Last Modified : 2010-11-01 6:12 am
Categories : News
TOC staff introduced Japanese Culture on Special School’s Multicultural Day
On 17th September, Sunnybank State Special School held a lively “Multicultural Day” aiming at introducing different cultures from various countries and regions in the world, and where three staff members from the Centre participated in this event to introduce Japanese culture.
The Centre’s staff, as voluntary assistants, have taken turns to visit the school a few days each week and engaged in hinokishin, and participation in the “Multicultural Day” has become an annual event for the Centre. At the venue, there were many booths from different countries including India, Italy, U.K. and China, where students’ family members and other school students looked at or read displays with much interest.
The Centre’s staff wearing Yukata displayed Japanese woodblock prints, books about Japanese tea ceremony and traditional toys such as Kendama, Koma (Japanese tops),Daruma-otoshi and Origami, drawing interest from those present. Some students who got interested in Komaasked the staff how to spin, and challenged it eagerly. All of them excitedly enjoyed experiencing Japanese culture. The staff also explained some panels they displayed and played with the toys together with students so that they could feel Japanese culture much closer.
During the show time, the Centre’s staff sang four Japanese traditional songs which expressed the four seasons in Japan, in tune with a musical instrument called “Pianica”. Then they performed the Bon dance together with many of the people, including adults and children, at the venue, which gained much popularity. At lunchtime, our staff provided participants with rolled sushi made at the Centre. There were some repeaters who visited our booth for another serve of sushi. As a result, all our sushi were gone very quickly.
Since 2002, the Centre has kept making efforts to communicate with local children and to contribute toward the local communities. We would like not only to continue to make these efforts, but also to try harder to sprinkle the fragrance of the Path.
Tenrikyo Students Association of Oceania Held “2010 Students of the Path Hinokishin Day”
On 19th September, “2010 Students of the Path Hinokishin Day”, sponsored by Tenrikyo Students Association of Oceania, was lively held at Col Benett Park in the Algester district, located 5 minutes drive from the Oceania Centre.
“2010 Students of the Path Hinokishin Day” is a unified event sponsored by Tenrikyo Students Association, and held once a year with the purpose that students of the Path, regardless of their dioceses, church affiliation and so forth, spiritedly engage in hinokishin activities on the same day at their respective places by inviting as many friends as possible, share their feeling of joy and gratitude for being kept alive by God the Parent, and spread it to the local community as well as to the world. 18 people participated in hinokishin which started from 2 p.m. to pick up rubbish in the park, and shared the feeling of joy and gratitude together.
Furthermore, prior to the event, they unexpectedly received message cards from over 50 members of the Oyasato Students Association, which seemed to strengthen the bond as the same students of the Path.
