Report on "Matsuri Event" to experience Japanese culture in English

Social Apartment is a community of 3,000 residents living in about 50 buildings in the Kanto and Kansai regions. As an opportunity to connect with others beyond the boundaries of the property, Global Agents sponsors and holds regular events.

One of the most representative events is a large-scale event for 100 people held twice each year. SOCIAL SUMMER OUTING in the summer and SOCIAL NIGHT OUT in the winter are regular events for social apartments and attract many participants.

Events beyond the properties are held not only in large groups, but also in smaller events held in an at-home atmosphere with around 10 people.

In this issue, we would like to introduce a small-group event to experience Japanese culture using English as a communication tool. The first theme, which started as a trial project, is "Matsuri Event," in which participants take part in a traditional Japanese festival. In this article, we report on Matsuri Event.

Matsuri Event" to experience Japanese festivals in English

This is the first event in which participants not only interact with each other using English as a common language, but also experience Japanese culture.

The theme of the first event was traditional Japanese festivals. This year's event was the annual Kaneo Hachimangu Festival held in September. It is a traditional festival where 14 portable shrines come together to pray for a good harvest and prosperity of the city. ( Excerpt from the official website ) Everyone put on yukata and experienced the lively atmosphere of the festival.

The number of participants was limited to about 10 people so that each person could communicate well with others. The only requirement for participation was "being a social apartment resident. In addition to English conversation, we created an environment in which participants could easily get closer to each other through experiencing something together.

First, we gathered at Millennials Shibuya.

Before heading to the yukata rental store, we first gathered in the lounge of The Millennials Shibuya, a hotel operated by Global Agents.

A total of nine people from seven properties, including Neighbors Futakotamagawa, Neighbors Higashijujo, and Social Apartment Urayasu, participated in the event.

Immediately after gathering, the participants asked each other questions about the properties and their countries of origin, and seemed to quickly get to know each other. Although nationalities and English levels varied, conversation naturally began without waiting for self-introduction time, and the event started in a friendly atmosphere.

We moved to a rental store and changed into yukata!

Once the atmosphere was warmed up, we moved to the yukata rental store.
Each participant chose a yukata of his or her choice and had a staff member dress them.

Many of the participants were wearing yukata for the first time, so the process of choosing a yukata was fresh and fun. In addition to dressing, the women's team also had their hair set. With a hairpin, they were all ready to participate in the festival.

To the venue where 14 portable shrines are gathered.

After changing into yukata, we went to the front of Shibuya 109, where 14 portable shrines of various neighborhood associations in Shibuya Ward were gathered at the same time. It was a cloudy day, but the lingering summer heat was still very hot, and I could feel the summer in the air.

The Shibuya Kaneo Hachimangu Festival is a traditional festival that has continued for several hundred years. Even though it has become a big city over time, it is still held every September to pray for a good harvest and good health. ( Excerpt from the official website )

Many of the participants had never seen a portable shrine and the people who carry it before, and they were very interested in it. They were fascinated by the energy of the portable shrines that came one after another.

The mikoshi of the Shibuya 2-chome town council had just arrived at the event site, so I was allowed to take a picture to commemorate the event.

There was also a live taiko performance at the venue, in which children and adults alike participated, and I was overwhelmed by the powerful sound of the taiko.

While I was listening to the taiko performance, 14 portable shrines gathered and the venue was filled with a tremendous number of people. After the ceremony, the portable shrines moved to their respective town halls.
We also moved to the shrine to see the food stalls.

Hikawa Shrine for the food stalls

When we were hungry, we went to the Hikawa Shrine for the festival. Here, local people and restaurants set up stalls.

Draft beer, squid yaki, takoyaki and yakisoba. The smell of teppan-yaki, which reminded me of the food stalls at festivals, made everyone hungry at once. They were wondering which one to buy.

Toward the end of the event, some people were talking about deeper topics such as "How is life in Japan," "What do you miss most about your own country," and "How long do you plan to live in Japan?

Perhaps the time spent not only gathering together but also experiencing something together brought the participants closer to each other.

At the festival site, a children's karaoke contest was held, which was the most exciting part of the event due to the sheer cuteness of the children.

Finally, we took a commemorative photo and disbanded. It seems that some of the participants became friends enough to exchange contact information with each other.

When we asked the participants what they thought of the event, some of them said, "Choosing a yukata was the most fun part," and "I can communicate with people in my own apartment, but it was a new and good opportunity to talk with people from other apartments using English.

This event, which focused on English and Japanese culture, provided an opportunity for residents to get to know each other one step closer through the lively festival atmosphere and the yukata experience. I think it was a time not only for the enjoyment of exchange, but also for gaining an understanding of different cultures and new perspectives. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of encounters and discoveries we will have again at the next event.

(Planning: Elena / Interview and text: Hayashi / Photos: Loris)