Events
World New Year’s Party
- Date & Time: Saturday, January 24, 12:30–14:30
Applications Closed
Free Legal Advice and Administrative Procedure Support for Foreign Residents
- Date & Time: Jan. 28 (Wed), 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m
>Call for Speakers: 15th English Speech Contest
- Date & Time: Saturday, February 14, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Date and time: Sunday, February 15, 2026, 12:00-16:00
NEW！
＜Online International Exchange Salon＞
- Date & Time: Thursday, February 19, 20:00–21:00
NEW！
International Exchange for Girls’ Day (Hinamatsuri)
- Date & Time: Saturday, February 21, 12:30–14:30
NEW！
Burkina Faso – The Land of Upright People
- Date & Time: Saturday, February 28, 14:00–15:30
World New Year’s Party
Applications Closed
Date & Time: Saturday, January 24, 12:30–14:30
Place: Rakoruta Kashiwa (Central Community Center), Cooking Practice Room
Details: Let’s celebrate the New Year together with people from around the world!
Enjoy traditional New Year dishes from various countries and have fun with Japanese New Year games.
Participation Fee:
• Junior high school students and older: 1,500 yen
• Elementary school students: 500 yen
• Preschool children: Free
Capacity: First 25 applicants
How to Apply: From 9:00 a.m. on Monday, January 5
Apply directly at the KCC office or by email at boshu-1@kira-kira.jp
Free Legal Advice and Administrative Procedure Support for Foreign Residents
To foreign residents. Are you in need of help? Lawyers and administrative procedure specialists are available for consultation.
You can ask for specialists’ advice on issues such as family or partner violence, divorce, visa procedures, and problems at work. Reservation necessary
Date & Time: Jan. 28 (Wed), 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m
Place: Palette Kashiwa MTR A
Reservation: the KCC Office
Call for Speakers: 15th English Speech Contest
Date & Time: Saturday, February 14, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Place: Amuser Kashiwa, Crystal Hall
Eligibility: Junior high school students and above, residing, working, or studying in Kashiwa City, whose native language is not English.
Speech Requirements: 5 minutes or less; theme/title is free.
Number of participants: 10 (Speech manuscripts will be reviewed)
Awards: ① Kashiwa Mayor's Award, ② KIRA President's Award, ③ Special Award, ④ Audience Award
Fee: Free
Application: Send name, address, age, and contact information by Wednesday, December 10 by email to
Announcement of Selection Results: Thursday, December 25
Others: All are welcome to view and cheer on the day of the event. Vote for the Audience Award, too!
"The 10th Japanese Speech Contest in Kashiwa – Event Information"
We will hold the Japanese Speech Contest in Kashiwa.
Foreign residents will give speeches in Japanese about their experiences in Japan, their impressions, and their home countries.
Please see the information below. We look forward to your participation.
◆◆◆The previous short video is here>>>◆◆◆
Date: February 15, 2026 (Sunday), 12:00–16:00
Venue: Palette Kashiwa – Open Space
Participation Fee: Free
Application Period: February 1–14
Participation:
- In-person: 70 people
- Online: 100 people (planned)
How to Apply:
Please send an email to boshu-1@kira-kira.jp with the following:
- Email title: Application for Japanese Speech Contest
- Email body: Your name and contact information (phone number)
You may also apply directly at the reception desk.
Online Application:
Applications for online participation are accepted here:
https://forms.office.com/r/L2RKixNbXS?origin=lprLink
Judging Criteria:
- The main message is clearly conveyed
- The content encourages empathy and reflection
- The structure is well organized (introduction, body, conclusion)
- The speech is easy to understand
- Clear pronunciation and accent
- Appropriate speaking speed and use of pauses
- Correct use of vocabulary
- Correct use of grammar
- Good posture, eye contact, facial expressions, voice volume, and gestures
- A sense of enthusiasm and confidence is conveyed
NEW！Online International Exchange Salon – Connect with the World of Sign Language
Let’s enjoy communicating using easy sign language.
Date & Time: Thursday, February 19, 20:00–21:00
Instructor: Ms. Masako Ishii (Sign Language Instructor)
Format: Online (Zoom)
Participation Fee: Free
Capacity: First 30 people who can use the Zoom web conferencing app
How to Apply: From 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 1, apply directly to the KCC office or by email at boshu-1@kira-kira.jp
The participation URL will be sent to all participants on the day of the event.
NEW！International Exchange for Girls’ Day (Hinamatsuri)
Let’s celebrate the traditional Japanese festival “Hinamatsuri” by creating a Japanese-style flower arrangement together!
• Date & Time: Saturday, February 21, 12:30–14:30
• Venue: Palette Kashiwa, Multipurpose Space A
• Fee: 1,800 yen (including flower materials)
• Capacity: First 15 residents of Kashiwa City or nearby areas
Elementary school students must be accompanied by a guardian.
• How to Apply: From 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 1
Apply directly at the KCC office or by email: boshu-1@kira-kira.jp
NEW！Burkina Faso – The Land of Upright People
Communities Confronting Desertification in the Sahel
This session will introduce community-based international cooperation efforts in the Sahel region of West Africa, where desertification is progressing. You will hear stories about working hand in hand with local residents and applying traditional agricultural techniques to combat environmental challenges.
