At the opening ceremony, Mr. Fujihara Kenji, the principal of Shanghai Japanese School, expressed warmest welcome to us. He said: "Last year we felt honored that we had the opportunity to visit SCLS, and this year we are delighted to invite SCLSers to visit our campus. We firmly believe that our friendship can break the language barrier and true friendship comes from the heart."
Afterwards, students from the two schools exchanged their self-made name cards and briefly introduced themselves. Students got to know each other by sharing things in common. This is a sure way for the students to make friends, and the camaraderie between them created a trusting environment.
After the opening ceremony, the students from Shanghai Japanese School introduced a variety of traditional Japanese games that have been passed down through the generations and our students had the chance to try out these games like Kendama and Origami.
Also, the highlight was without a doubt the performances. The students from Shanghai Japanese School presented us “ソーラン節”, a traditional work song of Hokkaido herring fishery workers, while our students performed “My Motherland and I” and one piece of Beijing Opera “I am a Chinese”. The music of two nations transcended cultural boundaries and boosted harmony.
After the performance, students had lunch together and they have gained a deeper understanding of their multicultural backgrounds and become lifetime friends.
This meaningful exchange visit program started in 2014, and students have been immersed in two different cultures and learned more about each other. This is also an invaluable opportunity to strengthen bonds between two nations through the younger generation, thereby contributing to fostering friendship and a relationship of trust between the two countries.
We wish all the students and teachers of two schools a happy new year with health, peace and good luck!
We wish our friendship last forever!
文/安妮 翻译/汪泺
摄影/周晓平
