The IM course holds a Japanese culture rediscovery lecture for first-year students prior to their study abroad. The objectives of this lecture are "to learn about one's own culture before discovering the world" and "to become an ambassador of Japan in one's study abroad destination.

    In the workshop on January 13, we held a "katazome workshop using Ise katagami" in cooperation with WA-ERU, a company whose mission is to pass on traditional culture to the next generation. Katazome is one of the methods of kimono dyeing, and different craftsmen dye kimonos using stencils that are hand-carved one by one by craftsmen. These artisans work by hand to create a variety of beautiful Japanese kimonos.
     Students drew their own designs on postcards made of Japanese paper using the katazome method. Each student created a postcard to express themselves or as a gift for their hosts, while respecting their own sensibilities, and then expressed their thoughts to each other through verbal expression.

     The ability to feel, to observe, and to verbalize are all very important skills for ambassadors in their host countries. In addition to the acquisition of knowledge, the students were able to become aware of the appeal of Japanese culture, and to develop a desire to let people overseas know about it.