ASEAN Class at Onarimon Elementary School

The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) is dedicated to strengthening ties between ASEAN and Japan by engaging the younger generation and equipping them to foster these connections in the future. To support this objective, AJC implements various initiatives by involving students and young individuals from both Japan and ASEAN through educational programs, cultural exchanges, and interactive discussion. 

As part of these efforts, AJC conducted ASEAN Class at Onarimon Elementary School (Minato-city, Tokyo) on 20 February 2025. This elementary school is located near the AJC office, and we have been conducting exchange activities for over a decade. 

Key takeaways

• 89% of approximately 500 students responded that they had fun, showing an increase of interest in ASEAN. 
• AJC provided classes on children’s play and school life in ASEAN through experience for lower grades. 
• For grades 4-6, presentations on topics such as “Water supply & sewage, Waste & Disaster management”, “Landscape, Agriculture, Food”, “Politics, Constitution, Tax, Election” were organized. 
• AJC provided students with opportunities to deepen their understanding of the cultures of ASEAN Member States by creating items symbolizing festivals of various ethnic groups in Malaysia (such as Ketupat), engaging in the Thai game “Mon Son Pa” and playing with cut-out art of traditional Filipino costumes. 
• AJC staff members lead the classes.  

Comments from students

• I learned that there are Malay, Chinese, Indian ethnic groups in Malaysia. (1^st grade) 
• I understood there are different types of clothing representing ethnic groups. I am happy that I was able to know the reason for each. (2^nd grade) 
• It was fun to know culture of Thailand, such as the way to bow. I wish to know more about Thailand as the people of Thailand well know about Japan. (3^rd grade) 
• Cambodia’s past struggles and efforts have led to the current success of being able to drink safe water. (4^th grade) 
• I was surprised to know that Singapore’s food sufficiency rate is only 10%. (5^th grade) 
• I was able to learn well about history, cultural heritage and others. (6^th grade)