“O Chat Time” is a play on words between the Japanese word for tea, ocha, and the English word, “chat”.
Organized by the Language Acquisition Center (LAC), O Chat Time began as an occasion for English for Academic Excellence (EAE) Program students and international students to come together and share their cultures. Of course, as the name states, enjoying tea is an important component of this event, along with coffee and light snacks.
The event has since grown to include workshops, presentations, and activities surrounding the central theme of cultural exchange. LAC’s most recent O Chat Time was a joint collaboration between LAC and the students of the Department of Food and Nutrition and the Department of Early Childhood Education of Yamanashi Gakuin Junior College.
Students prepared delicious homemade Japanese foods such as tamagoyaki, inarizushi, miso soup, and taiyaki for everyone to enjoy.
The event included several workshops on traditional Japanese culture. Students could try their hand at writing shūji (Japanese calligraphy) or learn how to do origami (art of paperfolding). Students curious about the traditional clothing of Japan, the kimono, could learn about the history of the kimono and watch a live presentation on how one is worn.
Last, but not least, international students introduced their home countries through educational presentations to promote the understanding of cultures vastly different from Japanese culture.
