On Thursday, July 17, 2025, junior and senior high school students from our school delivered presentations at the Australia Pavilion in the official venue of the Osaka-Kansai Expo. This opportunity served as a valuable platform for representing Japan’s next generation and sharing their perspectives from a global viewpoint, attracting significant attention. Dignitaries in attendance included Australian government ministers, education directors, and numerous education professionals from Japan and abroad. The students’ English speeches were also featured on the official social media accounts operated by the Australian Embassy. This event reaffirmed how our school’s international education initiatives have nurtured students’ communication skills and the ability to turn their dreams into reality.

In the presentation, the junior high school representative spoke first, sharing how she entered Ritsumeikan Uji Junior High School with the dream of “becoming a person who can succeed globally,” and expressing her excitement for the annual homestay program in Brisbane held every August. Next, the senior high school representative took the stage, speaking candidly about the disappointment of having overseas programs canceled during junior high school due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how she overcame that setback to achieve a one-year study abroad experience in Australia during high school. She went on to passionately describe the lessons learned from that experience and how it is now driving her ambition to study at a university overseas.

On Friday, July 18, a cultural exchange event featuring the Japanese tea ceremony was held in the same pavilion, where our students warmly served tea to distinguished guests. With each movement embodying respect for Japanese culture and the spirit of hospitality, visitors commented, “It was not just formality; we could feel their warmth,” and “It was a wonderful experience to directly connect with young people from Japan.”

Through this experience, students not only strengthened their language skills but also gained a deep understanding of culture and spirit through authentic international exchange. Ritsumeikan Uji Junior and Senior High School will continue to value such opportunities, fostering in each student the ability to connect with the world and to share their voices on a global stage.