Extracurricular Activities ② (Clubs): Tohoku University Basketball Club Experience - From Club Culture, Niigata Lodging to Group Recreation Activities

This is the second article in the series of "Ch4: Extra-curricular Activities".

• ①Graduate School Festival: Suzukakaidai Festival and Kodai Festival
• ②Basketball Club: From Club Culture to Niigata Ijuku ← You're here.
• Part-time job: Marukame's battle experience

Highlights of this article

• A Complete Analysis of Japanese Society Culture (Differences between Buraku, Saikaku, and Fellowship)
• Join the EIU Basketball Club for experience and practice!
• Niigata Hopscotch Complete Record (Transportation, Itinerary, Accommodation, Training)
• In-depth analysis of the Japanese senior-senior system (age culture, use of honorifics, table manners)
• Full Record of Hopscotch Group Recreation Activities (Drinking Party, Bingo, Fireworks, Watermelon Shooting)
• How International Students Integrate into Japanese Organizations (Practical Tips and Cultural Adaptation)
• Niigata Prefecture Tourism Information and Onsen Ryokan Recommendations

Guided Reading and Reading Suggestions

Japanese club culture is an important part of campus life. Whether it's a sports, cultural, or academic club, it provides a platform for students to develop their interests, build relationships, and experience Japanese culture in depth. This article will give you a deeper understanding:

• ✅ Japanese Society Culture(Differences and characteristics of ministry activities, services, and fellowships)
• ✅ Eastern Technical University Basketball Club(joining process, place of practice, content of activities)
• ✅ Niigata Ajuku Experience(Full itinerary, training content, hot springs hotels)
• ✅ Senior Scholarship(Age culture, use of honorifics, table manners)
• ✅ Group Wellness Programs(Drinking party, bingo, fireworks, watermelon fight)
• ✅ Integration Tips for International Students(How to build friendships in the community)
• ✅ Observation of Cultural Differences(Comparison of Japanese vs. Taiwanese community culture)

We recommend reading the Quick Checklist first, then reading about the culture of the community and the experience of sharing a room, and finally referring to the FAQ for answers to frequently asked questions.

Quick Check Form (a must for joining a Japanese organization)

• 📋 Prepare for joining the community
  •  Confirm your schedule (are club practice times conflicting)
  •  Understanding the types of clubs (ministry activities, Saikaku, fellowships)
  •  Participation in Club Expo (Freshman Welcome Week)
  •  Check out the club website or SNS (to get a feel for the club atmosphere).
  •  Participate in experiential exercises (observe a few times before deciding)
  •  Inquire about the experience of older siblings (to understand the culture of the community)
  •  Confirmation of club fees (joining fee, monthly fee, activity fee)
  •  Prepare sports equipment (if a sports club)
• 📋 Points to note after joining the organization
  •  Learning Basic Salutation(Use honorifics for seniors)
  •  Proactive age inquiries（"Confirm who is the senior sister)
  •  Active Participation(Exercises, dinners, shared accommodation)
  •  Abide by the rules of the organization(Late arrivals must be communicated in advance, absences must be excused)
  •  Help with preparation and cleanup（"Positive attitude.)
  •  Attending social events(Cocktail parties, dinners, trips)
  •  Respect for the Senior Scholarship（"Even if it's not customary, it must be observed.)
  •  Keep in touch(Join LINE group, reply to messages)
• 📋 Hopper Preparation Checklist
  •  Confirmation of dates and rates
  •  Preparation of sports equipment (sneakers, sportswear, protective gear)
  •  Preparation for laundry change (2-3 sets)
  •  Preparation of toiletries (toothbrush, towel, shampoo)
  •  Preparation of medicines (painkillers, gastrointestinal medicines, patches)
  •  Cash for preparation (additional expenses may be required)
  •  Chargers & Mobile Power
  •  Lightweight backpack (for carry-on items)
  •  Sunscreen (for outdoor activities)
  •  Thermos (for hydration)

A Complete Analysis of Japanese Society Culture

🏫 Three Types of Japanese Societies

There are three types of extracurricular activities that students regularly participate in at Japanese educational institutions:ministry work,Service,fraternityThe

1️⃣ Bukatsu (ぶかつ, bukatsu)

2️⃣ サークル (Circle)

💡 Intercollegiate Clubs (Intercollegiate Clubs)::

This is a unique form of club in Japan, with members from different universities. For example, in "Waseda x Keio Basketball Club", students from Waseda and Keio play basketball together. This kind of club allows you to meet people from different schools and expand your social circle.

