Hello! This is Sade Moore, one of the Learning Mentors at ICT’s Hakusanroku Campus. For this Hakusanroku Journal entry, I want to talk about the End of the Year Party for the students, faculty, and staff at Hakusanroku Campus that the Learning Mentors organized. This year, the party took place on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026. The reason this date was chosen was because, by this time, all of the exams for the second semester had officially concluded and the results passed back. Due to this what better way to celebrate and unwind for both students and teachers, than to have a party where everyone could play board games, eat, and have fun together.

Many of the students were the first to show up and you could feel the excitement coming off of them. The End of the Year Party is one of the events that the students look forward to the most, I think, and this year was no exception. They all swarmed around the snacks and couldn’t wait to eat them. We also brought out plenty of board games and card games for everyone to enjoy and also had students and teachers sing some karaoke songs. It was really nice to see the students having fun with the teachers in a more relaxed setting and seeing everyone smiling and happy after such a stressful exam time.

Also, during the party the winner of the House Cup between the 4 separate Houses received their prize for collecting the most House Points throughout the year. The House System was built in order to build teamwork amongst the students, and they can collect points throughout the semester for completing their homework or assignments, attending workshops that the Learning Mentors conduct for them, cleaning up after themselves and others around campus, amongst other merits. The house with the most points wins at the end of the semester, and each of the 4 Houses wins a special treat for the End of the Year Party. All of the students seemed to really enjoy their special treats.

As the party drew to a close, a lot of the students kept asking if there was more and if they could stay longer because they wanted to play more games and sing more songs. Unfortunately though, with the teachers needing to get off work soon, it wasn’t possible. However, it was a great feeling to know that they enjoyed themselves and to see all of the students and other teachers’ smiling faces made all of the hard work for this semester and the past year at ICT completely worth it!

Sade Moore

 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 Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku office. Today, I’d like to introduce this year’s Halloween Events.
 As the Halloween season approached, the Hakusanroku campus building was festively decorated by students and learning mentors. They created handmade Jack-o’-lanterns and added playful touches, such as illustrated plastic bags attached to air conditioner vents, brightening up the entire building.

 On Friday, October 31st, 2025, the day of Halloween, several students and faculty members attended classes in costume. Students dressed as Pokémon characters, maids, cowboys, and more, while teachers appeared in Japanese school uniforms or even banana costumes, creating a unique and lively atmosphere in the classroom.
 For lunch, a special Halloween menu was served such as Vampire’s Feast Pizza (stuffed with cheese and absolutely delicious!), creepy-colored pasta shaped like caterpillars PLUS about 10 varieties of candy available for everyone to enjoy. Students had a great time savoring these treats.
 As the classes came to an end, even more students joined in with creative costumes. One student a horse headpiece paired with a sumo outfit, another dressed up as an Arabian sheik accompanied by his bodyguards, and another student transformed ordinary red clothes into cape-like design for unique look. During the Halloween parade, students struck confident poses on stage, captivating the audience. Laughter and cheers filled the atmosphere, making the event lively from start to finish.
 After the parade, the learning mentors held a Piñata game, a tradition from Mexican celebrations where participants break a decorated container to release treats. Blindfolded students relied on the voices of their peers to guide them as they swung at the piñata. When the container finally broke and candy scattered everywhere, the room erupted in excitement.

 Later, during the Learning Session (Night School), learning mentors hosted a Campus Hide-and-Seek game. Students were divided into four groups, taking turns as “seekers” while the others hid. All the lights in the building were turned off, and seekers used their phone flashlights to search classrooms, labs, restrooms, and even inside shelves. Hidden students tried to stay silent, but some couldn’t help screaming when discovered! Those who remained hidden until the time limit received candy as a prize.

 This year’s Halloween event was a wonderful opportunity for students and faculty to come together and have fun. The entire campus was filled with seasonal spirit, and smiles spread through classes, meals, and activities all day long.

Yuri Makada

 Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku Office. The season has turned to autumn, and we can feel the cool breeze in the air. Today, I’d like to introduce some of the extracurricular activities that took place in September.

Not National Language, but Japanese

 On Wednesday, September 17th, 2025, Tsutsui sensei gave a special lecture titled “Not National Language, but Japanese”. Tsutsui sensei teaches a Japanese as a second (foreign) language classes for students whose first language is another language.
 This time, however, the lecture was aimed at native Japanese speakers. It focused on the fact that even the Japanese we use casually every day has complexities in word choice and grammatical structures. The lecture explored these points and examined how the function of words creates meaning.
 Tsutsui sensei commented: “Some students mentioned that they were not confident in Japanese or grammar, but everyone participated actively. I observed students thinking for themselves, gaining insights, and deepening their understanding through group discussions. I also learned new things from their efforts and comments. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and couldn’t cover one of the main topics, the difference between wa (は) and ga (が) so I plan to hold a second session in the next semester. I hope many students will join us again.”

