March 6, 2007

Based on an agreement between TUJ and Tokyo’s Minato City for joint activities, TUJ has been offering a variety of programs to the Minato community to foster international understanding.

A recent highlight of TUJ’s services to the community was a series of lessons combining cross-cultural insights and English instruction for students at Minato City elementary and junior high schools. During March, TUJ faculty and staff of various cultural backgrounds visited five Minato schools to conduct lessons about their home countries. Akabane Elementary School students learned about Sri Lanka, Koyo Junior High School students heard about Australia, and Russia was the topic at Higashimachi Elementary School. Later in the month, students at Takanawadai Elementary School were introduced to spoken and written Mandarin, and children at Shibaura Elementary School learned about Germany. TUJ intends to continue this service and plans to involve TUJ students in future projects.