3 ️⃣ Friends Association (Doukoukai, Doukoukai)

📊 Comparison of Three Types of Clubs

Use a table to compare the three types of clubs:

🔍 How do I choose the right club for me?

Try the following steps to find the right club for you:

EUST Basketball Club Joining Experience

Not long after I entered ETU, a Taiwanese senior who came to ETU at the same time as me recommended that I play basketball with him. I learned that there was going to be a basketball tournament for the Architecture Department (see Ch3, Part 7 for details), so I started to join the basketball club. At that time, myJoin the MotivationBelow:

• Want to know more about Japanese students
• Maintaining an Exercise Routine
• Practicing Japanese (it's easier to talk during sports)
• Preparing for the Architecture Basketball Tournament

📍 Where and when to practice

Tuesday evenings (19:00-21:00)
Miyamae Elementary School (みやまえしょうがっこう)

Sunday morning (10:00-12:00)
Yakumo Elementary School (やくもしょうがっこう)

Gymnasium Features::

• Typical Japanese elementary school gymnasium
• Wooden floors, well maintained
• Have complete basketball equipment (rims, scoreboards)
• You need to take off your shoes and change into indoor shoes.

💭 My Experience and Feelings

About joining the basketball club, I think it is a good place to socialize with Japanese people while playing sports. When we play sports, we are more relaxed and chatting is more natural. Even if you are not fluent in Japanese, you can still communicate with your body language and ball skills. This is the place where I have made the most Japanese friends. Below are some of the strengths and challenges:

• Advantages
  • ✅ Communication in sports is easier and more natural
  • ✅ It doesn't take much language to communicate (talking on the ball)
  • ✅ Learned a lot of sports-related Japanese.
  • ✅ Building deep friendships (sweating the revolutionary feeling together)
  • ✅ Maintain a healthy exercise routine
• Challenge
  • ⚠️ Adaptation to the Senior Scholarship System
  • ⚠️ Special attention should be paid to the use of honorifics
  • ⚠️ Possible Conflict of Practice Times and Courses

 Niigata Hopscotch Full Record

Hostel Invitation

Near the end of summer vacation, I saw a message pop up on the LINE group:

"Tell me if you want to participate in the training program!"

When I heard that the event would be held in the mountains of Niigata Prefecture, I thought that I might not have a chance to go there in the future, so I signed up for the event right away.

So, what is "Ibusuki" and what is "Niigata"? "And what is Niigata like?

📅 Basic Information on Isejuku

What is "co-habitation"?

Hopuku (がっしゅく) It is a period of time when participants come together to spend time together for a specific activity or purpose.

Key Features of HOSHINOYA

Types of Japanese Hopscotch

💡 Cultural Observations: Japan's co-habitation is similar to the winter and summer training of Taiwan's university teams or athletic clubs, but the difference is that Japan's training will choose to go to a mountainous area or a place farther away from the school such as the seaside, so as to cultivate the team's feelings.

Niigata Prefecture

Niigata PrefectureLocated in the Hokuriku region of Honshu, Japan, facing the Sea of Japan, it is famous for its magnificent natural scenery and rich culinary culture.Main Features of Niigata Prefectureandgeographic locationBelow:

distinctiveness	Description
The Land of Rice	Famous for producing high-quality rice (e.g., Koshihikari rice), and known as the "Rice Village
Howe Snow Belt	One of Japan's most popular snow areas, where the unique culture of snow is developed.
Hot Spring Township	There are many hot spring areas (e.g. Echigo Yuzawa Onsen), which are popular tourist resources.
Sake Producers	Sake brewing has flourished due to the abundance of high-quality rice, which has given rise to many famous brands.
Nature's View	Rich natural resources such as mountains, Sea of Japan, Sado Island, etc.
cultural heritage	Many traditional festivals, performing arts and unique culinary cultures are preserved.

🚌 Hop-on Hop-off Itinerary and Transportation

On September 15th, all 18 members of the club met at Ikebukuro Higashiguchi exit at 8:30 am and took a bus to Niigata, arriving at Yuzawa-cho, Minami-Uonuma-gun, Niigata at around 12:00 pm. After that, we took a mini-bus and arrived at the basketball practice area at about 1:00 p.m. because we had to go into the mountain road.

💡 traffic alert: You can take either the Shinkansen or a bus from Tokyo to Niigata. Shinkansen is fast but expensive (about 10,000 yen), while buses are slow but cheap (about 3,000-5,000 yen). Organizations usually charter a bus and share the cost.

