8月26日

今日で受け入れは残り3日となりました。彼らと一緒に過ごす時間が増えるにつれて、国や文化の違いを意識することも少なくなり、彼らが私たちの日常の一部になっていることを感じます。別れが近づく寂しさもありますが、残された時間を大切にし、一つひとつの交流から多くのことを学びたいと思います。

本日は、初めに新宿散策と箸作り体験を行い、その後学校へ移動しました。学校では文化交流やボスニアフェスタを行い、最後には屋形船に乗りました。

朝はペアと一緒に新宿へ向かいました。慣れない道に迷ったり、満員電車に乗ったりする中で、日本では当たり前だと思っていることが、彼らにとっては新しいことであると改めて気づきました。満員電車について説明すると、彼女はすぐにリュックを前に抱え直してくれました。このような小さな場面からも、お互いの文化を理解しようとする姿勢の大切さを感じました。

新宿では、ボスニアにはないスフレパンケーキを食べ、その後、箸作りを体験しました。日本の食文化に関わるものを実際に作ることで、日本の文化を「知る」だけでなく「体験してもらう」ことの大切さを感じました。

体験後は学校へ向かいました。予定より時間が押してしまい、急いで移動することになりましたが、遅れる可能性を伝えると、彼らも状況を理解して急いで行動してくれました。お互いに協力しながら行動することで、国籍に関係なく一つの目的に向かって動けることを実感しました。

学校では昼食と制服の採寸を行い、その後、ボスニアの生徒たちにTシャツをプレゼントしました。心から喜んでくれる姿を見て、「このために作ったのだ」と思えるほど嬉しく感じました。

彼らは、自分の気持ちを言葉や表情に素直に表現します。その姿を見て、相手の反応を気にしすぎず、自分の気持ちを素直に伝えることの大切さを学びました。異なる文化を持つ人と交流する中では、自分の常識だけで相手を考えず、相手の表現の仕方を理解することも重要だと感じました。

その後の書道体験では、普段は明るく周囲を盛り上げている彼らが、真剣な表情で作品に向き合っていました。交流を重ねる中で、普段見ている姿だけでは分からない一面を知ることができ、人を一つのイメージだけで捉えないことの大切さにも気づきました。

そして、ボスニアフェスタが始まりました。ボサンチツァやステチャック・コミックス、ボスニア・ヘルツェゴビナについてのクイズなどを紹介するワークショップでは、彼らが参加者に積極的に声をかけ、会場全体を巻き込んでいました。自分たちの文化について分かりやすく、そして楽しみながら伝える姿を見て、伝える側には知識だけでなく、相手に興味を持ってもらう工夫やコミュニケーション能力も必要なのだと学びました。

その後は、ボスニアの学校についての発表と、スレブレニツァの虐殺についての発表を聞きました。同世代の彼らから直接話を聞いたことで、歴史を単なる過去の出来事としてではなく、現在にもつながるものとして考えることができました。平和について考える際には、歴史を知り、その背景にある人々の思いや経験に向き合うことが大切だと感じました。

続いて、開智の生徒が日本の曲を演奏し、ボスニアの生徒たちもリズムに乗って会場を盛り上げてくれました。また、彼らが準備してくれた歌を披露してくれ、最後には「USA」を全員で歌いました。言葉が分からなくても、音楽を通して気持ちを共有できることを実感しました。

最後には8期生の先輩方も加わり、「Damat Halayı – Rumeli Ayhan YENİ」を全員で踊りました。初めて踊ったジャパンフェスタでは、一部の生徒が戸惑いながら参加していましたが、今回はより多くの人が自然に輪に入りました。交流を重ねることで、最初は知らなかった文化が、自分たちも参加できる身近なものへと変わっていくことを実感しました。

ボスニアフェスタの後は屋形船に乗り、食事をしながら一日の感想を話したり、写真を撮ったり、カラオケをしたりしました。国籍に関係なく、同じ時間を共有し、笑い合うことができました。

この一日を通して、国際交流とは、単に異なる文化を知識として学ぶことではなく、実際に相手と関わり、お互いの違いを理解しながら、自分自身の考え方も見つめ直すことなのだと感じました。

ボスニアの生徒たちの素直な表現力や、積極的に周囲を巻き込む姿勢からは、自分から行動することの大切さを学びました。また、異なる文化に触れることで、これまで「当たり前」だと思っていた自分の価値観を見直す機会にもなりました。

残り3日間も、ただ楽しい思い出を作るだけでなく、彼らとの交流を通して新しい視点を得て、自分自身も成長できる時間にしていきたいと思います。

Today is the seventh day of our program in Japan. I cannot believe how fast time flies, and I am enjoying every single moment we spend together. 

