All next week, the Japanese Department will be hosting a multitude of events to help educate students about the Japanese culture. The events have been coordinated by Professor Mikiko Ludden and assisted by Professor Jan Leuchtenberger, but students within the Japanese program and residents in the Japanese house have also played a major role in volunteering to help set up and manage the event. The week will start off with the students decorating the second floor alcove in Wyatt to help draw attention to the subsequent activities.
Tuesday will mark the first event that students outside the program are encouraged to participate in: the mountain temple style tea ceremony. For those of you that are familiar with the chanoyu, or the traditional tea ceremony, this event will be a little different. It is very much an experience that relies on the gathering and participation of a large group as opposed to a few select guests. The ceremony traditionally entails guests serving each other, a skill that students will be able to learn at this event.
Each year, Japan Week includes an event that comes from outside of the campus; ideally, this event—usually a talk or performance—is different from the previous year’s. On Wednesday the University will welcome guest speaker Laura Barthalamew, who will share her experience translating a wide range of pop-culture items from Japan, from manga to games.
Thursday, the Japanese department will be screening Dragon Head, a popular live action Japanese movie. For those of you who are picturing the slapstick, cheesy humor that Japan is so well known for, know that this movie is a post-apocalyptic drama rated R. If that interests you, then feel free to make your way to Wyatt 209 at 6 p.m.
Though it may or may not come to pass this year, the Japanese house has historically tabled on Thursday, selling kanji cookies. The students pre-make cookies and when bought, they will put the character of request on the cookie with icing. Of course, there are some limitations when it comes to what can and cannot be put on the cookies, but for the most part you can eat the words of your choice.
Friday marks one of the most popular events of the Japanese week, omochi-tsuki. Rain or shine, the Japanese students will set up their hollowed-out tree stump outside Wheelock and assist anyone who is interested in traditionally making mochi. The main ingredient in this favorite Japanese dessert is rice flour, which will be pounded by hand in the tree stump. A few ingredients later (including sugar) and participants will be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
To end the week, the Japanese department helps organize a carpool to nearby University of Washington’s campus to partake in the Japanese cherry blossom viewing, or hanami, an almost sacred event for the Japanese people. It is difficult to get the timing just right though, as cherry trees only bloom for a week at most. The hanami therefore may actually start off the event, so keep a look out for posters and updates on these exciting cultural events coming your way.