On November 18, 2020, the first international student event of the year, “Grab a conveni onigiri and join us in front of your computer!” was held online on November 18, 2020.

On that day, a total of 18 international students and faculty members participated. There were also exchange students who had just arrived in Japan and were in voluntary quarantine at the hotel.

The lecturer was Ms. Mari Miyazawa, who graduated from the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts, majoring in animation in 2014. She is currently working as a bento artist and animation director.

At first, Ms. Miyazawa gave a lecture on Japanese bento culture, and talked about how bento with character motifs is fun for both the person making them and the person eating them.

Then we made “Sumo Wrestler Onigiri” and “Sleeping Rabbit Sandwich” using materials from the convenience store that we had been told about in advance.

After that, we watched Ms. Miyazawa’s animation together, and as the second part, we made our own chara-ben using the materials we had prepared.

Everyone moved their hands while listening to Ms. Miyazawa’s explanation, but there were times when it was hard to keep up with her skillfulness. On the Zoom screen, we could see the participants working hard to make their creations.

Some of the participants said they wanted to try making their creations with a variety of materials, while others said they felt less lonely and felt closer to the teachers they were meeting online.

(Global Support Center)