Exploring the Japanese culture

julieta — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:40:35 +0000

The Mid America Japanese Club (www.japaneseclub.org) hosted Japan Fest at the Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights near Mitsuwa Market place. The festival educated the public on Japanese arts, traditions and the Japanese community around Chicago. People such as Kanjuro Shibata XXI, 21st in a line of master bow makers who serves as the Bow maker to the Emperor of Japan gave us a glimpse of his skill while patrons sampled Japanese treats, games and viewed demonstrations.

The study this Japanese living art is Chanoyu Study or Chado (the way of the tea). Tea ceremonies originated from Zen Buddhism. Monks would drink tea to help with meditation and for medicinal purposes. Each serving is enough for approximately three sips of piping hot tea and everything has an order to it. A traditional ceremony is performed on the floor. This was modified to accommodate the space.

Shown above are women from the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Chicago Association following the tea ceremony. The flower arrangements, or ikebana, are from a few flower arranging schools around Chicagoland. They organized students to showcase their art at the Fest. In each arrangement, the student appreciates each item for it’s beauty and makes creative use of every space available.
	Shodou is Japanese Calligraphy. Literally the kanji mean “the way of writing.” Students practice for many years to perfect the single brushstroke. The Oda Japanese Calligraphy School was on site giving patrons a chance to write something of their choice in calligraphy. An instructor shown here is writing the patron’s name on the flower kanji.
Senior Citizen Dancers \| Hawaiian & Japanese Music \| Na Kupuna Ukulele Club

Shogi is the Japanese version of chess and one of it’s main differences is that once a player captures an opponent’s piece, they can use it as their own pieces. Pictured left is the US Shogi champion who’s longest game he ever played was two days.

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Exploring the Japanese culture