Month: February 2023

Finding true kindness in a different culture

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By Kori Johnson

With the help of Globalize DC, I had the opportunity to experience Japanese culture in January in downtown Washington by attending a New Year’s festival, sponsored by the Japan Commerce Association of Washington, DC (JCAW). I had a wonderful day with my friends and had the opportunity to converse with people who aren’t originally from Washington, DC. The retail area was my favorite part of the whole visit.

I had the opportunity to see numerous Japanese toys, refreshments, and play mini games for rewards. I enjoyed two games available at the venue – fishing and hitting the targets! In the end, even if you didn’t hit any goals, the games still provided you candy since they give you the possibility to win sweets and adorable small toys that you can play with or give to your family. The snacks I could buy and consume from the kiosk were incredible; they had so many unique flavors and textures that weren’t present in the foods I often eat in Washington, DC. 

Sadly, I was unable to afford a sushi making kit I wanted to get after seeing it. However, this genuinely kind worker offered to buy it for me, which came as a huge shock to me because not many people treat me with such kindness. This opened my eyes. demonstrating how even initiating small talk can result in amazing outcomes. I only talked with the lady for a few moments and she had offered to pay for something I couldn’t afford. It really shows how those who partake in a different culture than you can be genuinely kind and giving when you first meet them.   

The event was amazing, and this program has given me many opportunities to do amazing things. I’d love to attend another festival like this one and play games, eat, and converse with people from Japan, and generally just enjoy myself with my  friends once more.

Kakehashi Exchange and Visiting All Souls Church

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By Penelope Morris

Yesterday, Japanese Plus students got to meet Japanese high schoolers participating in the Kakehashi exchange program. The two groups met up for lunch at Z-Burger in Tenleytown, then went to All Souls Church in Columbia Heights, where we got to view images created by Japanese schoolchildren after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan during World War II.

Before the exchange, I was a little nervous to interact with Japanese high schoolers because I wasn’t sure if my Japanese would be good enough to communicate with them. We were able to communicate just fine though, and we bonded over topics ranging from food to school to extracurriculars. It was really fun to be able to learn what life is like as a Japanese teenager! The students were able to communicate well in English, and one girl that I talked to said she had been studying the language at school for eight years, which I found really impressive considering I’ve only been learning Japanese for a few!

Another highlight of the exchange was being able to see drawings created by Japanese schoolchildren in the aftermath of the atomic bombs dropped during World War II. The images were created using art supplies sent by the All Souls Church community to schools in Japan, and seeing the images was a deeply moving experience. It was hard for me to imagine how these Japanese children could have created such beautiful art following such a terrible event. But as I looked at the pictures, I saw that the children were using art as a medium to express their hope for a better future. At first I was surprised by the hopeful aura of the pictures: many of them depicted children playing, sunny days, and people going about everyday life, which was likely not the reality of most of the young artists. However, as I continued looking it became clear that the students weren’t necessarily drawing what was around them, but what they hoped would eventually grow back.

I really liked the program and it was amazing to meet Japanese teenagers. I hope we will keep in touch in the future!