Japanese Language Week – A Celebration Born From Tamariki Curiosity

子どもは国の宝。
(Kodomo wa kuni no takara.)
“Children are the treasure of the nation.”

During the week of 3rd November, Farm Cove Kindergarten tamariki celebrated Japanese Language Week (日本語週間 – Nihongo Shuukan) – an event sparked entirely by child-led inquiry. After noticing our many Pacific Language Weeks, one of our Japanese learners thoughtfully asked, “Why don’t we do a Japanese Language Week?” From this simple question grew a rich learning opportunity that honoured culture, language, and belonging.

Each morning began with Pikachu Radio Taiso (ラジオ体操) – joyful Japanese exercises led by our kaiako whaea Belinda that had everyone moving, stretching, and laughing together. During whāriki time, tamariki learned everyday greetings such as Konnichiwa (Hello), Ohayō (Good Morning), and Sayonara (Goodbye), strengthening their confidence with new sounds and symbols.

Whaea Emele wore a traditional kimono (着物) and shared stories from her travels to Japan, while tamariki explored Hiragana (ひらがな), created fans (うちわ), and designed colourful Koinobori (鯉のぼり) kites – expressing creativity and learning about cultural symbolism.

Our Japanese whānau played a huge role in the excitement. Parents came in to teach “play sushi” making and showed the children how to prepare Dango (だんご) – creating authentic, hands-on experiences that made our Japanese families feel welcomed, valued, and deeply connected to our kindergarten whānau.

Our student teacher also introduced Origami (折り紙), guiding tamariki as they folded hearts (ハート) and stars (星). These were later displayed as a beautiful Japanese flag, celebrating the collective learning of the week.

Japanese Language Week was not only fun and exciting – it was a powerful reminder of how child-led inquiry can open the door to meaningful learning, cultural appreciation, and a strong sense of belonging for our whānau.