For years students at Earlham have organized campus events to celebrate their interests in Japan, its culture, and the Japanese language.

Events involve the Japanese Studies majors, Japanese students, Japanese language students, and often some faculty. One of the long standing events organized by students is Harumatsuri or Spring Festival.

Festivities go one for one day, a weekend, and in some years, as long as a week. Past activities include

• sumo wrestling on the Heart
• Bon- Odori
• martial arts demonstrations
• showing Japanese films
• rakugo
• tea ceremony
• skits performed by the language classes
• presentations of senior projects by Japanese Studies majors
• omochitsuki
• making and selling Japanese food
• karaoke
• calligraphy
• making and selling the annual Harumatsuri t-shirts

Other activities have included, participating in the International Festival at Earlham, organizing a fall festival, a Speakers Forum which invited faculty and students to speak on a variety of Japan-related topics, a Japanese music program on WECI, and a number of other smaller student-led events. Students also help out when Japanese guests visit campus by giving campus tours, eating meals with them, and serving as translators.