Today we talk about “多文化校正, たぶんかこうせい.” Tabunka Kōsei is also known as “multicultural coexistance.” Here in Japan, it refers to the idea of different cultures living together harmoniously and mutually benefiting from each other’s presence. It emphasizes the importance of diversity and encourages us to embrace and respect various cultural backgrounds, fostering an environment where people from different cultures can coexist peacefully and contribute to the richness of the community. But what kind of situations come up?

Some Vietnamese neighbors growing pumpkins next door to a Japanese neighbor who wonders why they’re not eating them. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese neighbors are likely cooking the vines and leaves into delicious soups and other dishes. Perhaps the Vietnamese neighbors may be wondering why all the Japanese neighbors are wasting all those wonderful vines! The Japanese neighbor wants to ask about donating the pumpkin to a local food bank, but is met with language barriers. How do we address and grow in these situations? In any case, communication between neighbors is a good thing!

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