Culture and dance met onstage during the Mahoroba Dance Festival 2018, which was held last November 25th at the Nara Centennial Hall. This three-hour annual event started in 2009 as a pre-event for the 1300th anniversary of the Heijō transition capital, with an aim to showcase traditional Japanese culture, particularly during the Tenpyo era, through various types of dances.
In NAIST, autumn doesn’t officially start without cosplayers running around campus. This is the time of the year when we cramp leg muscles and ooze creative juices, for activities other than research! Last November 6 marked the 24th Yoshikawa Cup, NAIST’s annual costume road relay race.
At NAIST, the Victorian tradition of afternoon tea time has taken on a different meaning and purpose. Unlike the conventional scones, biscuits, or cakes, this Tea Time includes some light snacks from different parts of the world.
Several faculty members and students from the NAIST Division of Materials Science attended the 79th JSAP (Japan Society of Applied Physics) Autumn Meeting held at Nagoya Congress Center last September 18-21, 2018. The JSAP organizes two annual technical meetings during the spring and autumn seasons. About 6,000 participants joined this year’s autumn meeting with almost 4,000 papers presented.
Templish is a volunteer hands-on learning program of Japanese culture for elementary school children. The name is a play on “temple” and “English”, as activities are facilitated in English, by members of an over-800-year old temple, Chokyu-Ji. International students from NAIST regularly volunteer to engage with the children in fun activities, with a theme that changes every month. Continue reading Jugoya: The Night of the Full Moon→
(Featured photo provided by International Student Affairs staff)
How do you start your new life at NAIST? Becoming a new student at a new university is like beginning a new chapter of a book. A lot of people learn new skills from classrooms. They also gain new experiences from their new friends. Many students know more about their goals in life. It seems like everything in the new university is the beginning of a new journey!
At the opening of every semester, there are many new Japanese students and international students who begin their studies at NAIST. For this spring semester, the first week of April has many events for new students. For example, there is an orientation for all students, the TOEIC-IP test, and the entrance ceremony. On the other hand, some events are prepared specifically for international students. One of which is the International Students Welcome Party.
The welcome party for new international students was held on the evening of Friday (April 11) hosted by the International Student Affairs Division. More than 40 new students from different countries joined this event. These students included Master students, Doctoral students, and Research students. In addition, some of the tutors, who will take care of the new international students for the first 3 months, joined in the fun, too.
This party began with a warm welcome from the Vice President of NAIST and all of the staff. The atmosphere was energetic yet friendly.
Participating students introduced themselves to each other. They enjoyed talking with staff members and other students who have also just arrived from overseas.
After the ceremony, participants had dinner together. There were a variety of foods including Japanese food, halal food, snacks, and drinks. While having dinner, everyone also enjoyed light conversations.
That was fun! We look forward to a lot of activities like this within the school year. Hope to see you in the next one!
The NAIST Global Student Network (GSK) is on a mission to save the environment, and some students’ wallets along the way. The GSK reopened the Recycling Market last April 2 to 4, and we had the opportunity to have a look and a quick interview with the head of the event. Despite the many challenges, this year’s run of the Recycling Market is one of the most successful yet!
Every year, a number of NAIST students take part in Japan TENT, a week-long homestay program in Ishikawa prefecture. For the program’s 30-year anniversary, past participants tell their stories in this post.