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Japanese Literature Students of Udayana University and Kwansei Gakuin University Hold Cultural Exchange through Kaiwakai Program
Students of the Japanese Literature Study Program, Faculty of Humanities (FIB), Udayana University (Unud), held the Kaiwakai Program with students from Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan, on Friday, October 16, 2026. The event, which took place in the Ir. Soekarno Room, Poerbatjaraka Building, FIB Unud, served as a platform for cultural exchange and an opportunity for students from both universities to improve their Japanese language skills.
The event began with an opening session, followed by remarks from representatives of the Japanese Literature Study Program at Udayana University. The students then presented the results of their previously prepared group discussions. Throughout the presentations, students from both Udayana University and Kwansei Gakuin University delivered their presentations entirely in Japanese.
The discussions focused on comparing Japanese and Indonesian cultures, particularly Balinese culture. Students shared information about traditions, festivals, community customs, and everyday life in their respective regions. The discussions revealed interesting similarities between the cultures of the two countries, such as the resemblance between Bali's Ogoh-ogoh parade and Japan's Nebuta Matsuri, as well as comparisons between the significance of the Galungan and Kuningan holidays in Bali and the Obon tradition in Japan.
Before the event, students had held group discussions to determine their topics and prepare their presentations. However, the preparation process encountered some challenges when the discussion format had to be changed from offline to online due to a fuel shortage in Bali. Despite this, coordination continued smoothly through text messages and phone calls. Language barriers during the discussions were also overcome through mutual assistance, the use of simpler sentences, and repeated explanations to ensure that everyone understood the information being conveyed.
In addition to the cultural exchange, the program featured a presentation by Kwansei Gakuin University students about their internship experiences. Udayana University students assisted by translating the presentation into Indonesian so that all participants could understand the information. Following a session in which participants shared their impressions and messages, the Kwansei Gakuin University students performed a traditional dance as entertainment. The event concluded with a group photo session.
UDAYANA UNIVERSITY