📋 Hopscotch daily itinerary

Basically, a sleepover is just as much work as a sleepover in a Japanese drama or anime.The daily itinerary is pretty much the same:

My feelings::

"On the whole, even though the training is not as strict as that of the Taiwan sports team, practicing seven hours a day is still a bit tiring. However, there are hot springs in the hotel where you can soak, and after practicing, the hot soup will immediately eliminate all the fatigue and soreness of the whole day, and together with a little bit of wine, it is very good to sleep.

Shared Accommodation

"Hotel Chyo/Cho is a modern and cozy wood-style ryokan located in Niaoba, Niigata Prefecture, surrounded by nature. It is a modern and cozy wood-style ryokan, suitable for tennis, golf and fishing in the summer, and ideal for skiing and other sports in the winter. I heard that a lot of groups organize their overnight stays here, and the rating is very high. The following photos show the situation inside the hotel at that time:

If you are interested in the hotel "ホテル丁(ちょう) HOTEL CHYO", please click the button below to make an online reservation!

💡 Recommendation

If you are interested in the hotel "HOTEL CHYO", you can make a reservation online by clicking the button below! This is a great hotel for group activities.

In-depth analysis of the Japanese senior-senior system

🎂 Ask for your age at first meeting.

"How old are you?"

In Taiwan, it's rare to ask someone their age right off the bat, but in Japan, it's one of the first questions I get asked when I meet a new Japanese person.

Why do Japanese ask for age?

There are two main reasons:

• Grammar of honorifics based on the culture of the sequence of years of service: Age is usually used to determine whether to use honorifics or modesty.

• There will be questions about expected roles based on ageMost of the Japanese people's life events are accomplished in a specific period of time, for example, they start working at the age of 22 after graduating from university, and get married before the age of 30, etc. Therefore, age can be used to determine the approximate experience of a person, and it can be used to determine the approximate events of life that a person has experienced.

To whom do I need to speak respectfully?

Personally, I usually speak with respect to the following people:

Schools

Career

females

💡 Advice for MenYou should not ask a girl her age before she asks you, it's better to talk in honorifics.

🍖 Senior Scholarship: Table Manners

This time, we had a BBQ dinner, the host couple grilled the meat for us, so that we could eat as much as we wanted. However, we still have to follow the rules of the Japanese table.

Dining Rules for Japanese Groups

My feelings::

"On the whole, although it is a club, the status of the senior is still very high, so it is clear that the senior-senior system is still very much valued in the school."

Record of Hopscotch Group Recreation Activities

During the period of sharing, it is common to organize some bonding activities during the breaks, most likely a drinking party and some games.

🍺 Sip to Kill the Feud: The Culture of Drinking Clubs

Usually, there will be a drinking party after dinner, which is mainly for "clearing the air", so that seniors who feel offended can talk to their juniors directly and let them make amends.

Seating Arrangement

As mentioned in previous chapters, the ones farther away from the door were for the seniors, so at that time we had the following seating arrangement:

1. Freshman sat in the corner first.Waiting for the seniors to arrive.
2. After Sophomore and Junior are seatedYou can't be seated until you're a year older.
   (I'm a senior.Naturally, they addressed me as the president of the university, and they sat me respectfully in the center of the room.)

Liquidation Segment

Next, they will "liquidate the wrongdoers," upholding"The revenge of the day is over.", the liquidation process is broadly as follows:

1. Starting with the organizer of my junior year, I'd like to talk about who I think has offended him today.
2. Tell me what's wrong.
3. Let the man have a drink, and let him make amends to a particular senior or the whole group.
4. That's how it's done.

💡 The so-called "mistakes" that the seniors are talking about.::

• Forgetting to use honorifics
• I went to pick up a ball without listening to my senior.
• I accidentally called him by his last name without adding "san".
• Slowing down your teammates when you play
• I slept in and was late.
• You can't play without strength.

Penalty

The person being named is going to be:

1. Apologize to everyone and pay your respects or sit down.(kneels and apologizes)
2. Drink the whiskey.
3. If you don't want to drink, you can ask someone to drink for you.
4. If you leave the table in the middle of the meal to go to the toilet, when you come back, everyone will say "Welcome back! and then hand out a glass of wine for the person who left the table to drink as an apology.

My feelings::

"This is probably the only club that does the above, but it's fun. It may seem strict, but it's actually a way of bonding. After the drinks, everyone laughs and smiles, and it's a very relaxed atmosphere."

🎲 BNG (BINGO GATHERING): Bingo Games

In the club. BNG (i.e., the English version of Bingo(bingo), which basically plays out the same way as in Taiwan, but with a few special touches on the night of the shared accommodation.

