On Nov. 8, the Japanese class held their highly anticipated annual Japanese Fall Festival. The Japanese class put together this vibrant festival in the MPR with cultural games, food, and performances for Amador students to enjoy.
“We have a games group, we have a lot of food, and we have dances going on as well. We also have snacks too,” said Japanese student Yulia Ikuta (‘25).
Activities at the Fall Festival
The festival gave Amador Valley students a chance to experience Japanese traditions in a fun way while supporting a good cause. All proceeds from the event went to the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.
“You can see there are lots of people milling about. It’s very active, and I like all the colors and especially the traditional Japanese clothing. I think it’s pretty cool and that it’s a good cause,” stated student Euisun Hong (‘27).
With activities like origami, Mario Kart, and a Japanese calligraphy booth, students fully immersed themselves in Japanese culture. The Amador Japanese class offered free cotton candy to those who visited all the booths, along with Japanese snacks and candy as prizes.
“My favorite thing about the Japanese festival is just the amalgamation of cultures that are present. I really enjoyed how we’re bringing together the Amador community in such a way that promotes the rich history and tradition of Japan.” said Eric Chen (‘25).
Preparation of the Festival
Behind the scenes, the Japanese students also prepared traditional foods like Onigiri and Spam Musubi. They also handmade snacks such as Ichigo Daifuku (a strawberry-filled mochi), chocolate-covered strawberries, and kakigōri (shaved ice), all popular amongst the students’ purchases.
“It makes people aware of others’ culture. It’s really cool too; the food’s delicious, and you get to try new things that you may have never tried. And, you get to experience traditions but without leaving the country,” said Kate McCallen (‘25).
The festival was successful in large part due to the extensive preparation work. Students in Japanese class spent hours planning and preparing for the festival, putting in extra hours after school to make the festival come together.
“We’ve been planning for probably about a week, and a bunch of people stayed after school. I came before school today to help prep cooking specifically and all the decorations. And then we make all the posters for the festival as well, so that takes a while. It’s awesome,” said McCallen (‘25).
