July 31 (Thu) [Day 4: Morning Classes & Lei Making, Afternoon Hula Workshop]
In the morning, students learned about the origin and meaning of leis in Hawaiian culture, the different types of leis, and the plants used to make them.
Now, it was time to make leis using tea leaves. Although the unique smell of the tea leaves surprised some students at first, everyone created their own original leis with different shapes and thicknesses.
August 1 (Fri) [Day 5: Morning Kakaʻako District Visit, Afternoon Poster Session & Closing Ceremony]
In the morning, before visiting the Kakaʻako district, the students learned about the local wall art (murals). They studied the history of the murals, the messages behind the artworks, and how they relate to the area’s history and its people. Kakaʻako is not only known for its wall art but also for its rapidly growing redevelopment in food, fashion, and housing. It’s a place where you can experience the new culture of Hawaii.
After returning from the Kakaʻako district, we held a poster session. A poster session is an activity where participants create posters on a given theme and then use them to present and explain their ideas to others. The theme was “Why should we go to Hawaii?”. Students made posters with drawings to share their memories from Hawaii and gave presentations about them.
We all had lunch together at the university
In the afternoon, we held the program’s closing ceremony. Mr. Young prepared a slideshow with photos, which brought laughter and a warm feeling of nostalgia, even though the trip had just happened a few days before. Everyone looked back on the program in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Afterwards, each student received a certificate of completion and a lei.
[August 2 (Sat) & 3 (Sun)]
Students enjoyed their last weekend in Hawaii by spending time with their host families or going out with friends.
[August 4 (Mon)] Departed from Honolulu Airport
[August 5 (Tue)] Arrived at Chubu Centrair International Airport
The people of Hawaii are very kind, cheerful, and full of humor. On this island, where many different cultures live together, visitors receive a warm welcome. We hope everyone enjoyed experiencing Hawaii’s beautiful nature and rich cultural diversity, gaining a deeper understanding of values and cultures different from those in Japan. We hope that they realized once again how important English is as a tool for communicating across cultures. We would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Young and all the staff at Hawaii Pacific University, as well as everyone involved in supporting this program.
