JICA Participants Experience Hinamatsuri (Doll’s Festival)

[Date & Time] Saturday, January 23, at13:00~18:00
[Spots] Japanese room in JICA Yokohama Building
[Visitors] 10 participants (3 Brazilian women, 2 Burmese women, 1 Burmese man, 1 Congolese woman, 1 Paraguayan man and woman)
[Volunteers] 13 KSGG members
[Language] English

  Two women entered the room. Although I spoke to them in English, they answered in Japanese, saying they are of Japanese descents.  We started to help them put on kimono (Japanese clothes).  Every time we tied koshihimo (cord tied around the waist), a Congolese woman raised her voice,”Hie!”  Two men wearing hakama (loose-legged pleated trousers) looked dignified.  After helping them get dressed, they took pictures in the room decorated with Ohinasama (hina dolls).　Since they could learn Japanese culture, they came to express gratitude to us, saying “We had a good experience.”  We enjoyed chatting for an hour, while drying kimono and obi (sash belt) on hangers.  As the kimono belong to JICA, we put them back in the room.  After that, an exchange meeting with JICA staff was held and five KSGG members participated in it.  In a friendly atmosphere, the event ended.