International Festival (INFES) Fall 2012

Nov 26, 2012 (Mon.)

Every year during the fall semester, Kansai Gaidai University authorizes local and international Gaidai students to organize a grandiose 2-day Gaidai Festival, to be held throughout the Nakamiya campus. The whole Hirakata community is invited to witness and participate in this inter-cultural event that is also fun and amusing.

In this year’s event, on November 2nd and 3rd, the Gaidai students transformed the Nakamiya campus into a breathtaking pleasure ground that was for the visitors an awe to behold.

The big inflated balloon toy dog located at the playing field was made for all ages. Japanese culture as well as different foreign cultures were introduced at different locations. Among many cultural events, the invitees could enjoy an exhibition of astonishing flower arrangements in one of the classrooms. For the real professional photographers, there was a photo gallery to behold. Also, countless booths were spread over the Nakamiya campus; there were many booths selling typical Japanese food-stall foods and beverages while some selling clothing.

The most well-attended event was the International Festival (INFES) at the Center for International Education (CIE) building, jointly organized by international exchange students and local Gaidai students. For more than four weeks they worked together hand in hand to create the astonishing intercultural expo.

The event was finally launched on Saturday, November 3rd after all the time and efforts the international exchange students and local Gaidai students put into it. The students awoke early in the morning, while the crescent was still up in the sky and the sun had not yet been arisen from the horizon, to set up their own booth at the Gaidai Festival. It was 9 A.M. in the morning, the pleasure ground was empty, and slowly the ground was filling up with people from an empty ground to a noisy crowded Shibuya square in Tokyo.

The ordinary-looking CIE lounge was transformed by the international exchange students and local Gaidai students into a small United Nations. The invitees could taste the cultural differences at their fingertips. Heroes were just one step away from the curtain, children could go on adventure in the atramentous room. Spiderman was about to save the world from the baddie. Meanwhile, in the second floor the invitees could experience the typical Japanese ghost house and other attractions.

At 1 P.M. the area in front of the CIE building was transformed into a stage where the dance crews, consisting of international exchange and local Gaidai students, performed. They had to organize a choreography for the show. For six weeks the dance crews practiced day by day to perform the dance at the INFES. Finally, the time had come, one by one, the dance crews performed on the stage. Each of the dance crews danced proudly in front of the audience. It was an awesome event from the beginning until the end of the act.

After the performance the dance crews gathered up with the audience and sang along with the audience the world-famous We Are The World. It was a bond between countries which it was lovely to see. The INFES dance show ended up with a gigantic group picture.

The once-a-year grandiose Gaidai Festival and INFES closed its door at 5 P.M in the afternoon. Over 3,500 people participated in various INFES events. It was a huge success, and so was the Gaidai Festival.