Chimu-don Interacting Meeting
12:00 PM
On Saturday, February 25, 2p.m. - 4 p.m.
Chimu-don Interacting Meeting was held at JICA Okinawa Center.
Chimu-don Interacting meeting is an exchange project which aims interacting between Okinawa Kempi exchange students (Kempi students), JICA trainees, and Uchinanchu in Okinawa.
This project was inspired by the Next Generation Uchina Network Training organized by the Uchina Network Concierge.
https://wun.jp/en/article/5435
In that training, we welcomed Kempi students and JICA trainees, and having an interacting meeting with them, listening to their thoughts for Okinawa and the differences in culture and customs between Okinawa and their countries.
The desire to make friends with all the participants, this interacting meeting was planned and managed by a group of four participants: Mirai Teruya, Mitsuya Taira, Mitsusuke Inazumi, and Itoku Nozomu.
On the day of Chimu-don Interacting meeting, three main games and a snack time were held, which were enjoyed by participants from elementary school children to adults.
First of all, as an ice-breaker, we played the "Self-Introduction with Lies or Honesty.”
In this game, participants told only one lie in their self-introductions and guessed each other's lies as a group. At first, participants looked nervous, but gradually questions and conversation increased, and by the end of the game, the entire gymnasium was filled with laughter.
After the ice-breaker helped to ease the tension, the next game was the musical chairs.
We started the game playing "Shimanchu nu Takara" by Bigin as known as the famous Okinawan band. The participants were on edge as they walked around the chairs, humming the song as they went.
The winner was Cesar, one of Kempi students from Peru.
Although the game was unfamiliar to the Kempi students and JICA trainees who were from overseas, they enjoyed it very much.
The last game was the fruit basket (It's similar with the musical chairs but participants are named one of the fruits' names. If your fruit was called you need to stand up, find and sit other chairs.)
The fruits were divided into three categories: mango, Go-ya- (Bitter gourd), and seekwasser, all of which are familiar to Okinawan fruits. And when participants were said, "Umukuji-puttouru~" (It’s also Okinawan dish using potato), everyone has to move to the other seats.
After the three games, we had "Sanji Cha," 3 o'clock tea time. Participants brought in Okinawan sweets such as Chinsuko and Kame-senbei (crackers) and talked together while eating.
At the end of the meeting, we played a gesture game.
The game showed the unity of each group as they struggled with the subject, but also cooperated with each other. The winning team was the Ajiyume Team.
Despite being held for the first time, the event was a great success, attracting a large number of participants, including Kempi students, JICA trainees, and Okinawa residents.
We hope that this project will continue to be a place of exchange and friendship between the Kempi students and JICA trainees who come to Okinawa and the local people.
