日本文化体験交流塾
On December 27, 2008, four family members from Spain experienced the tea ceremony in Asakusa. They could sit and perform formal greetings (better than some Japanese) and it made us surprised.Look at our program →Fascinating Japanese Lifestyle Experience.IJCEE provides hand-on cultural programs and walking tours for both Japanese and foreign people.(http://www.ijcee.com/english/english_index.html)
NEXT ↓
We visited the residence of today's tea ceremony host and teacher, Ms. Sosho Ohkawa, Kyoju (Master Instructor) of Edo Senke School, in Nishi-Asakusa. Soothing fragrance of incense at the entrance welcomed us and we were already in the traditional world of Japan. In the tea room, specially built within her house, we viewed the hanging scroll and the tea flowers in the alcove (Tokonoma). The iron pot (Kama) was simmering on a charcoal (Sumi) fire in the sunken hearth (Ro). It was a superb atmosphere. Ms. Ohkawa has been teaching tea ceremony at Nishimachi International Highschool in Tokyo for 20 years and has more than 30 apprentices. She has been cooperative to the aim of IJCEE and given lessons to the guests from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, India so far. She had just instructed the guests from Singapore last week.
The father and his three children were all good looking and Ms. Ohkawa commented that they all looked like movie stars. They said they are from Andalucia. The city is known for a famous sightseeing spot, Costa del Sol, as well as the birth place of Picasso. I've been to Torremolinos once. They said they live near there. This made me think that the international cultural exchange is the mutual exchange.
Ms. Ohkawa is presenting sweets to the guests. Left, Christina, right, Laura.
It was Rafael, the father, who proposed to participate in this activity. He said he wanted to experience one of the Japanese traditional cultures during their stay in Japan.
Rafael, the son, was named after his father. Ms. Yoko Kobayashi, an English tour guide sits next to him. Ms. Ohkawa commented that his way of holding the cup was very beautiful.
At Ms. Ohkawa's tea ceremony lesson, you can actually make tea by yourself. Serving tea to a guest and being a guest yourself are both important to understand the heart of tea ceremony.
They were very good at making tea. Ms. Ohkawa uttered "Very good" many times. We don't communicate in words during the performance, but we could feel their happiness making tea and that made us all happy, too.
Rafael's tea performance was good. Ms. Ohkawa commented that the tea ceremony was regarded as a spiritual discipline of Samurai and mostly performed by men. It was fun to see a young man from Andalucia experience the tea ceremony which had developed in the world of Samurai spirit. Recently we arranged a calligraphy lesson to a couple from Portugal. I thought of the strong sense of bond between Japan and Latin Europe countries such as Spain and Portugal.
Instead of wandering the street alone with a guide book, experiencing a cultural exchange at a private person's residence is what IJCEE aims for. They had a brief walking tour in Kappabashi Kitchen Street after the lesson. I heard Christina bought a traditional kitchen knife for her boyfriend as a souvenir. IJCEE embarks on its second year in 2009. I am determined to expand the circle of cultural exchange activities further. Happy New Year !
see!→http://www.ijcee.com/english/english_taiken_experience.html
