In a collaborative event with the Osaka Prefectural Youth International Exchange Organization, we actually sent snacks that children in Japan and Canada often eat to each other. At the venue, participants tasted the snacks while sharing their impressions and asking questions in English and Japanese with Japanese participants connected online. This was a new type of "hybrid online exchange meeting."
Approximately 15 participants (elementary school 6th graders to university students) gathered at each venue in Osaka and Vancouver. They opened candies that had actually arrived from overseas, enjoying the taste, color, shape, quantity, packaging, and the playful aspect of whether they were winning or losing. "I know this one!", "It's delicious!", "We don't have anything like this here!", "It comes with a toy!" As they experienced it firsthand, they got a feel for the food culture of children of the same age growing up in Japan and Canada, and reflected on what their daily lives are like.
At the Vancouver venue, we had a great time playing rock-paper-scissors with rock-paper-scissors shaped gummies sent from Japan, and showing each other our tongues after eating gum that turns them blue. We also explained each of the Canadian sweets that were sent to the Japanese venue online in Japanese, which was a good opportunity to practice using the Japanese we usually learn.
Thank you to the Osaka Prefectural Youth International Exchange Organization for co-organizing this event, to Vancouver Japanese Language School for providing the venue, and to the 15 children who participated and had such a great time.
Planning and Management: Mari Kato (Board Member, Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce)
Advisor: Miki Takabayashi (Vice President, Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce)
Jointly planned by: Osaka Prefecture Youth International Exchange Organization
Venue provided by: Vancouver Japanese Language School
Sponsored by: Focus Education Services, AK Jump Educational Consulting Inc., and Dagashiya Aino
JCCOC has conducted the Japan–Canada Snack Exchange: Hybrid Online Cultural Exchange on Saturday June 10, 2023 in collaboration with International Youth Exchange Organization Osaka. About 15 participants (Grade 6~university students) gathered in the Vancouver venue, tasted seven different snacks shipped from Japan, and exchanged their opinions about the snacks in Japanese and English in this “hybrid” online event.
Participants in Vancouver enjoyed a new style of rock-paper-scissors with a rock/paper/scissors-shaped gummy. They also liked to show off their blue-tinted tongue after eating a blue gum. The event served as a perfect occasion for them to use the Japanese language that they have been studying in Canada, to communicate with people in the same generation in Japan.
Special thanks to International Youth Exchange Organization Osaka who jointly organized this wonderful event, Vancouver Japanese Language School who let us use their classroom as a venue, and last but not least, all the participants who gathered from different cities of BC, Canada.
Project organizer: Mari Kato (JCCOC Director)
Adviser: Miki Takabayashi (JCCOC Vice Chair)
Joint organizer: International Youth Exchange Organization Osaka
Venue: Vancouver Japanese Language School
Sponsors: Focus Education Services, AK Jump Educational Consulting Inc, Dagashiya Aino (Japan)
<Scenes from the social gathering>
