Have you ever wanted to immerse yourself in Japanese culture?  

Nippon Culture Day was the place to be. The culture showcase on Nov. 7 was organized and hosted by the East Asian Languages and Literatures department. 

24 organizations and clubs across the UH campus and on O’ahu came together for hands-on activities and information about study and work opportunities in Japan. 

“What we do at the Center for Okinawan Studies is that we support students who are interested in studying Okinawa, or even premodern studies of the kingdom,” said Savannah Mikus, graduate assistant for the Center for Okinawa Studies. “We offer scholarships, we offer a lending library, and we even have a collection over at the Hamilton Library. We also study abroad and have other opportunities like that.”

Booth volunteers from Japanese classes at UH immersed attendees with hands-on activities.  

One booth offered a picture-to-word matching game, which simulated grocery shopping katakana, a Japanese phonetic script. 

There was even a reading corner with books written in hiragana or katakana with difficulty levels from one to five. 

Attendees who participated in at least four booth activities received a pair of chopsticks. 

This year’s event was a success. 800 people attended the event, which is in its fifth annual year and continues to bring a taste of Japan to Hawai’i, connecting students and the community through culture. 

For more information on how to get involved in Japanese culture clubs at UH, visit the Japanese Culture Center website or follow them on their Instagram account.