From the September 2010 Newsletter

By Katelyn McBride

9/7/2010

Yume demonstrates how to wear a yukata on an Oaknoll resident Aug. 31, 2010.

Name: Yume Hidaka
Age: 28
Hometown: Kagoshima, Japan
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite thing about Iowa so far: Taking pictures of deer
Favorite place in the world: Amami Island (where my grandfather lives)
Favorite TV show: Grey’s Anatomy
Favorite movie: “Castle in the Sky” by Hayao Miyazaki
Favorite book: P.S. I Love You
Hidden talent: I have GPS in my head
Hobbies: Cooking and collecting fragrances

Meet Yume Hidaka, The University of Iowa’s new Japanese Outreach Initiative (JOI) coordinator.  Hidaka will be here two years traveling around Iowa to bring a deeper understanding of Japan to students, community members and Iowa residents. Her presentations include discussion of Japanese culture and history, activities such as origami paper art, and demonstrations such as how to wear the kimono.

Hidaka’s first presentation for the fall took place Aug. 31 at Oaknoll retirement community. She said the audience was very friendly and they had fun doing the planned activities.

“Most of them had already been to Japan,” said Hidaka. “I was very surprised!” She said the residents enjoyed seeing pictures of places they had visited in Japan and were eager to share their travel stories.

Hidaka has eight upcoming presentations for the fall as of now, the next as a guest speaker in a UI Japanese class.

Learn more about the Japanese Outreach Initiative.

View an interactive video about the JOI program.

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This article appeared in the September 2010
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