This group allows foreign visitors to Japan and foreign residents living in Japan to enjoy the “flavor” of traditional elements of Japanese cultures such as tea ceremony, flower arrangement, calligraphy, wearing of Japanese kimono, and origami through “hands on” experience.
Further, several times a year, we hold an event to make traditional Japanese foods together with foreign friends.

[Date(s)/Time(s)]
Regular Meeting: 3rd Tuesday of Every Month, from 10:30 a.m. to Noon

[Contents]
Flower Arrangement, every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, afternoons
Tea Ceremony, every 3rd Saturday of the month, afternoon
Kimono Wearing, at any time, when requested
Paper Folding (Origami), making objects appropriate for each season
Calligraphy, Wednesday afternoons (planned for one or twice/month)

[Application]
At TIA, applications accepted in Japanese, English, Chinese and Portuguese

Japanese		Chinese
English		Portuguese

[Recruiting]
Anybody who wants to participate, both teachers and students

[Reason for Establishment]
The Hozumi Group was established in January 1990, by people who were very moved by the activities and character of Ms. Hozumi Nakano, after listening to her speech in 1989 at TIA’s first “Volunteer Festival” in which she talked of her experiences of establishing and serving as a “dorm mother” at a dormitory for junior high school students from the mountain people of Chenrai in northern Thailand.

[Purpose of Activities]
To support the education of the mountain people of Thailand. The “Hozumi Group,” acting as grassroots volunteers, pools the energy, wisdom, skills and kindness of people to forge links based on large-scale support activities. Its purpose is not to gather money, but rather to continue to broaden the circle of support exchange which takes care to bind people together heart-to-heart. As one brings the harvest grain by grain, this idea forms the basic philosophy of the activities of “Hozumi Group.”

[Content of Activities]
In principle, reqular meetings are held on the 2nd Saturday of every month, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. A general meeting of all members takes place every April.
As part of a “Contact Course”, a Thailand Study Tour, sales of Thai folk-craft, exchanges with Thai people, and a Thai language course, etc. are held in order to have heartfelt exchanges with children from the mountain people of Thailand.

[How to join the group]
Initial membership fee is 2,000 yen, which goes to support the group, and 1,000 yen is gathered for communication expenses. A newsletter is mailed out to announce activities and so that members can better understand the circumstances of the Thai mountain people. Anybody can join the international exchange volunteers. We cherish the development of large power, which is gathered bit by bit from people acting as grassroots volunteers. We think that the best thing is for people to continue to do whatever is in their power to do without overdoing things.