Students from Griffith University (Australia) Came to Kumamoto University
Griffith University is a public university located in Queensland, Australia with a total of 24,000 students. Since 2012 this university and Kumamoto University’s Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Science and Technology have engaged in exchange activities after concluding a department-level Exchange Agreement.
With support from the “New Colombo Plan,” under which the Australian government gives importance to interactive exchanges with the Indo-Pacific region and supports Australian students’ opportunities for study abroad and internships, the members continued to film a documentary of the region at Gokanosho in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, a place known for the legends of Heike no Ochiudo (Heike fugitives). Members arrived in Japan on Monday, June 30, continued filming until Tuesday, July 8, and held a screening of the documentary and introduced Griffith University on Wednesday July 9 at Kumamoto University’s 100th Anniversary Memorial Hall in Kumamoto City.
In response to the film screening, Kumamoto University gave a special class on Japanese culture, “Samurai and Japanese swords-demonstration of zanshi.”
In welcoming Lecturer Mariko Masden of the Center for Globalization, Kumamoto University as facilitator, a video explaining the structure and production of Japanese swords, zanshi (test of cutting objects such as a straw post and tatami mat) using a real sword by a group of eight people led by Master Genrokuro Matsunaga of Kobudo Shodai Ryu Zanshi Genseikai, and a Q&A session were held. Given the opportunity to actually hold a Japanese sword in their hands, students from Griffith University made such comments as, “I was impressed at how beautiful and amazing Japanese swords are.”
The film screening and special class were also attended by approximately 90 international students studying at our university as well as Japanese students, in addition to President Isao Taniguchi from Kumamoto University.
Everyone concerned attended the exchange meeting, the final event, and had an enjoyable time talking about topics such as the documentary film and samurai & Japanese swords.
This event is expected to help deepen the relationship between the two universities, and to provide an opportunity for the future development of various exchange activities.