Welcoming event that has become a tradition

There is one nice tradition that has existed for a while among Japanese Studies students in the Far East Department – at the start of the academic year, senior students host an evening of greetings for newly enrolled students. It is an excellent tradition that helps promote the establishment of friendly relations and respect between students.

          This year, the Department's second-year students organized the evening for 23 students who have begun studying Japanese Studies in specialties such as "oriental studies" and "foreign philology," as well as about 15 Japanese students who arrived from Japan to study at Kazakh National University.

          At the beginning of the meeting in the cabinet that had been decorated by students, U. A. Amirbekova, the deputy dean of educational, methodical, and curriculum work, A. B. Abagan, the head of the Department of the Far East, and S. K. Borankulova, an experienced teacher, welcomed the students who had just started their studies of the Japanese language. They sent them their best wishes.

          Students from every course introduced themselves in various ways and then warmed up the evening with music, dances, and games. For example, among the 2nd year students who made up the majority of the evening's participants, Daria gave an individual presentation about her peers, Aben played the dombra, Anel played the qobyz, Dima and Moldir sang in Japanese, Amina, Aykorkem, Asel and Dilda performed traditional Japanese dances while wearing yukatas, and Malika conducted an engaging game about Japan. Ayala and Miras, who went to study at Bunkyo Gakuin University, sent a video from Tokyo.

          Japanese students did not fall behind either. Risa Ikezoe from Tsukuba University sang the Kazakh song "Altynai" (Moldir Auelbekova), and Takumu Sanno, a student at Tokyo University of International Studies, performed "Körugly" with a dombra. First-year students amazed their sempai by singing and speaking in Japanese. The words of the fourth-year students who visited Japan and the third-year student, head of the Student Dean's office Azhar, gave their kohai inspiration. Many prizes were given out for the contests, and a variety of meals had been set on the table. Everyone who attended the party left with various feelings, yet they all surely experienced warmth.