Kawagoe Guide Volunteer

Our university is located in Kawagoe City, and students sometimes do activities oriented to the local community. Kawagoe Guide Volunteer is one of these activities!

The purpose of this program is to improve students’ communication skills through practice while we position staff of Kawagoe Festival Hall and Silver Volunteers who belong to Kawagoe Tourist Association as the pivotal role in the program.

When I was a freshman, I participated in this volunteer. Concretely, students including me did two main activities. One was to guide not only foreign tourists but also Japanese tourists to some places near Kuradukuri Street. The other was to ask foreign tourists to answer a questionnaire through communicating in English with them. Of course, students had to know about the geography, famous things, and shops, so we made a preliminary investigation before the activities.



We wore happi coats during the activities.



I participated actually in the volunteer, and felt difficulty of showing tourists the ways and talking to foreigner.

 On my first day, I was asked the way but I couldn’t tell it well. I couldn’t also ask foreigner to assist with our questionnaire because I got nervous and I didn’t know how I should talk to them. After I did activities for three or four times, I got used to it and could enjoy communicating with other people.



Bell Tower



Then I tried talking to a foreign man timidly. He filled out a questionnaire with a good grace even though my English was terrible. I was happy when he handed a paper to me. I think I could learn many things by communicating with other staff, local people and tourists.

Also, I enjoyed doing some sightseeing and eating famous foods like a sweet potato ice creamJ Kawagoe Guide Volunteer Program became a valuable experience for me!