Written by Samara Mroczkowski (Washington State University), Student Correspondent for CET Japan, Fall 2024
That’s A Taco
This past weekend Osaka Gakuin University (OGU), the University I’m studying at held their 63rd annual Kishibe Festival which is a weekend long event organized by the University students, with many activities, and open to the general public. My only experience with Japanese school festivals is through a wide array of romance and slice of life anime, so while I had some idea of what to expect, I also equally had no idea at all.
One thing I wish I knew before scarfing down a bowl of convenience store butter chicken while I waited for my friend (which was so delicious by the way) was that the festival would have several food stalls being run by the students.
In my mind I thought the food that would be available would be easy finger foods like popcorn, and sweets, but boy was I wrong. And I guess in hindsight, It would make sense for a festival to have many food options, I just didn’t expect a vast variety from a school.
While there was popcorn and sweets, there were also students making things like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakisoba, yakitori, and karaage. I had tanghulu for the first time which I was super excited to try, it was so delicious that I ended up buying another one.
Also at the festival was a taco truck. Yes, a taco truck. I was ecstatic to see such a sight, and knew that was what I wanted to eat first (after I walked off my butter chicken from earlier). I waited in line, put in my order for a burrito, and sat down for a bit before receiving my food. I was a bit surprised when I was handed what I would label a “gyro style” burrito, and a spoon?
I had a little laugh to myself and sent my friends pictures of my food and told them that this is my burrito to which they responded “LMAOOO” and “That’s a taco.” It was a great burrito taco nonetheless and hit the spot, but still makes me giggle thinking about it.
Enter Captain America To The Ring
I have been to a few school run events at my home university, but I don’t recall any of them having a boxing ring in the middle of campus. Seeing such a sight caused me to do an actual double take for the first time in a while, because what the heck was that doing there?
I don’t really like watching fights, but this was more of a theatrical performance and was very fun and enjoyable to watch, although some of the moves performed did look like they hurt a bit. But when I saw a figure strutting around in a costume made entirely of American flags I just couldn’t look away, and again had a little laugh to myself.
Hitting The BINGO Jackpot
For the majority of the festival I was with my language partner Kurumi. She’s a first year Japanese student. I recently got the pleasure of meeting through a CET language partner program. We usually meet up for lunch to talk, where I get some good speaking practice, and where I teach her some things about America, and it was during lunch that we planned to go to the festival together. She is a super kind person who introduced me to all of the people we ran into that she knew while walking around, and In return I did the same.
The end of the festival attracted a large group of people to the “main stage” area where a bingo event was held. This was the first time I participated in a bingo activity where some really amazing prizes were revealed, like gaming consoles, products from luxury brands, really nice appliances, and apple products. I again, for at least the 3rd time that day was shocked.
Playing such a simple game with the potential to go home with an amazing prize was a super fun and exciting experience. Although I didn’t get a bingo (which I swear I was so close to getting), two of my friends, Sydney and Shelby, who I met in this program did!
Being with them when they got bingo, and watching them walk across the stage to see what prize they were going to receive based on their position in line was so exciting! It was also nerve wracking because not all of the prizes were equally desirable. For example I saw a little girl win a Dyson hair dryer (I wanted to walk home with that so bad) and the next person walked away with a Sanrio character balloon.
Shelby ended up winning a super nice toaster, and Sydney won a fricking PS5 dude. If you were blindfolded in the crowd when she was handed that prize, you may have thought you were at a sports game just based on how loud everyone was screaming and cheering. I had no Idea how crazy a game of bingo could get.
I had so much fun attending my first Japanese school festival, and am very grateful to Kurumi for showing me around that day.