Flower Arrangement and Ikebana Workshop

 On Friday, September 19th, 2025, a Flower Arrangement and Kado Class was held, organized by Takako Utsunomiya sensei and Fumi Kuroda sensei. Kazumi Minamikawa sensei (instructor) led the Flower Arrangement course.
 First, students created flower arrangements using summer tulip, roses, and statice. After learning from Minamikawa sensei how to use scissors and cut the flower correctly, students completed their own unique works by arranging flowers on special sponges, making the most of each flower’s characteristics and colors.
Next, students split into three groups and tried authentic Ikebana using a flower frog and a water basin, incorporating materials such as beans, lilies, sunflowers, asparagus, hiogi, and pincushions. Referring to Minamikawa sensei’s examples,
 students adjusted the height and angle of the flowers while considering overall balance. Each group had a different theme, resulting in a variety of creative and distinctive works.
 Students commented, “I was happy to learn about so many different flowers and to finish something beautiful.” Their works were displayed in the entrance and common spaces of the Hakusanroku Campus, creating a bright and elegant atmosphere throughout the school.

Career Support for KOSEN Students

 On Friday, September 19th, 2025, a lecture titled “Career Support for KOSEN Students” was held for 1st and 2nd year students. This lecture was giving by Mr. Tatsuya Taian from OLIENT TECH Co., Ltd.
 After graduating from a KOSEN, students generally have two main paths: employment or further education. Traditionally, most students choose employment, but in recent years, the proportion of students aiming for further studies has increased.
 Mr. Taian provided advice on both employment and further education, explaining their respective advantages and disadvantages, as well as how to approach job hunting and academic preparation. He concluded his lecture with the following encouraging words for the students: “Looking ahead to your future, gathering information early, and preparing in advance will lead to satisfying career and academic choices.”

The Secret of the Crest Vault: STEM Themed Escape Room

 On Monday, September 22nd, 2025, Domyson Abuan sensei and Sharmee Abuan sensei hosted an activity titled “The Secret of the Crest Vault: STEM-Themed Escape Room.” Students worked together to solve STEM-related puzzles and riddles in order to escape from a locked room.
 For each challenge they cleared, one digit of a four-digit passcode was revealed, with each digit representing a concept related to Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics.
 Using their knowledge, teamwork, and quick decision-making skills, the students successfully gathered all four digits, completed the passcode, and unlocked the door to escape. Impressively, the winning team solved the puzzles in just 3 minutes and 48 seconds!

Shall We Dance?

 On Friday, September 26th, 2025, Justin Han sensei and Stephanie Reynolds sensei hosted an activity titled “Shall We Dance?”. On this day, two professional dance instructors and two volunteer dancers were invited, and students learned the basic steps of four types of ballroom dance (Waltz, Blues, Cha-Cha-Cha, and Jitterbug).
 In these dances, the usual roles are that men lead and women follow, each performing complementary movements. The Dance instructors focused on teaching the students the steps in each type of dance that are performed by both the leader and the follower. After learning the fundamental movements and counts, students paired up and practiced to music, experiencing the joy of dancing.
 Justin sensei commented: “At first, the students struggled with the motions and rhythm of the steps, but as they practiced, they greatly improved. The students expressed their enjoyment of the class while some students even asked about making it more permanent!”

Igarashi Takenobu Archive

 On Friday, September 26th, 2025, five 1st and 2nd year students visited the Igarashi Takenobu Archive at KIT. This archive, established in 2023 for the purpose of fostering aesthetic education, houses approximately 5,000 works and materials donated by the sculptor and designer, Mr. Takenobu Igarashi.
 The students toured the gallery and received explanations about the exhibited works and the artist. In the workshop, students brought four small everyday items, arranged them on graph paper, and looked for commonalities. They organized the items by aspects such as color, shape, and chronology, and then summarized differences in thinking within their groups.
 Through this experience, the students cultivated observation and creativity through the act of “seeing.

Soft Volleyball & Volleyball Tournament

 On Monday, September 29th, 2025, a hike to Mt. Hakusan and Mt. Sanpoiwa was originally planned, but due to rain, it was canceled. Instead, a Soft Volleyball & Volleyball Tournament was held, organized by Philip Cadzow sensei, where 1st and 2nd year students and faculty enjoyed playing together.
 The event started with soft volleyball. Seven-minute matches were played one after another, with teams giving their all and cheering each other on. Next came the volleyball matches, where every successful spike or receive drew cheers and loud support. Teachers and students teamed up, encouraging each other and playing with a sense of unity. An original game was also introduced, where all participants split into two large teams and everyone joined the court. This game featured a special rule allowing up to four touches before returning the ball to the opponent’s side, making full use of the large number of players and fostering teamwork to keep the ball in play. Finally, an intense match between 1st and 2nd year students took place! From the start, the 2nd years dominated with strong teamwork and powerful plays. The 1st years fought back bravely, but ultimately, the 2nd years’ coordination and focus led them to victory.

Book Review Presentation by 1st Year Students

 On Wednesday, September 25th, 2025, a book review presentation was held for 1st year students. The students presented for up to 3 minutes on the books they read during summer vacation (with no restrictions on genre), sharing what they learned and their impressions. Japanese students read English books and presented in English, while international students read Japanese books and presented in Japanese. The students presented about a variety of genres, including fantasy, adventure, biography, and mystery. Some students created animations based on the book’s storyline, while others showcased pencil sketches depicting a scene from the story.
 After the presentations, a vote was held among the students and faculty to select the best presentations. Two students were chosen as the winners of the English presentations (Japanese students) and one student was chosen as the winner of the Japanese presentations (International students). The results are as follows.

English Presentation Winner: Taiki Sasaki

English Presentation Winner: Shunta Tamura

Japanese Presentation Winner: Burba Anthony Revatta

Yuri Makada