Japanese Cultural Attaché visits Academy

On Wednesday 11th March, four years on from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan, Mallow played host to the Cultural Attaché of the Japanese Embassy, Mr. Yuichi Yamada. Mr. Yamada came from Dublin to the meet the Transition Year students at the Patrician Academy and talk to them both about Japan and his life as a foreign diplomat. He gave a presentation about Japan and Japanese culture and spoke to the students about food, fashion and sport in Japan as well as the lifestyles of Japanese people. He was able to show short video clips to illustrate his points and give the students a unique view of life in an Asian country. Following his presentation, Mr. Yamada opened the floor to the students’ questions and answered their queries on topics as varied as religion and cuisine before finishing up with a short animated movie in Japanese showcasing popular Japanese culture. It was a huge honour for the school to receive a visit from an Embassy diplomat and it presented the boys with a unique opportunity to practise the Japanese that they have been learning since the start of the year.