【Activity Report】NECTJ Cultural Festival

Hello everyone! This is NY de Volunteer.

On Wednesday, February 12, we participated in the NECTJ Cultural Festival held at Hunter College on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Our booth featured a hands-on activity titled “Blossoming Together: An Origami Sakura Project,” where participants experienced kirigami (paper cutting) and created sakura (cherry blossom) art.

What is the NECTJ Cultural Festival?

The NECTJ Cultural Festival is organized by the Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese (NECTJ). It brings together around 350 high school students from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut who are studying Japanese as a foreign language.

This year marked the 30th edition of the event and the first time it was held under the new name “Cultural Festival” (formerly “Spring Festival”). The updated name reflects a broader celebration of Japanese culture and offers students a meaningful opportunity to engage with the language and traditions they’ve been studying.

Our Project: Blossoming Together

Our booth invited students to join “Blossoming Together: An Origami Sakura Project.” Participants crafted sakura blossoms using kirigami techniques and were asked to write, in Japanese, a word or phrase that they felt represented something “Japanese” to them.

The completed blossoms were then placed on a large sakura tree illustration, creating a collaborative piece of art symbolizing shared experiences and appreciation of Japanese culture.

What Happened During the Event

Throughout the day, volunteers supported the students in both Japanese and English, helping them with the paper folding and writing process. These interactions sparked many cross-cultural conversations, allowing students to practice Japanese in a fun and creative way.

The atmosphere was warm and lively, with students encouraging one another, saying things like “That’s great!” and “You’re doing so well!” as they worked on their blossoms.What Happened During the Event

Throughout the day, volunteers supported the students in both Japanese and English, helping them with the paper folding and writing process. These interactions sparked many cross-cultural conversations, allowing students to practice Japanese in a fun and creative way.

The atmosphere was warm and lively, with students encouraging one another, saying things like “That’s great!” and “You’re doing so well!” as they worked on their blossoms.

The Purpose Behind the Project

We wanted to create an experience where students could actively use Japanese to think, express themselves, and interact. By combining a traditional art form like origami with their own Japanese writing, the activity became more than just a craft—it became a moment of meaningful cultural and linguistic learning.

Our goal was to help deepen interest in both the language and the culture, while empowering students to take small but important steps toward self-expression and intercultural understanding.

Preparation Behind the Scenes

Before students arrived, our team and volunteers practiced making the sakura blossoms. At first, many of us said, “This is hard!” but after a few tries, everyone was able to fold the paper smoothly—even without instructions! This preparation gave us confidence for the day of the event.

Festival Highlights

Right from the start, students gathered eagerly at our booth. Although some were initially unsure whether they could complete the sakura properly, they quickly improved with support. The room filled with cheerful voices and laughter, creating a joyful and energetic atmosphere.

While folding and writing, students and volunteers had the chance to chat in both English and Japanese, leading to fun and friendly cultural exchanges.

At the end, everyone placed their completed blossoms on the tree, filling it with words like omotenashi (hospitality), wa (harmony), sushi, and anime. The result was a beautiful cherry tree in full bloom, made entirely of student-created blossoms.

Voices from Our Volunteers

• “It was so fun to talk with high school students, which I don’t often get to do!”

• “I was deeply moved by how each student tried their best to express their thoughts about Japan in their own unique way.”

Final Thoughts

The NECTJ Cultural Festival was a wonderful opportunity to connect with high school students studying Japanese and to celebrate the culture together. The interactions between volunteers and students were full of smiles and sincerity.

As a first-time volunteer, I came away not just feeling that I had fun, but also realizing: “There’s something I can contribute.”

Thank you to all the volunteers who came out early in the morning, and thank you to you for reading to the end!

Report by Daichi

Staff Member, NY de Volunteer