In addition to the extensive classroom lessons, NILS offers weekly Japanese cultural activities. It’s been a great way to get out of the classroom and use some of the Japanese we’ve learned in real-world scenarios while also learning about the unique culture of Fukuoka City.

This week we went to Hakata to paint the famous Hakata dolls. We visited a shop where artists intricately design and paint all shapes and sizes of Hakata dolls, ranging from cute kimono dressed women to masculine and aggressive looking sumo wrestlers.

After seeing how the Hakata dolls were painted we were able to pick our own Hakata doll and paint it with our own design— I painted an cute old man! It was a relaxing experience and a nice break from from the sometimes challenging languages lessons in the classrooms.

After we painted our dolls we were allowed to take our painted Hakata Dolls home after the activity. My family thought it was really cute and made sure to display it in our house. In addition to the learning about the cultural significance of Hakata Dolls, it was nice to bring home a souvenir from the class.

The cultural activities at NILS are enjoyable and I look forward to upcoming activities.