Language is more than just a class, more than just words, and more than a method of communication. Language is culture, history, tradition, and community all in one.

Every year the Elkhorn Japanese teachers hold a culture fair, giving students the opportunity to put together multiple performances in front of parents and peers alike. With dramatic reenactments, epic poetry, comedic sketches, and heart-wrenching songs, the Japanese Culture Fair truly has it all. 

Standing on stage and belting out a song might not be what first comes to mind when one thinks of Japanese class, but to learn a language it is essential to speak in front of people with confidence, which means stepping out of one’s comfort zone. From beginning Japanese students to students in advanced-level classes, everyone came together to put on some great performances.

Senior Japanese 1 student Antonio Garces was initially skeptical about the fair but quickly came to see the merit of the festival.

“It was pretty cool to watch people perform their different plays in Japanese, you know, strut their stuff and prove that they are good at what they do,” Garces said.

Nerves were high for some before their performances, but most students had prepared well and could weather any nerves they had. AP Japanese student Nishiki Hill performed in a skit parodying Oregon Trail, and sang in a quartet in a beautiful rendition of “Koi No Yokan”. He was a little nervous before his performance because he felt underprepared, but Niskiki did well and had a fun time.

“As a class, we all practice a play and have to memorize all of it. It is a fun time and we get to eat Japanese food in the box bento,” Nishiki said.

The whole effort was only possible due to the hard work of the Elkhorn Japanese teachers. Elkhorn High’s Japanese teacher Mariko Anderson worked hard to put together the whole fair. The fair has been going on for over 20 years and the tradition is continuing strong, building experience and memories for all students taking Japanese.

“We can not cover everything in four years. However, with the language fair, students have an opportunity to use more Japanese skills and show how much they learned. It builds some confidence for them and the songs are a pop culture study as well. I think that it is truly a benefit to my students,” Anderson said.