🏃‍♂️✨Sango Town Ekiden Relay Race✨🏃‍♀️

On January 25, students from Howdy Japanese Language School, Nara had the opportunity to participate in the Sango Town Ekiden Relay Race.

This year, 8 students joined as runners 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️ and 7 students supported as cheer squad members 📣.
It became a meaningful day where we shared the same place and the same time with members of the local community 🤝.

Among the students who came to cheer 📣, there were some who had participated as runners last year.
It was wonderful to see them involved in the event in different roles this time ✨.

One particularly memorable moment was when local junior high school students spoke to our students in English.
Although they were a little nervous at first 😳, they soon began smiling and enjoying the conversation 😊.
It was a heartwarming scene where natural communication took place beyond language and position 🌱.

Before the start, we could hear students saying,
“It’s cold ❄️…!”
But after crossing the finish line, everyone showed expressions of accomplishment and pride 🏁✨.

We were also touched when event staff said,
“Howdy students always have a great start, but I wonder how they’ll do in the second half this year.”
Their words reminded us how kindly they watch over the students every year 🙇‍♀️.

Hearing comments such as
“Thank you as always,”
and “Please join us again,”
has become a great encouragement for both our students and staff 🌸.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone in Sango Town and all those involved in organizing the event.
Thank you very much 🙏✨

We hope to continue cherishing opportunities to learn 📚, connect 🤲, and grow together within the local community 🌈.