Cultural Festival [Bunkasai]
Wow I've neglected this blog. So sorry for that, things have been crazy!
I'm going to just dive right into this, a blog about the Japanese tradition of Cultural Festivals. This is a traditional event in senior high schools around Japan. The time and frequency varies from school to school, so for example my base school holds one every other year in the summer. Students spend weeks preparing for it, and it all comes together in one big event over two days. Everything is to show what the students can do, and what they've accomplished in their time at the school.
Each class transforms their class room into some kind of presentation. It usually has some theme, like Hawaii or Under the Sea, and sometimes the students will dress up or hold events within the rooms to fit the presentation. But they transform the ENTIRE room. Desks are moved out, designs in fabric, cardboard, and anything else adorn the hallways and entrances of the classrooms, and the entire inside of the classroom too. The students put a lot of time into this. Meanwhile the cultural clubs, such as calligraphy, English, tea ceremony (anything that isn't sports basically), also prepare something. Usually this will just be something that can be displayed in a room, or an event held on the school's stage as is the case with the music clubs.
The first day of the festival is a staff-only day, so the teachers and students get the day to experience everything. The second day is when the event is open to the public. This is also when students have to stay in their classrooms to man the rooms, or monitor the school, and teachers have to both monitor the school and do other things, such as running the food areas.
Now, I teach at a girls school. And I think the best thing I've seen from this festival is the Best Couple Contest, which is only for the students. Yes, it's still an all-girls competition. What happens is one girl dresses as a boy, and the pair will perform some kind of short skit or dance or whatever on stage. To the hoard of screaming girls in the audience. I am not even kidding, there was so much screaming, especially if the couple would hug or pretend to kiss, or if the boy was one of the girls at school who is considered to be very cool and popular. This is the essence of an all-girls school. It's kind of like wish fulfillment I guess? I mean, all the skits are basically scenes taken out of girls manga and drama. I've read so much girls manga that I could pretty much tell what was going to happen even though I couldn't always understand what the students were saying!
Honestly though, I found the whole thing incredibly cute and the students REALLY enjoyed it. It was nice to see the students kind of let loose and do what they do, as opposed to class or other formal ceremonies when they're all serious (ish) and studious.
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| Cultural Festival Poster |
I'm going to just dive right into this, a blog about the Japanese tradition of Cultural Festivals. This is a traditional event in senior high schools around Japan. The time and frequency varies from school to school, so for example my base school holds one every other year in the summer. Students spend weeks preparing for it, and it all comes together in one big event over two days. Everything is to show what the students can do, and what they've accomplished in their time at the school.
Each class transforms their class room into some kind of presentation. It usually has some theme, like Hawaii or Under the Sea, and sometimes the students will dress up or hold events within the rooms to fit the presentation. But they transform the ENTIRE room. Desks are moved out, designs in fabric, cardboard, and anything else adorn the hallways and entrances of the classrooms, and the entire inside of the classroom too. The students put a lot of time into this. Meanwhile the cultural clubs, such as calligraphy, English, tea ceremony (anything that isn't sports basically), also prepare something. Usually this will just be something that can be displayed in a room, or an event held on the school's stage as is the case with the music clubs.
The first day of the festival is a staff-only day, so the teachers and students get the day to experience everything. The second day is when the event is open to the public. This is also when students have to stay in their classrooms to man the rooms, or monitor the school, and teachers have to both monitor the school and do other things, such as running the food areas.
Now, I teach at a girls school. And I think the best thing I've seen from this festival is the Best Couple Contest, which is only for the students. Yes, it's still an all-girls competition. What happens is one girl dresses as a boy, and the pair will perform some kind of short skit or dance or whatever on stage. To the hoard of screaming girls in the audience. I am not even kidding, there was so much screaming, especially if the couple would hug or pretend to kiss, or if the boy was one of the girls at school who is considered to be very cool and popular. This is the essence of an all-girls school. It's kind of like wish fulfillment I guess? I mean, all the skits are basically scenes taken out of girls manga and drama. I've read so much girls manga that I could pretty much tell what was going to happen even though I couldn't always understand what the students were saying!
Honestly though, I found the whole thing incredibly cute and the students REALLY enjoyed it. It was nice to see the students kind of let loose and do what they do, as opposed to class or other formal ceremonies when they're all serious (ish) and studious.
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