Tableland Japanese Immersion camp (J-camp)

2021 May - present

Crane Dance has been running this amazing educational camp program for mainly the Tableland and Cairns regions' High School students to experience the authentic Japanese culture and use the Japanese language that they are learning at school.

I have been invited as an educational activity provider for this camp since the beginning, including origami, taiko drumming, other traditional instruments performances, cultural lectures and activities of various topic. 

 

See the pictures of recent few camps

2024 Feb Japanese teachers' camp Sumo talk

2023 Nov Using Origami as a communication tool

2023 Aug Traditional Japanese instruments demonstration

2023 May Sumo talk and activities

2023 Feb How to teach origami in the classroom

2022 Nov origami 

School visit: Bon Dance and traditional instrument demonstration


Nov 2023

I have been invited by this school's new Japanese teacher to help out their first Japanese cultural event. This time they held a mini Bon Dance party, and my role was to help them wear the yukata, teach them the dance movements and play the taiko drum to add the festive vive to the song. At the taiko trial session, so many children put their hands up and tried banging on the big fat drum skin. It was the best response from the students I've ever had!

I would be very happy to provide similar opportunities again at schools all around in Cairns.

 

More on Facebook

 

Online lecture for schools in Japan

2023 Sep

 

I held several online lectures for some high schools in Japan as part of their educational program. Often I talk about how I studied English and decided to live outside of Japan, and how that experience is now helping me to live a life I want to live. 

 

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Marine animal origami workshop @ Abacus Challenge

I was delighted to be part of the abacus competition event at Abacus By Wallis again this year. This time I picked the theme of marine animals, and lectured about the similar shape and structure of fish, dolphins, sea lions and penguins. They all have a stream-lined body shape and fins (or flipper for penguin) to help them swim, and also a white belly with darker colour back to help them camouflage in water. Then the children folded these animals with origami from the same base shape which features these 3 characteristics of marine animals. The children from this abacus school have a very long attention span and excellent hand dexterity, which helped me to run the workshop quite smoothly and kids seemed to be enjoying it through to the end. Very impressive kids!

 

See the final art piece

2009-2012 Educational resources

 

 

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