Events
NEW！
Kashiwa de International Exchange Festa 2025
- Date & Time: Sunday, October 19, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
NEW！
Free Legal Advice and Administrative Procedure Support for Foreign Residents
- Date & Time: Wednesday, October 22, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
NEW！
Halloween Party
- Date & Time: Saturday, October 25th, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
NEW！
"The 10th Japanese Speech Contest for Foreigners in Kashiwa" Participant recruitment
- Date and time: Sunday, February 15, 2026, 12:00-16:30
NEW！Kashiwa de International Exchange Festa 2025
“A World of Mutual Recognition, Growing Friendships, Starting from Kashiwa”
Date & Time: Sunday, October 19, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (will be held even in the event of light rain)
Place: Howdy Mall, East Exit of Kashiwa Station
Program:
• Exchange activities with sister and friendship cities
• Introduction of activities by Kashiwa International Relations Association
• Multicultural music and dance performances
• Sales of international goods
• Foods from around the world
NEW！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: Wednesday, October 22, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Place: Palette Kashiwa MTR A Reservation: the KCC Office
NEW！Halloween Party
We will play games and read picture books.
At the end, everyone will break a piñata and receive candy from inside.
Date & Time: Saturday, October 25th, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Location: Palette Kashiwa Open Space
Participation Fee: ¥500 (children only)
Capacity: First 50 to register50
Registration: Starting Wednesday, October 1st at 9:00 AM
Register directly at the KCC office or by email: boshu-1@kira-kira.jp
NEW！"The 10th Japanese Speech Contest for Foreigners in Kashiwa" Participant recruitment
A Japanese speech contest will be held as below.
We are looking for people to participate in the contest.
Date and time: Sunday, February 15, 2026, 12:00-16:30
Location: Palette Kashiwa
Participants: Approximately 15 people
■Conditions for application: Applicants must meet all of the following
conditions:
- Residents, employees, or students in the Tohkatsu area
(Tohkatsu area : Kashiwa, Matsudo, Noda, Nagareyama, Abiko, Kamagaya)
- Non-native Japanese speakers
- Both parents are foreign nationals
- Never won the Mayor's Award in this contest before.
■Application details:
Fill out the required information on the designated application form and send it to the Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center by email, post, or in person.
Email: International Exchange Center boshu-1@kira-kira.jp
Address: 1-7-1-301 Kashiwa, Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, 277-0005, DayOne Tower 3F
Palette Kashiwa Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center
・Download the application form here >>> link (link to flyer)
Japanese Speech Contest Application Form (PDF)
Japanese Speech Contest Application Form (Word)
■Application period : 1st Oct (Wed.) - 25th Dec.(Thu.) , 2025
■Inquiries: Kashiwa Cross-cultural Center TEL: 04-7157-0281
The judging criteria for the document review are as follows.
1. Contestant Selection (First Stage)
(1) Whether the presenter's intentions and arguments were clearly conveyed.
(2) Whether the presentation was unique and original.
(3) Whether the presentation was thought out with empathy and intriguing.
2. Awards
(1) Kashiwa Mayor's Award
(2) Kashiwa International Association President's Award (KIRA Chairman's Award)
(3) Special Award
3. Contest Judging Criteria (maximum 50 points) (Points in parentheses indicate the total score)
(1) Content and Structure (25 points)
(2) Japanese Language and Speaking Skills (15 points)
(3) Expressiveness and Attitude (10 points)
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>>>
