, I believe that this event is a good chance to learn how Japan is different from your home country. Still, the language used in this event is mainly Japanese, so having prior knowledge of Japanese is recommended.
The organization also holds other fun events, such as the GOCA café, where they usually organize small seasonal-themed activities and provide drinks, as well as a friendly futsal match between Japanese and foreigner attendees.
Meguro International Friendship Association (MIFA)🔗: Become a Part of the Community through Volunteer Activities
After learning about Japan, don’t you want to try sharing your home country’s culture to people in Japan, too? MIFA is a public interest incorporated foundation based in Meguro-ku, and has a collection of volunteer activities that you can join, such as serving as a language interpreter volunteer or presenting about your home country to elementary school students.
One activity that I participated in through MIFA was an international cooking class. In the class, I gave a presentation about food from my country and then cooked it with ten participants. The food I chose was Kao Man Gai (Chicken rice). After confirming the menu and recipe, the organization helped prepare the kitchen and the ingredients, and everyone cooked and enjoyed the meal together afterward. It was my first time cooking so much food, so it was tiring, but at the same time very fun to be around people passionate about the same thing.
Kanagawa Systematized Goodwill Guide Club (KSGG)🔗: Explore Japan’s Beautiful Nature and Culture
If you’re a fan of hiking, you might want to check out this organization. They are a non-profit voluntary organization in Kanagawa Prefecture, and offer free or cheap tour guides to sightseeing spots in the Kanagawa area. They also give you preparation tips for hiking, and during the walk you can learn more about the history of each place. It is an excellent opportunity to explore Japan and meet people with the same hobby. Examples of their activities include Mt. Oyama hiking or spring walks.
Other than these, they often hold Japanese cultural experiences, such as Zen meditation, Yukata festival, Washi paper making events, or Kyudo (Japanese archery) practice
Shinano Ikueikai🔗: Summer Tour to Izu Peninsula
Shinano Ikueikai operates a dormitory for Japanese students from Nagano Prefecture, and they are looking for international students from some Asian and Oceanian countries to join their summer tour every year. During this event, you will be paired with a Japanese student and travel together to Izu Peninsula by bus for two days and one night. You will get to study the history of Izu Peninsula through historical places, experiencing Japanese traditional art, and eating Kaiseki (Japanese style banquet).
When I joined the event in 2024, the traditional art activity was pottery making and I was able to keep my handmade pottery as a souvenir.
With the range of activities offered, I would say that this is the most generous event I have ever joined and would definitely recommend you to join! The organization has been holding this tour every summer for the past 29 years. So, you can keep your hopes up for this summer, too!
Where to get start
After you learn about these activities, the next step is applying for them. But, how do you know when each activity is open for application? Our university communicates information to students in various way, one of which is through an e-mail service from Global Education Division🔗 (NB: This e-mail service is limited to Science Tokyo current students). Therefore, if you do not want to miss these kinds of activities, subscribe to the mail service, frequently check your mail box, and keep your eyes peeled!
I know that moving to a new country is challenging, but that it also comes with opportunities to try out new things. I hope that my blog can help you learn more about what activities you can do in Japan, connect with new friends, and most importantly, find your Japan.
