All posts by Thomas Greve

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Petro’s Testimony


I took part in WCI 2010’s 3rd Session in Ueda and Toride.

Being part of this program brought many amazing changes and opportunities. At first, I could have not imagined how this whole experience would be: the multicultural staff and participants, being in a foreign country with such a unique culture and customs and the thing that turned out to be my favorite, being inside the life of a regular Japanese host family.

Through WCI, not only we could have access to facilities and do things a regular visitor wouldn’t be able to do, but we can interact and live with locals. Additionally, even though it takes place in Japan, the program is not all about Japan; it’s about learning to see the world with a more internationalist point of view, knowing other cultures and losing biased prior views which we build throughout our lives. During the program I stayed with two host families, both were really nice and open minded to the “flaws” that we foreigners commit in Japan, such as using the toilet slippers inside the house! But with one of the host families, the relationship I built with them was so intense and strong that our relation got stronger with time. We exchanged mails and I was able to visit them one more time after the program. I such a great time during New Year’s holidays with them and they made me feel as a member of the family!

In a nutshell, the program made me open my mind to the differences, correct my pre conceptions about Japan and other countries, and most importantly, made me leave a part of my heart with each of the good friends I made there.

(Pedro Aguilar, Brazil)

訪問地, 地域学習, 愛知県豊田市

Exploring Factories and Maid Cafés

Date of Activity: August 27th

Today we went to the Toyota factory. Although it was short, and we only got to see a small part of the factory, it was very impressive. The most amazing thing we saw was a line of robots that all moved at the same time and burned pieces of the car together. I felt as if I were in a science fiction movie. After that we went to the Toyota museum. It also looked a little futuristic. We saw a robot that had lungs and could play trumpet by itself, and many other cool things.


We had lunch all together in a Chinese restaurant – it was good! In the afternoon, the participants either had a half “personal day” or a half “host family day”. Together with Dieter (Belgium) and Maria (Norway) we went to the Osukannon shopping street in Nagoya. We visited a temple, and after on we went to a Neko café and a maid café. A Neko café is a café where you can pet cats and just relax. It was very calming, but we had the most fun in the maid café. A maid café is a place where you are served by girls in cute maid costumes. We got to eat delicious cakes, and we had the time of our lives – it was a great experience! The maids drew pretty drawings on our plates with chocolate and strawberry sauce. I recommend everyone to visit a maid café at least once – you won’t regret it!


(Tine Van Den Broecke, Belgium)

訪問地, 地域学習, 愛知県豊田市

The First Day of the Last City of WCJ 2012


我孫子市での10日間の旅はあっという間に終わりを迎えてしまいました。
そして今日からは今年最後の訪問都市となる豊田市での活動がスタートです。我孫子のパワフルな皆さんとお別れをした後は、バスで揺られること7時間半、ここ、豊田市にやってきました。実行委員長やひろさんの挨拶の後、豊田市でも早速マッチング。ただ、ここではゲームでのマッチングです。全員名札を外し、自己紹介もないままゲーム開始です。
最初はリーダーじゃんけん。とはいっても普通のジャンケンでは面白くないので、豊田市並びのその近辺の特徴を当てはめたじゃんけんです。車・もみじ・カヌー・もも。
それぞれの動きを教えてもらい、その動きと同じであれば負け、座って勝ち残った人が勝ちというゲームでした。次に行ったのが数合わせゲーム。 “数合わせゲーム”
音楽とともに踊り、最後に指定された人が1～10までの数字の中から一つ選び、自分の国の言葉で数を言う。その人数で集まり、その輪の中にホストファミリーがいればめでたくマッチングというゲームでした。幸運にもホストファミリーがすぐに輪の中にいた人から次々と抜けていき、私はなんと最後の4人まで残ってしまいました。その後ホストファミリーから幾つかのキーワードとともに言い当てて頂き、無事お会いする事が出来ました。これから5日間という短い時間ではありますが、ここ豊田市で締めくくりに相応しいような日々を過ごせる事を楽しみにしています。


千葉県我孫子市, 訪問地, 地域学習

Kappa Festival Day

Date of Activity: August 25th


Today was a great experience! We were given the opportunity to help out the community by setting up the Kappa matsuri (kappa festival) that was held that day. In the morning we pulled our half-awake bodies together and set up a big amount of bamboo candles, including the ones that we made earlier this week. This took a fair amount of time, as we decorated a path that would be crossed by about 10.000 people that day. Although we were exhausted after clearing the job, the result of our work that would become visible by nightfall, was totally worth it. When it was time for lunch, we joined in with the locals and fished for our soumen (noodles) that came floating by on a 60m long bamboo structure. Those who lacked the dexterity to fill their stomachs with soumen were saved by the LOC with McDonalds meals. With our bodies reenergized, we joined the Kappa dance parade for which we learned the dance earlier this week. Some of us were dressed up as Kappas or some other funny creature and others were holding their country’s flag. It was entertaining to see thousands of local people react on a group of foreigners like ourselves, dancing one of their traditional dances. I’m very happy that I got this rare opportunity to be so involved with local culture. After the parade, people gathered at a central area in the park where food and drinks were sold and soon people started dancing and singing, giving it a real local festival feeling. The day ended with an amazing fireworks show, which was the cherry on the pie that I would love to re-eat someday.


(Daniel Van Delft, the Netherlands)

千葉県我孫子市, 訪問地, 地域学習

Finally, Arigatou Event!

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Date of Activity: August 23rd


Finally, Arigato event! I might have been a little tired in the morning, because I forgot to bring my “show cloths” at my host family. But my host father, Shigeru-san, brought it and I was saved. I did not have any problem in rehearsal, but I started to get nervous when I saw a big audience, and I made a mistake while dancing. However, I could say to myself “Daijobu” when I found Shigeru-otosan wearing green T-shirt in the audience. Though it was exhausting day, everybody put a great energy and had so much fun together.


(Yuting Chen, China)