Theater students from the United States come to the university to interact with Faculty of Media Studies students at a sword fighting workshop

Commemorative photo with everyone who participated in the exchange meeting

Yurie Saegusa (left) explaining how to use a wooden sword to a Ryder University student

On March 16, 12 students studying performing arts and theater at RIDER UNIVERSITY, which has a campus in New Jersey, USA, visited our university's Tokyo Kioicho Campus and interacted with Faculty of Media Studies majoring in the same field. did. They enjoyed the rare opportunity to learn about Japan's unique acting techniques, such as holding a "tate" workshop.

Associate Professor Junkichi Mochizuki of the university's Faculty of Media Studies Department of Media And Communications Film and Performing Arts Course had a friendship with Associate Professor Yoshinori Tanokura of Rider University's College of Liberal Arts Department of Performing Arts, which led to this visit to the university. For the swordsmanship workshop, the faculty invited Yurie Saegusa, a graduate of the same department who is active on stage and in films as a swordsmith, as an instructor. On the day of the workshop, Ms. Saegusa gave a performance of sword fighting, and nine students from the Mochizuki Seminar, who had received guidance from Ms. Saegusa in advance, practiced for the day and taught the students basic movements and fighting techniques.

It was the first time for all the students from Rider University to come to Japan, so they seemed unfamiliar with the wooden sword they held for the first time, but as they repeated the basic movements, they seemed to get the hang of how to handle it. I enjoyed the performance of being divided into roles. Finally, Japanese and American students paired up and presented their practice results. Students Faculty of Media Studies captured the event in a documentary video.

After the presentation, Mr. Saegusa actively asked questions such as, "Do you have a qualification or license for sword fighting?" was answering Furthermore, during the free exchange time between students, they used a translation function app on their smartphones to communicate and deepen their friendship.

Holding a wooden sword and practicing basic kata

Mochizuki seminar student (left) teaching how to hold a wooden sword

Japanese and American students form pairs and demonstrate the results of their practice

Lively communication through translation apps