Every fall, Amador holds the annual Japanese Fall Festival to immerse students in the rich and diverse culture of Japan. This year’s event was a smashing success, with the proceeds reaching over $1,600 to be donated to the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland. 

This was the 11th annual event hosted and organized by the Japanese teacher Lea Murphy and some of her students. It was created to help one of her students who was ill and couldn’t receive treatment due to financial issues. 

Mrs. Murphy was very happy with the event and proud of how things worked out.

“I thought that it went really well. All the teachers brought students and all the students really learned about different games and food. The dancers practiced for over a month during lunch. Overall I felt like it was a big success” said Amador Japanese Teacher, Lea Murphy.

At the festival there were many activities that students could participate in like origami, Japanese calligraphy, and face painting. There was also an array of different food dishes prepared. 

“We have to be very creative with the food options, like edamame and Japanese soba noodles. There were also snacks like Pocky. There were also different games and dancers,” said Murphy.

The event was enjoyed by many students and teachers who attended.

“I have been seeing posters and advertisements and I thought that it was really cool. My teachers also told us about it. There were a lot of food choices and games like Smash. My favorite part was all of the games and the different cultural styles” said Reina Dayrait (‘20).

A new dance activity was introduced at the festival which was popular amongst the students who viewed it.

“There was a new dance that they [the dancers] performed there and I thought that was really cool. It was really intricate and I liked the music,” said Dayrait

Mrs. Murphy was born in Japan herself and she continues to advocate for the students of Amador to be able to experience the different cultures that are present at school.

“I think that it is important to know different cultures. Most students do not know about

Japanese culture, so this gives them the opportunity to learn more about it. When kids leave high school and graduate from college they will have a lot of skills and gain open mindedness,” said Murphy

In the end, this year’s festival turned out to be an engaging and exciting event for the students of Amador and helped to raise money for a great cause. Make sure to attend next year’s Japanese Fall Festival to support the Amador’s Japanese students and Ms. Murphy.