TOPICS August 2023
Students from Sacramento
10 students from the Rosemont High School in Sacramento which is a sister-city to Matsuyama visited the city, and interacted with the students in the Matsuyama North High School.
This was one of the Bilateral Collaborations between two cities. It has been four years since the last time when the students in the Rosemont High came to Matsuyama. They stayed with the families of the students in the Matsuyama North High and experienced a school life in Japan.
They enjoyed various programs like participating in the classes, making name plates in Chinese characters, and playing football and volleyball together.
Ms. Michelle Milover, a student in the Rosemont High, smiled and said that it was fun for her to communicate with Japanese teenagers and understand each other by playing sports together. She also would like to come back to Matsuyama since she was very happy to be warmly welcomed by all the people and found that the school environment was so great.
Students in both high schools had the online meeting in November last year. Mr. Ryoki Odo who was a navigator of this interactive event said that he was so happy to hear that they could have understood the high school life in Japan, and also that it had been such a precious experience to share the same time at the same place with the people who lived overseas and he had communicated remotely with before.
Ms. Kumiko Hamamatsu, a teacher in charge of the Overseas Research and English Conversation club, said that she had seen that the students appreciated very much what they could meet them in person even in the time when ICT has been well developed. And she is confident that this will be an opportunity for all the students to improve their communication skill and English conversation.
(July 11, Ehime Shimbun Online)
A Challenge for Cameroon Dish
“Cooking Class of Global Dishes” organized by the Supporting Organization of J.O.C.V.(= Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers) was held at Matsuyama Commercial High School to enhance international understanding through the culinary culture. 40 students in third grade in the regional business course enjoyed cooking Cameroon’s pot menu.
Mr. Katsuhiko Kuba living in Seiyo-city introduced the life and food in Cameroon where he had been dispatched since 2016 for two years. After his presentation, “Arachide source” was prepared by the students.
It is a homemade dish which pork is stir-fried with tomato and chili powder and then boiled with peanut paste. The students pleasantly cooked it.
A student said that he had never tasted anything like that before, and could find the difference in what people eat. Mr. Kuba said that the motive could be anything, and he hoped that as many students as possible would see more of the world.
The Supporting Organization of J.O.C.V. has been organizing a cooking class at various high schools in the prefecture with the returnees from JICA program.
(July 10, Ehime Shimbun Online)
Taiwanese Students Learned Medical Care in Remote Areas
Four nursing students from Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan, studied Japanese medicine and culture, with the Prefectural Medical Technology University in Tobe Town to the south of Matsuyama. In 2018, the two universities signed an agreement for mutual exchange and joint research by students and faculty. In 2019, students from Ehime went to Taiwan for short-term training.
Due to the coronavirus, this was the first time that Ehime had accepted Kaohsiung Medical University students. The four came to Ehime on the 1st and for an orientation and some Japanese cultural events in Tobe Town. On July 4 and 5, they visited Ainan-cho, western Ehime, with two Prefectural Medical Technology University students. They visited some medical facilities such as Minamiuwa Prefectural Hospital, which plays a central role in medical care in remote areas.
They also accompanied medical staff doing home-visit medical treatment. One local coordinator explained the current situation saying, “Although the town faces a serious shortage of doctors, our strength is that the whole community is supporting patients.” He added “You don’t have to be an excellent nurse. Be a good nurse for patients.”
This short-term training was held until July 8, including a visit to the Ehime University School of Medicine and sightseeing to Shimanami Kaido.
(July 7, Ehime Shimbun)
Hawaiian Culture Introduced by University Students
On July 6, two students from the University of Hawaii, who are doing short-term internships in Ehime, visited Uwajima Fishery High School. The state of Hawaii and Ehime prefecture have a sister-state relationship.
The two students participated in classes and introduced sightseeing spots and food in Hawaii. They taught the Hawaiian greeting “Aloha,” how to count, and played a word-guessing game. The high school students presented in English about their two-month ocean voyage training on board the training ship “Ehime Maru”, as well as the efforts to develop products using local marine resources. The high school students gave the Hawaiian students some canned yellowtail with daikon radish, a product they developed. The two laid flowers at the memorial for the Ehime Maru accident of 2001 which is on the school grounds.
The prefectural international exchange association has been accepting interns since 2006 in an effort to deepen the relationship and not to forget the Ehime Maru accident.
(July 7, Ehime Shimbun)