Special Rules

Prizes

Most of the prizes are pretty good:

The rarest of them all is the one called "Happiness Pills" The pills:

• It's not a drug. It's a little stimulant.
• When that guy drew, everyone thought he had an aphrodisiac.
• After watching the student swallow the whiskey with...

Everyone asked excitedly"Do you feel anything down there?"

He smiled and shook his head.: "Uh...no reaction really."

⚠️A little reminder: about noise

Since we shared a room in a hostel, we were able to make as much noise as we wanted, otherwise in Tokyo the volume would have been investigated by the police. A foreign student was partying in the dormitory, and it was so noisy that the police came to investigate, and since the Japanese police didn't know any English, they took the student to the police station and waited for the interpreter, which took a total of five hours, so it's not recommended to party at night in the residential area.

🎆 FW (fireworks/firecrackers): fireworks convention

In this organization. "FW" (i.e., the English version of FireworkIn Japan, it's called "Sparklers."The fireworks at Hopscotch were more like Taiwanese New Year firecrackers. However, the fireworks at Hopscotch are more like the firecrackers that are set off in Taiwan on New Year's Eve.

Taiwan-Japan Flower & Fire Comparison

💡The line is fragrant and sparkling

It's the kind of fireworks that appear in Japanese dramas that only let the fire burn until the rope is gone, and it seems boring but it's the most well-known fireworks among Japanese people.Summer Must-Haves for Couples and Friends!

My Flower and Fire Experience

In addition to the above mentioned pyrotechnics, there are many other pyrotechnics such as color-changing pyrotechnics, ghost pyrotechnics, torch pyrotechnics and so on."100 rounds of hand-held doubles."of the fireworks that everyone is afraid to put on.

So I put down my camera, and I was left alone with a hundred rounds of pyrotechnics, and I lit ten sticks at the same time.Successful creation of a beautiful, short-lived sparkler.The

🍉 WM (スイカ割り) : Hit the watermelon!

I'm still looking forward to Tuan Hong the most. "WM"(i.e., the English version of WatermelonJapanese "SIKA CUT"It's like hitting a watermelon on the beach.

I've never seen it in Taiwan since I was a kid, but I got to see it for myself at the Hopscotch.

• way of playing
  • Place the watermelon on the beach or on the ground
  • Spin the hitter around for the 10th time to make him forget the direction and location of the watermelon.
  • The participant is blindfolded and holds a stick.
  • People around you will use "Right! A little more to the right!" "Straight!" and other sounds to guide, or trick, the batter away from the watermelon.
  • The blindfolded person swings the stick in the direction of the watermelon according to the sound (it's hard to split it in half in one go)
  • Crack the watermelon and share it with everyone.

• Rules
  • There are no special rules, but safety is paramount
  • Decide in advance the area where the baton is to be wielded, and keep people around you at an appropriate distance for safety precautions.
• Highlights
  • Sound guidance is very important. Those around you should give the blindfolded person clear and easy to understand instructions to ensure that they can safely approach the watermelon
  • Sharing the joy of cracking a watermelon is the essence of watermelon games!
• Points of Attention
  • Be careful not to hit the people around you when you swing your stick.
  • Don't play in dangerous or easily soiled areas
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult.

My feelings::

"Being able to experience such a traditional Japanese game made the trip worthwhile and was a perfect end to my summer."

Conclusion

From club practice to Niigata's dormitory, from the strict senior-senior system to the joyful group recreation activities, each episode has given me a deep understanding of the importance of the program. The Unique Charm of Japanese Society CultureThe

Since I was on exchange for one year, I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the summer program, which allowed me to experience the culture of the local community and make some Japanese friends.

I learned from this experience:

✅ Clubs are the best way to experience Japanese culture.: Not just a sport, but a cultural learning experience
✅ Adaptation to the Senior Scholarship System: Respect and observe even if you are not accustomed to it.
✅ Shared accommodation is the key to nurturing relationshipsSweating and playing together builds friendships.
✅ Exercise is the best social languageEven if you're not fluent in Japanese, you can still communicate by playing.

If you are going to study in Japan, I highly recommend it:

During the exchange period, if you have time outside of your studies, try to join a club to experience the Japanese school culture in depth!

If you are afraid that you can't communicate with Japanese students because of your poor Japanese language skills, you can Join a sports club and meet friends through sportsmanship.During the breaks, we try to communicate with Japanese students. Not only can we directly experience the cultural differences, but we can also train our Japanese language skills.

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