Written by: KIBRIA Proma Ayesha
Edited by: SISWOKO Benigno
If there’s one thing APU is known for, it’s for boasting a diverse campus consisting of students from various communities and nothing showcased this more than the famed ‘Multicultural Weeks’--a week-long celebration of a particular community’s culture that is held on-campus.
Over the past two years, the Covid-19 pandemic forced this tradition to come to a halt due to concerns over student gatherings and a lack of new international students being able to enter Japan. Students overseas missed out on experiencing APU’s campus life, while the few students that did manage to enter Japan found that Covid-19 restrictions meant that most of the more exciting activities (local exchanges, club performances, festivals etc.) were all canceled. However, in the semester of Spring 2022, as in-person activities finally began to resume, the Multicultural Weeks finally saw their return with Thai Week 2022.
The week began on July 11, 2022, with a parade in front of the fountain. This was followed up by a Haunted House and Game Booth adventure on July 12 and 14. In this event, actors dressed as ghosts would chase around participants while they attempted to solve puzzles to win prizes. Finally, the week finished off with the ‘Thai Week Grand Show’ on Friday, a drama held in APU’s Millenium Hall. The Grand Show was called May Who, and told the story of a Thai high school girl who suddenly found herself in possession of electrical powers.
Although there had been a Thai Week in the previous academic year, the event had to be held completely online. Prompattanakpadee Suthanee (nicknamed Anan), one of the Thai Week leaders, said that the differences between holding an online Multicultural Week and an on-campus one was stark. “...comparatively, the Student Office was quite strict. We had to have daily temperature checks, we had to submit various surveys and forms about the details of each event. It was especially problematic when dealing with the Grand Show, as rehearsal times could vary depending on people’s schedules.”
Photo credit: @apu.thaiweek on Instagram
According to Anan, organizing a Multicultural Week takes months of effort. Not only was this the first on-campus week for many new students, but this was also the first for the organizers. Planning and organization began in November the previous semester, while recruitment was started in April. Behind-the-scenes, there were a lot of challenges. As first-timers, the organizers had to seek help from graduated senpais and coordinate with the Thai Consulate in Fukuoka. They had to deal with problems regarding no-shows and drop-outs, all the while managing their own busy schedules.
Nevertheless, Anan said that the successful completion of the on-campus week was much more satisfying for both organizers and audience. “Last time, when it was online, it had a lonely image. Performers were acting in front of an empty hall, there was no interaction. This time, the audience reaction boosted everyone’s morale!”
With Indonesian Week having just wrapped up, and Korean Week right around the corner, it seems that Multicultural Weeks are finally back in full-swing. For communities hoping to conduct their own Multicultural Week, Anan had the following advice: “...plan, prepare, take responsibility and be prepared for the unexpected; it’s a difficult road but seeing it through to the end is definitely worth it.”