Date & Time: Saturday, February 28, 14:00–15:30
Venue: Palette Kashiwa
Speaker: Ms. Noriko Tamura (Former staff member of the NGO “Green Sahel”)
Participation Fee: 400 yen
Capacity: First 50 participants
How to Apply: From 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 1, apply directly at the KCC office or by email at boshu-1@kira-kira.jp
Project
| Project Event | Team & Place |
|---|---|
| Japanese Speech Contest for Foreigners | Feb. Palette Kashiwa Open Space |
| International Exchange Week | Jun. Palette Kashiwa Open Space |
| Kashiwa de International Exchange Festa | Oct Nowdy Mall |
Kashiwa International Exchange Week 2025
Held from June 23–28, this event welcomed 62 foreigners from 14 countries. With support from local universities and language schools, participants enjoyed cultural exchange,
including Yosakoi dancing and open discussions about life in Japan. Voices highlighted challenges like housing, workplace communication, and cultural understanding.
・Refugee Seminar
A seminar explored the real-life struggles of refugees in Japan—language, housing, and employment—and emphasized the importance of mutual support for coexistence.
・Multicultural Coexistence Seminar
Kaichi International University shared its journey of welcoming international students and stressed the value of diversity and gratitude toward those learning Japanese.
Kashiwa de International Exchange Festa 2024
Held at Howdy Mall on October 14, this lively street event featured global food, performances, and cultural booths, inviting citizens to “see, taste, and dance” around the world.
Japanese Speech Contest by Foreign Residents
Since 2016, foreign residents have shared their experiences in Japanese. The 9th contest in February 2025 featured 14 speakers from 8 countries, deepening mutual understanding and celebrating language learning.
(1)Kashiwa de International Exchange Festa 2023 was held!
The festival was scheduled for October 15th at Howdy Mall, but due to bad weather, it was postponed to November 12th. It was done in Palette Kashiwa. On the day of the event, various committee booths of the Kashiwa City International Exchange Association will hold events and exhibits to introduce international exchange activities. In addition, the Japan-Southeast Europe Economic Exchange Association will be selling Bulgarian products, and Mr. Lumbini will be holding a cross-cultural event. Food and drink sales were also held, and the event was a great success.
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(2) International Exchange Week
We hold an "International Exchange Week" for the public to learn about the city's international exchange activities.In November 2020, due to the Corona disaster, an online workshop was held to learn about refugees, and seminars and lectures were also held.
In the future, we will cooperate with other international exchange organizations in Kashiwa to introduce international exchange activities of the city as a whole.
◆2020 Events◆
(1) Puppet show "Red Riding Hood" performed by foreign members, distributed on YouTube
(2) Lecture: "Drinking, eating and walking in Mauritania and Senegal".
(3) Multicultural coexistence seminar: "Don't go in, don't go out, from diversity to champuru culture".
(4) Online Workshop: "What is a refugee?”
(5) Display:
① The exhibition of photos of the late Mr. Tetsu Nakamura's activities (Peshawar-kai), “International Contribution in a Different Culture”
② The History of Friendship Time: the Exhibition of International Understanding Lecture
③ The display of disaster for foreigners: multi-language materials, disaster prevention maps, distribution of emergency food, and the 20 kinds of disaster prevention products.
④ Display of photos of Kashiwa City's international exchange activities.
(3) Japanese Speech Contest for Foreigners
The purpose of this contest is for foreign residents living, working, or studying in Kashiwa City to present their thoughts on living in Japan in Japanese.
The event encourages foreign residents to study Japanese, and Japanese people to deepen their understanding of foreign people.
Since 2017, we have expanded the scope of participants to include not only Kashiwa City but also the Tokatsu region.
Although we were unable to hold the 2020 conference due to the Corona disaster, we have prepared a "speech manuscript collection" for those who are scheduled to present.
We believe that the more Japanese citizens learn about the voices of foreign residents, the more they will get to know each other. We will build a "multicultural society" by accepting each other's differences in language, customs, and culture.
Event Report
Torrance student kashiwa (July 2024)
This year as well, we held a temporary student exchange with the city of Torrance.
Implementation date and time: July 10th to July 30th, 2024
See Link>>>
Experience of Coloring a Yuzen Handkerchief (Japanese Culture Experience)
We held a "Handkerchief Yuzen" as a Japanese culture experience with the participation of many people.
Everyone commented, "It was my first experience, but it was a lot of fun," "It was a good experience," "I wanted to continue coloring a little longer,"
"I was happy that it turned out better than I expected," and it was clear that they enjoyed the experience.
Date and Time: Tuesday, July 16, 2024, 10:30-12:30
See Link>>>
Friendship Time <"Chad, a country of scorching desert and gentle people - overcoming war and regaining hope">(1th June 2024)
We were able to touch on the lecturer's passion for the people of Africa, who "loves Africa" due to his experiences in Cameroon and Chad.
Date and Time: June 1st (Sat) 14:00-15:30
See Link>>>
Friendship Time "The Extended Geography of Chile from North to South" (13th April 2024)
The lecture was given by Alemijo Joaquin, a Chilean visiting the astrophysics research institute at the University of Tokyo's Kashiwa Campus.
The lecture was conducted in English with an interpreter.
He introduced the Republic of Chile's diverse natural environment, history, food culture, and more.
Date and time: April 13th (Sat) 13:00-14:30
See Link>>>
