Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku Office. Today, I would like to write about the snowball fights and other winter activities held in the Health and Physical Education course for the 1st and 2nd year students.
 From Saturday, January 24th to Sunday, January 25th, 2026, a strong cold air mass covered Ishikawa Prefecture, including Hakusan City, resulting in a significant amount of snowfall within a short period. It was a “doka-yuki” a sudden, heavy snowfall, turning the entire area into a beautiful white landscape.

1st Year Students’ Snowball Fight

 About a week later, on Monday, February 2nd, the 1st year students eagerly took part in a snowball fight in their last PE class of the semester. Each team set up a cone that they had a protect from the other team. Based on the rules of the fight, such as winning by capturing the other team’s cone and requiring students hit by a snowball to freeze for one minute, students devised strategies and began the contest.
 Although both teams attempted to advance, snowballs kept hitting players one after another, slowing the game’s progress, and no winner was determined within the time limit. Despite the intense exchanges, the students’ laughter filled the field, creating a funfilled atmosphere.
 During the free play session that followed, students enjoyed throwing snowballs, building large snowmen, sledding, and having fun in the snow.

2nd Year Students Snowball Fight & Snow Slide Building

 On Tuesday, February 3rd, the 2nd year students participated in a snowball fight and snow slide building. The boys’ team started with a snowball fight, first by dividing into 2 teams and then building snow walls in their territory and preparing plenty of snowballs before launching their attacks on the opposing team. Their energetic attacks made them look like little snow warriors. As they were battling Philip Cadzow sensei unexpectedly joined in the fight. With overwhelming strength, he lifted the boys one after another and tossed them into the fluffy snow, sending them running away while laughing and shouting, a scene that delighted everyone.
 Meanwhile, the girls’ team focused on creating a snow slide. They packed the snow, carved it carefully, and shaped it until it was complete. When viewed from the front, the finished slide resembled a “Moai statue,” and its impressive craftsmanship drew surprised reactions from students and teachers alike.

 Surrounded by the rich winter nature of the HAKUSANROKU (Foothills of Mt. Hakusan) area, the students worked together, played in the snow, and spent a smile filled time together. This final Health and Physical Education course of the school year became a valuable snow country experience that strengthened relationships among students and created wonderful memories.

Yuri Makada

 Hello, this is Justin Han. December is the time of the year when many cultures celebrate their holidays, whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or just beginning of a new year. Although each person and culture celebrate differently, the end of the year remains a time for celebration with friends and family.

 Since December 2022, teachers at ICT Kanazawa Campus have volunteered their time and efforts to host an annual Holiday Party for students. Held during the last week of December, the party offers students and faculty a chance to celebrate together in a relaxed setting, enjoying food, drinks, and snacks while unwinding from the year’s challenges. In the spirit of international exchange, all participants are encouraged to speak English during the event.

 This year’s Holiday Party was held on Friday, December 19th, after classes ended with students and faculty enjoying a simple spread of pizza, potato chips, soda, and cake alongside holiday music playing in the background. As Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in many cultures, a Christmas tree, tinsel and other Christmas decorations adorned the room to create a festive atmosphere. 

 Different from previous years, this year’s event included 10 students and 2 faculty members from Singapore Polytechnic, visiting Kanazawa for the MILE program in collaboration with the International Program Center. Together with ICT students, they introduced themselves through an icebreaker game, learned about each other’s cultures, and then split into smaller groups to play simple party games.

 Unfortunately, after three hours of laughter and fun, the celebration came to an end as everyone parted ways. We hope that this party, even if only a little, helped everyone face the end of the year and welcome the new year with a brighter spirit.

Justin Han

Hello again! This is Domyson Abuan, one of the Learning Mentors at ICT Hakusanroku.

Our usual Learning Session time turned into something magical on Friday night, December 19th, 2025. The Living Commons lit up with a kind of holiday cheer that’s hard to put into words even though we also played fun game of Scrabble!

But the fun didn’t start there. In the days before the party, students helped decorate the Living Commons with colorful lights and ornaments. The biggest star was our tall Christmas tree, where students secretly placed their gifts, , trying not to get caught by their Secret Santa matches. We also made a handmade Advent calendar, adding a small surprise to each day in December. It was a slow build-up to something truly special.

The night began with our first-ever Christmas Scrabble Tournament, led by the English department. Students from both 1st and 2nd year teamed up and got right to work, forming words faster than Santa’s elves wrapping presents. One student scored over 400 points, on their first time playing the board game! The winning team earned prizes, but honestly, everyone walked away with accomplished smiles.

Then came the Secret Santa gift hunt. While the students were enjoying dinner, the Learning Mentors turned into sneaky elves—elves who assisted Santa Claus in making presents and pulling pranks—, gathered the gifts from under the Christmas tree, and hid them all around the Living Commons. When the students returned, the search began! There were cheers, laughter, and a few puzzled faces—mine included! I needed help finding my own gift!

Once all the presents were found, we gathered near the tree to open them. Some students tried to guess what was inside, while others couldn’t wait and dove right in. The gifts were fun and surprising: a glowing lightsaber toy, a bag of tortillas (that the students love so much!), robotics tools, novels and other books, and cute room decorations. Everyone had something to smile about.

