The Dragon's Work Exhibition 2022 is being held at Kurashiki Ivy Square. Let's support the students who are working hard in their internships.

The Takahashi River has long been a river that has produced the culture and industry of the Kibi region, supporting Okayama Prefecture.

The "Dragon's Work Exhibition" has been held every September since 2010 at the Ivy Hall of Kurashiki Ivy Square as an industrial exhibition of the Takahashi River basin.

In 2022, it is also being held for 9 days from September 3 (Saturday) to September 11 (Sunday), with 19 companies and organizations participating.

Additionally, the "Dragon's Work Exhibition" serves as a corporate exhibition with an aspect of internship for university students interested in corporate activities and the products being sold.

I immediately went to check it out.

What is the Dragon's Work Exhibition 2022

The "Dragon's Work Exhibition" has been held in its current form since it was initiated by a group of creators active mainly in Kurashiki in 2009 with the "Exhibition of 111 Descendants of the Dragon," through events of the Prefectural Cultural Festival and the National Cultural Festival.

It is not just an event for displaying and selling products from companies in the Takahashi River basin, but also serves as an internship opportunity for nearby university students to learn about local culture and history.

Students participating in the internship reportedly exchange information about their respective booths before the venue opens.

The exhibiting companies in 2022 were as follows.

I went to the venue

Upon arriving at the venue, the first booth I visited was that of Kojima Jeans Street.

The student in charge of Kojima Jeans Street is a second-year student studying abroad at Kibi International University from Vietnam, participating in the internship to experience Japanese language and culture.

I purchased a DANIA shark bag from her, but she thoroughly interviewed me about what I liked about the product and if I had any concerns.

KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD. booth

Next, I went to the booth of KAMOI KAKOSHI, which has become nationally famous for its masking tape "mt."

A family of three visiting from within the prefecture was using the company's product, mt, at the experience booth set up at the venue, drawing fireworks on a large wall.

The intern in charge of the booth was also enjoying it together with them.

Ningyo no Kihou

In Takahashi City, located in the middle reaches of the Takahashi River, there is Ningyo no Kihou, which boasts one of the largest production volumes of hina dolls in Japan.

There were also a few international students at this booth.

A second-year student from Indonesia studying at Kibi International University expressed interest in the unique culture of hina dolls in Japan and hoped to intern at the company.

She said, "I have been interested in hina dolls dressed in beautiful fabrics since childhood, and I am very happy to be able to touch the products up close."

She was also wearing her ethnic costume, "Batik," and kindly guided me through the booth.

Takeyari Co., Ltd. booth

At the Takeyari Co., Ltd. booth, a variety of colorful canvas tote bags were on display.

The third-year student from the Okayama Prefectural University Design Department in charge felt a great sense of responsibility as she was entrusted with all aspects of the booth.

It seems that they continued to increase sales, especially among tourists.

Conclusion

The Ivy Hall of Kurashiki Ivy Square is a historic building that has been around since 1889.

The "Dragon's Work Exhibition" held here is in its 13th year in 2022, and it is the 9th year of accepting internship students, making it a distinctive event.

In recent years, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of participating companies and visitors from outside the prefecture and overseas has significantly decreased, but many attractive products from companies in the Takahashi River basin are still on display.

The "Dragon's Work Exhibition" will be held until September 11, 2022. Please visit and not only check out the booths but also cheer on the students who are gaining various experiences.

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