Exchange students of Japan! Get ready for the International Student EXPO!

Maido! Osaka Bob here.
The International Student EXPO will be held at MyDome Osaka!
The event is for exchange students who have suffered negative effects during the ongoing pandemic like difficulties accessing information, a lack of interaction with Japanese students, and an inability to work part-time jobs.
*Participants must pre-register before attending this event.

■Troubles and concerns for international exchange students…

Approximately 300,000 international exchange students live in Japan and among them 26,000 live in Osaka. I am one of them. I came from the USA to be in the city I love—Osaka★
I’ve been fortunate enough to visit lots of nice places, meet amazing people, and eat incredible food during my time in Osaka. But, many exchange students fall into a pattern going between their homes, school, and part-time jobs, without time to enjoy Osaka or the rest of Japan. I’ve heard that some students haven’t even been able to do part-time work because of COVID. And others haven’t been able to meet their classmates because there are so few interactions on campus. Many students are worried beyond their academic and social lives in Japan and are very concerned about their financial prospects and future careers.

■Solutions from approximately 20 businesses in 4 zones!

One of the main goals of the International Student EXPO is to help exchange students with housing and employment problems. Approximately 50 businesses and organizations are scheduled to present solutions to problems related to learning, living, work, and entertainment.
Learning– Exhibits from businesses and organizations focused on academics, business skills, linguistics, job-hunting strategies, and Japanese cultural experiences like chadō (tea ceremony) and buyō (traditional dancing).
Housing– Real estate agents and companies that provide services like rental negotiations, guarantor services for rental contracts, and rent insurance for the duration of your lease.
Work– Companies that provide support to employees post-graduation, employment agencies that can place students to part-time employment, and job-search website agencies.
Entertainment– Japanese cultural experiences, sightseeing, leisure facilities, shopping arcades, and agencies that provide a wide variety of services that make shopping easier like cashless payments and credit cards.
The EXPO is a valuable opportunity for these businesses and agencies to meet exchange students, so it is sure to be beneficial for you too!

■Experience Japanese culture and meet new friends!

Events planned include Japanese cultural experiences, sightseeing, Japanese cuisine, and cultural exchange with Japanese student volunteers!

Tuna Show! Learn about Japanese cuisine through seafood

Tuna butchery will be demonstrated by Fukai-san from Sea Bank, a seafood wholesaler in Osaka dealing in fish for over 100 years.
Yoshida-san, the owner of Syuzen Yayoi–known for extraordinarily fresh seafood dishes–will be preparing handmade sushi.

Osaka sightseeing! Have fun learning about Osaka’s culture while cruising the waterways!

Experience history from the water on this limited cruise of Aqua Metropolis Osaka. Ride for free if you win the drawing!

Experience Japanese culture! Staged fighting, shamisen, & the tea ceremony

Experience Japanese culture through the samurai & ninja show by Tetsuo Yagi, president of the Japan Tate-do Association, musical performances showcasing the beautiful sounds of Japanese instruments in Yasakura Kineya’s shamisen performance, and demonstrations by the tea ceremony club at Osaka Prefectural Otemae High School.

600 years of history through knife-making in Sakai!

Blade-sharpening demonstrations by Eric Chevallier, Overseas Demand Development Coordinator at Sakai City Industrial Promotion Center. Sakai, located in Osaka Prefecture, leads Japan in blade manufacturing!

Experience Japanese pop culture!

Japanese pop culture that’s loved all over the world! Kansai-based cosplayer Hiro-san and others will make appearances as characters from Japanese manga and anime.

Each event looks so fun!
It will be nice to meet Japanese university students while learning about the culture!
I am so excited!

■Read the EXPO overview.

Finally, here are the details.
Don’t forget! You must pre-register to attend the expo!!!

When: 10:00-17:00 Sat, Dec. 4 & Sun, Dec. 5, 2021
Where: MyDome Osaka
Admission: Registration is free
Registration: https://event-create.eventos.tokyo/web/portal/422/event/2647/
Official website: http://is-expo.jp/
Organizer: International Exchange Student Executive Committee
Sponsors: Osaka Global Student Support Association, Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau,
Aqua Metropolis Osaka, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Osaka Office
Special Contributors: YOLO JAPAN Corporation, WA.SA.Bi (Mori Kosan Co., Ltd.)
Oyatsu Town Co., Ltd., Access Nextage Co., Ltd.
Contact: International Exchange Student Executive Committee TEL: 06-7663-4572

*Event contents are subject to change.