[9th JFBFE Exchange Meeting] A "Ski Exchange Tour" was held with friends from 8 countries!

The 9th JFBFE Exchange Event, a "Ski Tour," was held on March 7th!

Our destination is Tambara Ski Park in Gunma Prefecture .

The participants were 31 people, including 25 foreign workers and our own employees , and were a large multinational group of people from Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, and Taiwan!

The participants came from a variety of industries, including the restaurant industry, food manufacturing, and nursing care, and people who don't usually have many opportunities to interact with each other enjoyed the snowy world together !

I also had a really fun day skiing with everyone, so I'd like to report on what happened that day \( ˆoˆ )/

7:00 Meet at Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building & Depart

We gathered in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku early in the morning!

Some of the people there had barely seen snow before, and everyone seemed excited!

On the bus, the students introduced themselves and talked about their work and lives, and they had already begun to interact with each other.

We created an original travel guide and distributed it to the participants.

A traffic jam caused by an accident resulted in a two-hour delay... But everyone was positive!

We were supposed to arrive around 10:20, but we got caught in traffic due to an accident on the highway, which delayed our arrival by two hours !

Some people were worried about whether they would make it in time, but on the bus they made good use of the time by talking about their respective jobs and doing image training while watching skiing videos. It was a valuable opportunity to hear about each other's cultures and work, transcending nationality! Everyone's positive attitude... it's amazing!!

12:20 Arrive at the ski resort! Ski lesson begins

After arriving at Tambara Ski Park, we immediately changed into our ski wear and began the lesson! Since about half of the participants were beginners, we learned the basics of skiing and how to avoid falling under the guidance of the instructor.

⚪︎Experienced skiers actively supporting beginners!

Among the participants was a Taiwanese student who had studied abroad at a school in Hokkaido, and was a very skilled skater! He naturally offered advice to beginners, and this created a mutual support atmosphere that transcended national boundaries.

⚪︎ Free time & lunch

After the lesson, it was free time! Some people continued skiing, while others enjoyed playing in the snow. Everyone had lunch on their own and spent the time relaxing while deepening their friendships.

⚪︎Even those trying snowboarding for the first time!

In fact, there were several people who were participating in this ski exchange event for the second time.

Some people showed enthusiasm, saying, "I skied last year, so this time I'm going to try snowboarding!" and it seems they were able to experience the joy of trying new things💪✨

16:20 It's sad to say goodbye, but the bus departs

It was a short time, but everyone seemed very satisfied!

On the bus ride back, we heard many people say things like , "I wanted to skate more!" and "I want to participate again next year!"

19:20 Arrive at Shinjuku and disband

The bus arrived at Shinjuku as scheduled and we disbanded. Everyone was smiling until the very end, even though they must have been tired.

[Summary] Intercultural communication born through skiing ⛷️

Although there was an unexpected incident on this ski tour, where we arrived later than planned, we were able to use that time to talk about work and culture, which I felt led to deeper exchanges.

It was also impressive to see experienced snowboarders helping beginners and trying out new snow sports, all learning from each other and having fun!

We hope to continue creating opportunities for exchanges that transcend companies and nationalities through experiences that are unique to Japan! Please look forward to the next JFBFE networking event!