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Running a Cafe in English in Japan

To communicate in English, one needs to use it. The ultimate one-day opportunity to do this in an unscripted but safe environment close to home is this event, unique in all of Japan. And it’s free.

The Kyushu Convention is a large professional development event for all kinds of teachers of English. Teachers from around Kyushu as well as authors, trainers, publishers, and leading professionals based throughout Japan gathered for the one-day event held at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka.

As Coordinator for ETJ Fukuoka and a member of Language Teaching Professionals, the groups enabling this event, Biscut has made support for teachers part of his career efforts in addition to supporting learners. 

With presentations, materials displays, workshops, and more, it’s the largest gathering of English-speaking people in Kyushu. And, at an all-day event, they need refreshments.

Teachers there could simply pick something up at the convenience store for breakfast or go out to eat for lunch like they do at other events for teachers. But why not have food on-site? And why not give children learning English a chance to step up and use English in a real-life, purposeful situation? And what better customers for these children than English teachers, people from around the world whose career is focused on helping others learn English? 

Curiosity about these questions and some creative thinking enabled this Rainbow Bridges volunteer event to happen, beginning some 15 years ago.

Over the years, the event has developed into a chance for experienced learners to do something very special and meaningful in an English-language environment and gain practical work experience as volunteers.

This year, again, Rainbow Bridges students ran the on-site cafe that provided breakfast and lunch for over a hundred people from many countries around the world.

The school’s part in preparation for the event took several months and included obtaining permission and cooperation from the university for use of the venue, recruiting local teachers to give presentations, vetting presentations, advertising the event, recruiting volunteers (teachers as well as Rainbow Bridges students and parents), preparing our own presentations, setting up and cleaning up the display hall, receiving and sending deliveries for the materials displays, purchasing, transporting, and preparing the food and drink for the cafe, managing the reception area, managing the finances, and running the cafe.

Rainbow Bridges Volunteers included adults, college students, and children as young as six. Current students, alumni, and parents helped, and so did staff members. Serving breakfast and lunch, the children got to brew and serve coffee, tea, and other drinks, organize and display scones from Canada Kitchen and fresh fruit, make healthy sandwiches, write signs and menus, take orders, receive cash payments, and make change. They also helped set up and clean up the venue.

Several teachers in attendance reported that they were very impressed by how organized the children were and how much English they could use. Darcy de Lint, Fukuoka JALT Chapter President and teacher at Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University, spoke at length on his impression.

The children, he said, referring to a time late in the day when some of the children walked from the cafe area and into the display area to try to sell some of the remaining food, were

Moving through the space, interacting with people there. Really, actually interacting. We were sitting and a couple of children came up to me, selling fruit. I bought some for two reasons. The way they presented their product and the good value for money with the discount they offered. Also, their confidence and positivity made an impression. It was great. I enjoyed seeing the kids being busy and having fun. I noticed this last year, too. I was watching the kids and the things you all were doing and the people involved. And I thought, it looks like Tristan (Biscut) runs a pretty good kids school!

—Darcy de Lint

Some parents of students also reflected that they enjoyed the chance to use English, and a few even visited the educational materials displays and attended presentations.

Biscut made two presentations that day, one on “Applying the Principles of a Child-centered Approach” in teaching elementary school children and hosting the School Owners’ Forum.

Former Rainbow Bridges teachers Mari, D’Arcy, and Joel were also in attendance, so it was a fun opportunity to reunite and maintain connections.

Rainbow Bridges would like to thank the parents who enabled their children to volunteer in this event and those who also contributed to the running of the cafe, the reception desk, and elsewhere. Let’s do it again next year!