In our classroom, we’ve been learning about cultural identity by exploring family traditions and stories from both Western and Japanese cultures. We started by sharing traditions from home—some students talked about holidays like Christmas or Easter, while others shared Japanese customs like Obon, Setsubun, or eating special foods for the New Year. Then, we read traditional stories from both cultures. From the West, we explored fairy tales like The Three Little Pigs, while from Japan, we enjoyed stories like Kintaro and The Grateful Crane. After reading, we acted them out in small groups, using simple props and costumes to bring each story to life. Through these fun performances, we saw how both cultures use storytelling to teach lessons, celebrate heroes, and pass down important values. By learning about Western and Japanese traditions side by side, we discovered how different—and yet how similar—our stories and celebrations can be.