At 9am, we split into two groups. One group first explored the area around Shinjuku Station, while the other attended a chopstick-making workshop. Making our own pair of chopsticks was a first-time experience for most of us, including the Japanese members. We scraped the wooden sticks and applied oil to them. It was interesting to see that even something that seems ordinary in Japan, such as chopsticks, could become a completely new cultural experience for someone from another country.

During our exploration around Shinjuku, we stopped at a cafe to have coffee. Some of the Bosnian members ordered pancakes and were surprised by the fluffy Japanese-style pancakes. Bosnian pancakes are very thin, similar to Japanese crepes. They seemed to enjoy them, which made us happy. This experience made me realize that food can be a simple but a great way to learn about another culture. By comparing something as familiar as pancakes, we could naturally start talking about the differences between our countries.

Next, we went to our school. We had ordered everyone a karaage bento box, but most of the Bosnian members did not finish it. Our teacher told us that Bosnian people often express their feelings and opinions more directly and openly. I have noticed this kind of cultural difference throughout the program. Compared with Japanese people, who sometimes hesitate to say exactly what they think because we tend to consider how our words may affect others, the Bosnian members often tell us honestly when they like or dislike something. At first, some of these differences surprised me, but I have gradually come to see them as something valuable. Their openness has reminded me that expressing our honest feelings does not always have to be negative or impolite. Sometimes, being honest can actually make communication easier and help people understand each other better.

Then the Bosnian members experienced Japanese calligraphy, shuji, with our school’s calligraphy teacher. Meanwhile, the Japanese students started preparing for Bosnia Festa.

Bosnia Festa is a festival planned by the Bosnian students every year. This year, they taught us about their language, history, and school. They also prepared a quiz using Kahoot, which made the presentations much more interactive and engaging. I especially enjoyed learning about Bosnia from Bosnian students themselves rather than simply reading about it in a textbook. I realized that international exchange allows us to learn history and culture through real people and their own experiences. This makes what we learn much more personal and meaningful.

After the presentations, we had a small recital. Some students from our school performed famous Bosnian songs with guitars, drums, and keyboards.

Then, every one of us went on stage to jump and sing together. It was something really special because we do not usually have this much energy and excitement at school in Japan. It was my first time jumping and singing together with everyone at our school, and it made me realize how much I have changed throughout this project. Before this exchange, I might have felt embarrassed about being so energetic in front of everyone. However, after spending so much time with people from a different culture, I have become more comfortable expressing myself and simply enjoying the moment. I learned that communication does not always need words. Singing, dancing, laughing, and sharing the same moment can also bring people together.

After the Bosnia Festa, we went on a yakatabune, a traditional Japanese dinner cruise, and had dinner together. Most of the food served was seafood, which many of the Japanese members loved. Some of the Bosnian members did not seem very interested in it at first, but they still tried most of the dishes. I thought this was another example of how international exchange works both ways. We were introducing Japanese culture to them, but at the same time, we were also learning to understand their preferences and perspectives. International exchange is not about making everyone experience things in exactly the same way. It is about respecting differences while being willing to try something unfamiliar.

After the yakatabune, some of our members went to McDonald’s to get ice cream after our long day. Even though it was just a small moment at the end of the day, I enjoyed it because we were simply spending time together without worrying about the schedule or the next activity.

Today was a really packed day, but I think what made it special was not the number of activities we experienced. It was the small moments in between them. The conversations, the differences in our reactions, the laughter, and the moments when we understood each other without having to explain everything.

Through this exchange, I have learned that international exchange is not simply about learning another country’s language, history, or traditions. It is also about questioning the things we consider “normal” and realizing that our way of thinking is only one of many possibilities. The Bosnian members have shown me that there are different ways to express feelings, communicate with others, and enjoy time together. At the same time, I hope that they have also discovered something new about Japan through us.

As the program gets closer to the end, I am starting to feel that these ordinary moments will become some of the memories I miss the most. I do not want to focus only on making big memories during the remaining days. I want to continue talking, laughing, learning from each other, and making the most of every moment we have left. I hope that even after this program ends, the things we learned from each other will continue to influence the way we see the world.