「未分類」カテゴリーアーカイブ

Jonah Daniels: Volunteering at 梅小路公園

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For my CIP I vo lunteered at Umekoji Park, less than a 10 minute walk from Kyoto station. Alongside 10- 15 local volunteers as well as 2 other KCJS students, we spent our Saturday mornings various exciting doing jobs such as cutting and cleaning up trees and flowers, planting new flowers around the park, and mixing up new dirt for the trees in the park. As the days got warmer, the beginning park to have weekly food stalls and big events around the park where there were numerous dance performances and various other activities. It was always a treat to walk around and see the liveliness of the park as we helped out. My advice to incoming students would be to not be afraid– due to the other volunteers Kansai accents, may it be hard to understand them at first, but all the volunteers are extremely kind and understanding, and do not mind showing you something again if you do not get it first try. Umekoji volunteering is a great space to contribute to the surrounding Kyoto community while also building strong relationships with local residents!

 

Mika Fishell: Ikebana

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I was given the opportunity to join an Ikebana class for my CIP. While focusing on learning the foundation of Moribana, the lessons did go into more modern styles of Ikebana. Within the lesson, while given diagrams on the composition of each piece, I was given creative freedom within those requirements. After the lesson finishes, the teacher will check the work and make suggestions and explain in which ways I could improve my work. If you chose this CIP, while it does incur a monthly cost, it was very beginner friendly. This is the case both in terms of the Japanese, as the professor could speak English, as well as the art form itself. No real background in flower arranging is necessary. Some of the lessons were taken in his house. When starting I felt unprepared to enter a house, but I think he was very forgiving and over time I became more comfortable with the etiquette.

Sam Lindwall: Volunteering at Umekoji Koen

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For my CIP, I volunteered at Umekoji Park, working roughly 2 hours every Saturday morning alongside a group of 10-15 Kyoto locals. Each week had a new goal: planting and maintaining flower beds, trimming trees, improving soil quality, etc. It was a fantastic way to become part of a local community. Everyone was welcoming and eager to make conversation (especially during tea time at the end of each session!). I enjoyed gradually building relationships with a few specific members as the weeks went on. Many Saturdays ended with small group meals or time spent riding the bus together back to our respective homes. I would highly recommend this CIP to anyone looking for a low-pressure way to practice your Japanese and connect with people of varying ages, while soaking up—and contributing to—one of Kyoto’s most lush yet lively areas.

 

Melissa LaRochelle: Gosho Ningyo

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For Spring 2026, I decided to participate in making Gosho Ningyo, a traditional Japanese doll art form. I studied with Yuji and Shoho Okamoto sensei in Osaka every week, working together to complete one Gosho doll by April 2026.

I enjoy creative activities but as someone coming from a sewing background, I was started from zero in terms of knowledge. But, with patience on my end and my professors, I was able to learn a lot; not just how to make a Gosho doll, but the traditional aspects of Japanese craftsmanship as a whole.

If you are someone with an interest in traditional Japanese dolls or craftsmanship in general, I definitely recommend giving Gosho ningyo and try! I do recommend studying Kansai-ben!

Sebastian Bonilla: English assistant volunteer

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This semester I volunteered as an assistant English teacher at a school in Ōhara, a small town nestled in the mountains north of Kyōto. Through this experience I’ve reflected deeply on my own rural American upbringing, learned about Japanese school culture, and most importantly: I had fun! My advice to incoming students would be to choose an activity outside of your comfort zone, but still aligned with your interests or experiences. I’ve had many jobs working with kids so I knew I would enjoy my CIP, but it was still unlike anything I’d done before and it’s something I’ll never forget. 

Theodore Chen: Sieg F.C.

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For my CIP, I joined Sieg FC, a soccer circle at Kyoto University. For clarification, soccer clubs work different in Japan, with the official university team being referred to as the “soccer club” (サッカー部) and unofficial ones (often several) being referred to as “soccer circles” (サッカーサークル). We met 1 – 3 times a week and I was able to play in a game against another circle from a different university in Kyoto. The level of play would be comparable to a Sunday league in the US, and that was about how serious everyone took it as well.

It was a bit difficult to find a club to join at first, but I was able to join Sieg because my conversation partner was already in it, and he essentially acted as a reference to get the schedule and start going to practices. I had been largely ignored/dodged when I tried to express interest in other soccer clubs, so I’d recommend going along a similar route I did in order to join one if you are interested. I think this is just due to the fact that the students aren’t sure if an exchange student would be able to fit in due to the language barrier, so with somebody who already knows you it is much easier.

I really enjoyed my time with the club, and although it was slow getting started and a bit awkward talking to everyone, over time I got to know a few people and it was really cool getting a glimpse into soccer culture in Japan as compared to the US. Regardless, soccer is still soccer no matter where you go, so it was a great avenue to get to know other Japanese students through that common ground.

Compared to other activities however, I think joining a club, especially a sports one, places the responsibility of interacting with people and making friends on you. Although it’s good I didn’t feel like I was treated differently, it meant I had to go out of my way to get to know people, which actually ended up being good Japanese practice.

Will Johnson: Volunteering at Fukakusa Kindergarten

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At Fukakusa Kindergarten I got the opportunity to play and interact with the students for a couple hours each week, doing things like solve puzzles, build LEGOs, and play card games. If you’re looking for a place to work with younger Japanese students, Fukakusa is great, and you get the chance to work with some Japanese students in English as well!

My experience at Fukakusa was different than what I thought it would be at first, a place where I would primarily use English and teach it to Japanese students. However, it turned into a place that was challenging for me with regard to my Japanese skills, as well as a great opportunity to learn about the culture of the Japanese education system. The staff there are amazing and do a great job of making you feel welcome and will help you out with any trouble you have!