The rest of the night was a cozy mix of snacking, gaming, and simply enjoying each other’s company. Some students played video games, while others chatted over chips and cookies. No matter how they spent the evening, everyone left with a full stomach and a happy heart.

Big thanks to everyone who helped make this night so special. From decorating the tree to finding the perfect gift, every little moment added up to something unforgettable. Here’s to more word games, more surprises, and more reasons to celebrate. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Domyson Abuan

Hello! I'm Shiyu Sano, a fourth-year student.
I would like to introduce Yumekobo, my favorite place.

Yumekobo is a facility on the Kanazawa Campus where we can work on mechanical fabrication. It is mainly used by students of Kanazawa Institute of Technology, but ICT students like us can also use it.
There is also a place called Maker Studio V on the Kanazawa Campus where we can do mechanical work, but Yumekobo is much larger in scale. In addition, if we have the required license, we can use the facility freely during its opening hours (until 9 PM on weekdays and until 5 PM on Saturdays) even without a faculty member present.

I have been a member of the Design & Fabrication Club since my first year and have been participating in the National College of Technology Robot Contest (Kosen Robocon) project. At first, I didn’t understand anything, but I gradually discovered the joy of machining parts, and I’m still completely absorbed in it today.

At Yumekobo, you can use machine tools and other equipment after completing the safety training and license training. I had also taken similar training at the Maker Studio at the Hakusanroku Campus during my first year, but the license training at Yumekobo is divided into more specialized fields, making it longer and considerably more difficult. In addition, during the first semester—when applications tend to pile up—the training sessions may be assigned by lottery, so there were times when I couldn’t take the courses as planned. Since I was working on building a robot for Kosen Robocon at the time, I felt a bit anxious.

Although this is a bit of a digression, the rules for the Kosen Robocon are announced in mid‑April, the regional competitions are held in October, and the national competition takes place in mid‑November. This year’s Tokai-Hokuriku regional competition was held in Toyama City on Sunday, October 5. In the first match of the preliminary league, our robot passed through the gate without any mistakes and scored 260 points. However, in the second match, the gate collapsed, and we were eliminated from the preliminary league. But incredibly, we received the Technical Award, and thanks to the judges’ recommendation, we earned a spot in the national competition!!!

We decided to improve our robot in preparation for the national competition on Sunday, November 16. I’ll leave the detailed story to the ICT Journal written by Professor Michihiro Hayashi.

Since the building on the Kanazawa Campus where we usually practiced had a low ceiling—so low that the cardboard gate almost touched it—and the space was a bit cramped, our robot sometimes couldn’t make a clean lap around the gate. Because of this, we were allowed to practice at Yumekobo on short notice two weeks before the national competition. We were able to borrow the space normally used by the KIT Robot Project members, which allowed us to practice freely in an environment very close to actual competition conditions. Since the technicians from Yumekobo who always support us, as well as seniors from KIT came to watch, I felt a little nervous.

Thanks to everyone’s support, we were able to win our first match at the national competition!!! Unfortunately, we were eliminated in the second round, but we received the prestigious Design Award. Although our main team had only four members, and we caused a great deal of trouble for our advisor, Professor Hayashi (and honestly, we still are), we achieved a result we could proudly bring home. It’s no exaggeration to say that Professor Hayashi was the one who truly earned the award.

Now, I’d like to explain why Yumekobo has become my favorite place—not just a facility where we can use machine tools. In the fourth year of the ICT program, there is an internship course through which students can gain experience in places such as research laboratories and the Student Station, a hub for student interaction and information sharing at KIT. Yumekobo is also one of the possible internship placements, and I chose it without hesitation. I spent about three months doing an internship at Yumekobo, during which I also had the opportunity to help create manuals for its users. Since almost everything was new to me, it felt like I was finally able to see Yumekobo—not just from the perspective of a user, but also, even if only a little, from the perspective of those who run it. Through this experience, my awareness of machine tools and safety changed significantly. Wanting to be more deeply involved, I decided to apply to become a student staff member at Yumekobo.

Let me also explain a bit about the student staff (on‑campus internship) system. KIT operates a student staff program in which students work on campus. Those who participate not only earn income but also take an active role in improving the campus environment, making it a valuable opportunity for personal growth. There are many places to work on campus, but ICT students can only work at Yumekobo and the Student Station.

Unlike during the internship course, where I worked more like a guest or trainee, I am now working as a paid staff member. Because of that, I’m doing my best not to cause any trouble for the technicians or the senior staff.

Yumekobo student staff members wear yellow jackets while working, so we are also known as the “Yellow Staff.” Our duties cover a wide range of tasks, including reception work, inspecting machine tools, and cleaning—always making sure that students using Yumekobo can work safely and with peace of mind. I’ve also become a bit more knowledgeable about the machine tools than before, and I feel that I’ve been able to grow in my own way.

I simply enjoy machining parts, and with so many machine tools available—and the casual conversations I get to have with the technicians and senior staff—Yumekobo has become a comfortable place for me, almost a part of my daily life.

On Saturday, February 21 this year, the Yumekobo Project Presentation will be held, and the Kosen Robocon team will also have a booth. Yumekobo is also open to the public during the Kosen Festival (the school festival) held in October, so if you’re interested, please come visit. It’s a facility that’s fun to see even if you’re just looking around.

That concludes my introduction to Yumekobo, my favorite place.

Shiyu Sano