Every December, the Miyazaki international Foundation hosts a grand international exchange event, and this year’s was the biggest yet!
Groups from throughout the prefecture came to host information booths to teach about their home countries and cultures. Many people performed traditional music or danced on stage. Visitors enjoyed trying their hand at crafts, practicing a new language, and playing new instruments. A variety of food and drinks were available as well. Continue reading
This event has become an immensely popular staple in the MAJET calendar and for good reason; kayaking along autumnal embankments, cosy cabins surrounded by woodlands and a festival in one of the most remote villages in Japan.
Why should the kids have all the fun? Gather your friends and join us at Oyodo River Park across from Miyazaki City Hall on October 14th to put your speed, strength, and skill to the test! After the rousing success of last year’s Undoukai, MAJET is excited to host another one! In 2016, Team Instinct (pictured below) took home the very first MAJET Undoukai Cup. Will your team rise to the occasion and top Instinct’s final score?! Continue reading
Every October, hundreds of people travel to Kagoshima’s Nejime Port for the Minami Osumi Nejime Dragon Boat Festival! Teams of 10 people board colorful, dragon-shaped boats and race down a 380m river course to claim the prize.
This year, MAJET will be collaborating with Kagoshima AJET (KAJET) to bring Dragon Boat Racing to you! This is a great opportunity to meet our neighbor JETs and build new connections and friendships, while also enjoying and participating in a unique cultural experience. It’s been a couple of years since MAJET has participated in this event, but we’ve always had a really great time, and we are really looking forward to joining KAJET this year!
While this event isn’t until October, we have to register by the end of August (yikes!), so if you are interested in participating, please review the information below and RSVP as soon as possible! Continue reading
One of the most difficult parts of preparing to come to Japan is figuring out what to pack! This can be especially difficult for those of us who are more outgoing with our fashion choices. Japan is often viewed as a very conservative culture, and in many ways, that is true. There are many outfits which would be considered work-appropriate in the US and other western countries that would not go over well here. However, this doesn’t mean you have to completely abandon your personal style.
It is important for us to try and fit into our workplaces, but it is also important for us to be ourselves and feel comfortable. The question is how to show off your unique fashion sense while still being office-appropriate. To help you with your planning, we talked to a bunch of current and former ALTs to get their perspective on “the clothing issue.” Continue reading
The time has finally come for the Sixth Annual Amazing Race Miyazaki! This is one of our biggest events of the year. Some of you may already be familiar with the American TV show, The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race Miyazaki is loosely based around this televised competition. In this event, teams race to solve clues, complete challenges, and earn points!
Each year, MAJET chooses a new theme and different locations around Miyazaki City for their challenges to take place, giving participants the chance to discover new secrets about the city. This year, the race will be based in Aoshima, and each challenge and their clues will take you on a journey through the animated worlds of Studio Ghibli and Disney! Continue reading
Spring has sprung, and soon the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom! Sakura blossoms symbolize many things, especially for students and teachers. The bittersweet ending of a school year when graduates move on, students change classrooms, and teachers are transferred to new schools. The excitement of a new beginning or a fresh start in a new place. All overshadowed by the fleetingness of the sakura blossoms, reminding us to enjoy things while we can, for nothing lasts forever. Continue reading
The time has finally come for everyone to enjoy perhaps Japan’s most popular season: Spring! And what’s the best way to do that? By coming to Sake and Sakura, MAJET’s hanami (花見) event!
For those wondering what hanami is, first of all… Continue reading
Art by Alex Boake
Miyazaki’s own Takachiho-cho is the birthplace of many Japanese myths and legends. These events are recreated in the form of yokagura (夜神楽), a traditional Shinto dance. The full traditional yokagura is comprised of 33 dances. Every night at 8pm, Takachiho Shrine (map) hosts an abbreviated version of yokagura which you can see for around 700円.
From November to February, however, each shrine in the village takes turns hosting all-night performances of the full yokagura! The revelry starts around sundown and doesn’t stop until the next morning, but the audience is free to wander in and out and drink shochu to stay warm (lots of layers are recommended).
To give you an inside look at this annual festival, former Takachiho JET Ellen Freeman has graciously allowed us to repost an article she wrote for the Kyushu Article Contest last year. Enjoy! Continue reading
miyazakiajet.org 