The Japanese, Chinese and Korean Student Association hosted the East Asian Fest on Thursday. 

The event started with activities such as trivia and musical chairs. Then, a variety of food from East Asian countries was served to participants. 

Marinated chicken, mung bean soup, hibachi, gimbap, rice gangjeong and matcha ice cream were some of the foods offered during the event.

Yuna Nakagawa, president of the Japanese Student Association, said events like the East Asian Fest help reduce homesickness and let students share their culture with others at Arkansas State University.

“As international students coming to A-state from different countries, we sometimes face homesickness or culture shock,” Nakagawa, a junior computer science major from Tokyo, said. “Events like these help create a welcoming space for students with similar backgrounds, while also allowing us to share our culture with domestic students.”  

Nakagawa said the Japanese cultural events are especially unique because the Japanese student body at A-State organizes them. They said this gives the students a valuable opportunity to present something they are proud of.

Danish Yaqub, a business analytics graduate from Lahore, Pakistan, said the diverse selection of Chinese, Japanese and Korean food made them want to attend the fest.

“I think it is very important so that you can know the culture, diversity, and you all can experience different Asian cultures. A lot of people don’t know about Chinese, Japanese and Korean culture, so I think it is very good for them to experience this new thing,” Yaqub said.

Mizuki Kishi, the Japanese Student Association event coordinator, said one of his favorite parts of the event was the cooking. Kishi, a senior mechanical engineering major from Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, said the event was also a good occasion for making new friends.

“Some of our members don’t have any American friends here, so it is actually a good opportunity for them to make other friends and for the American people to know other cultures,” Kishi said.

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