The Summer Course in Japanese Culture Course was held by the Center for International Collaboration from July 2 to 11. This course is designed to allow short-term international students at Kochi University to experience what life as an international student is like, and to learn about the wonders of Kochi. Six students from University of Gothenburg University (Sweden), Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (Norway), and the University College Copenhagen (Denmark) learned about Japanese culture, history, and nature as well as interacted with Kochi University students and students from the University of Rhode Island in the United States participating in the Tosa Sakigake Summer Program held at the same time.
  Participating students attended Kochi University lectures, and learned a general overview of Japan from Kochi University students. Then they visited Kochi Castle, the history museum, the Makino Botanical Garden, and other places where specialists provided detailed explanations. They also experienced Yosakoi dancing, zazen meditation, Tosa Japanese paper-making, Japanese calligraphy, and more, deepening their understanding of Japanese culture and this region’s history and traditions. On their final day, they visited Tosayama Gakusha, learning together about regionally-linked initiatives to solve regional issues and the operation of schools in hill regions. They also took part in school classes and club activities, enjoying their time spent with the school’s pupils.
  The heavy rain during the course time period meant that a number of programs had to be cancelled, but participants left comments such as “I learned a lot about Japanese culture through calligraphy,” “Meeting lots of new people and experiencing new things was enriching” and “I decided on Kochi University for the short-term study abroad program I am planning for next year” showing that they were all quite satisfied with their time here.
  Kochi University students also found it very interesting to learn about the participants’ countries, and that if they studied English more, they would be able to communicate better and their world would expand. This course has become an opportunity not just for the participating students, but also for Kochi University students increase their interest in international exchange and learning about other cultures.

Talking about Japanese culture in a university class	Students doing the Yosakoi dance
Trying their hands at calligraphy with Japanese students	Visiting Tosayama Gakusha and having fun with its pupils