On August 4, 2026, the Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University hosted the 5th edition of Cultural Connections, an intercultural exchange event bringing together local high school students, and university students including international students.

This year's event welcomed students from Ina Kita High Schools, Shimosuwa Koyo High School, and Akaho High School. A total of 18 high school students and 17 university students participated. Represented countries were: Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Under this year's theme, "Connecting through Fashion," participants explored how clothing can express culture, identity, history, creativity, and sustainability. The event was conducted mainly in English and combined presentations, hands-on activities, and teamwork in culturally mixed groups.

The morning began with an icebreaker led by high school students, followed by "Fashion Stories from Around the World," in which international students introduced clothing traditions, textiles, and cultural practices from their home countries. During the Fashion Gallery Walk, participants were able to observe cultural garments closely and, in some cases, try them on.
One participant commented: "Unlike simply searching for information on the internet, hearing directly from people from those countries made me feel something of the local culture and atmosphere."

After lunch and informal cultural exchange, participants joined a Monkiri workshop, learning about the traditional Japanese art of paper folding and cutting while creating decorative patterns. These designs were then incorporated into the highlight of the afternoon: the Newspaper Costume Design Challenge. Working in groups, participants used newspapers and simple craft materials to create wearable costumes for a volunteer model. Each group developed its own concept and prepared a short explanation before presenting the completed costume during the Cultural Connections Fashion Show. The challenge was particularly popular among participants. One student wrote: "It was fun to come up with ideas with everyone in the group and work together to make costumes using newspapers."
Another reflected: "Even when there were things we did not understand, if both sides wanted to understand and communicate, we could still connect."

Presentation by international student

Monkiri workshop

Costumes made from newspapers

Fashion show

Group photo