Taisoo No Jikan part 2!

This is a program that i am doing now on Fuji TV on week days from 2p.m. We go everywhere in Tokyo to dance with random people who want to participate in the show.
This time, we went to Fuji TV to dance with the kids! It was great because everyone was excited, smiley and happy while dancing.
The dance is a gymnastic at the same time so everyone can enjoy it!It is easy to remember and it is a tool to easily become friends.
Our group name is called PP FACTORY. PP refers to POWER & PEACE!!!
Please look the video below and try to dance with us. I am sure you will be addicted!!!

TAISOU NO JIKAN!

M-1 イザベルとべネ！

SARABA!

Saraba is the first Senegalese restaurant/bar in Japan. It is located in jyugaoka and the owner is Senegalese.
I was very happy to go and discover this new place because I always wanted a Senegalese Restaurant to open.
The place is small but the atmosphere is very relaxed and nice and the food is very Senegalese!
The owner, Amadou Tounkara, is an artist, a painter and a textile designer. He is very cool and cooks great food!
I decided to make my documentary on him because I thought it was interesting to introduce him to you and see how Senegalese culture is intergrating into the Japanese society.
In this bar, there are a lot of foreigners and Japanese people who come and discuss about several aspects and exchange their personal thoughts.
Amadou says that his favourite moment in the bar is when people gather together and communicate. Saraba is a very social community which is very peaceful!!!
If you want to experience Senegalese food and interact with Senegalese people, please step by in jyugaoka and enjoy this new culture!!!

SPAM ONIGIRI!

This Spam Onigiri is a speciality of Nagasaki!!! It was a rice ball with fried spam on it!It was that popular that they brought in Tokyo!!!
These are sold for 200yen and it is delicious!
Apparently, there is a little "boom" in Japan with these onigiris. Japanese people eat them like hamburgers...
I was amazed by the taste and the perfect match!!!You should try it!!!

Roppongi at night!

Roppongi is an interesting side of Tokyo to watch at night because it is a city that never sleeps... People from all over the world gather there and you have the feeling that you are not in Japan! There are Africans, Americans, Russians, Germans talking to each other, partying, drinking, fighting...Anyway, it is a real melting pot!!!
When I was walking around in the middle of the night, it was about 2 a.m, there were police men all over the city and two huge fire engines... Apparently, there was a fight and police men tried to solve te problem.
I usually don't go to Roppongi, especially at night, but I was surprised by the neons and the number of people. It was that bright and agitated that it seemed like it was the afternoon.
Roppongi is the community for foreigners and it is really a place that never sleeps...

TUJ shares a lot of activities with its neighborhood. The other day, I was asked to go to Akabane elementary school to give some cultural lesson about my country, Senegal. When I got into the class, there were sixty children of 6~7 years old that welcomed me with the Senegalese flag that they hand made. It was impressive of how they were interested to learn about a new culture. Being agitated, they asked questions after questions.

First of all, I introduced the country and its location on the map and showed them many pictures about the city, the people, the traditional sport which is similar to the Japanese Sumo, the food and the music. Usually, when Japanese people hear the word Africa, they imagine indigenous people who live naked and still hunt with arrows. However, it is n

ot the case and Dakar is a developed city. I refer it to Shinjuku city that does not have neon.
Anyway, I decided to get the children’ attention by asking them questions about the image they have of Senegal, making them listen to music and let them try to play the Jambe(drum) by using their desks. It was funny and cute to watch them enjoying it and being so serious about it. Then, by wearing the traditional Senegalese clothe which is very big, I asked the kids to come inside to see how many can fit in it. I guess, 13 of them were in the dress, experiencing what it is like to

wear the clothe.
Senegal is very similar to Japan and that is how I approached children to explain them and give them a cultural background. Finally, I taught them how to say Hello in Senegalese “Assalamalekun” and gave them an advice to continue to be that interested in other cultures.

By the way, the Japanese word Naruhodo which means “I see!” has the same meaning as the Senegalese word Naruhodo. Located on the other side of the world and having different languages, I feel that there is a certain historical connection between the two countries.

At the end of the month, I will be going to another school to teach more about Senegal so that Japanese have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and open the door to foreigners and foreign traditions.