On Sunday, June 9th, we held a Japan-China university student exchange meeting through “Gyoza-making” at the Matsue International Community Center. It was the first event hosted by the Foreign Language Education Center, Shimane University this year. The total number of the participants was 25, including the foreign students as well as staff members of the Center.  They were able to make authentic “gyoza” dumplings by following the instruction from the Chinese teachers who took part in the event.

  During the process of making the "dumpling skins," participants had difficulty making them round enough. In addition, when they were instructed to "wrap the dumplings," they were taught by a foreign student how to make the special New Year’s form of wrapping that they had never seen before. Each participant managed to cook the dumplings through trial and error. When everything was prepared, everyone enjoyed talking to each other while eating the “boiled gyoza.”  The conversation topics varied from the experience studying in Bejing to daily life in China.  Thus, the event also became a good opportunity to understand cultural differences and deepen friendships.

  Hopefully, the number of the Japanese students who will participate in overseas training will increase in the future thanks to events like this where Japanese students casually interact with foreign students and are encouraged to know more about their culture.