As part of our school’s annual Japanese Culture Day, this year, the school brought in people to explain and demonstrate several aspects of Japanese culture. This included doing a traditional tea ceremony as well as showing a dance. We also welcomed students and staff to dress in traditional Japanese attire. It was fun seeing everyone dressed in different yukatas and kimonos. A yukata is a casual version of a kimono that is unlined cotton and worn in casual settings such as summer festivals and to nearby bathhouses.

Traditional Tea Ceremony

Students were gathered in the library to participate in a tea ceremony. They were first given a brief explanation behind some of the actions (which were then translated), followed by students getting to serve each other the matcha tea (green tea).

When searching for information, I also found that “one of the main purposes of the tea ceremony is for the guests to enjoy the hospitality of the host in an atmosphere distinct from the fast pace of everyday life.” (https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2096.html).

I was invited to partake, so I obliged. I was told that my frothing skills were quite good. The point of frothing is to help with the texture and flavor of the tea. The frothing occurs due to the fat-soluble compound called saponin. The idea is to eat the sweet before drinking the tea. Apparently I missed that part of the demonstration and did the reverse. I later understood why it’s better to eat the sweet before drinking as the matcha has a rather bitter, grassy taste to it.

“Bon” Dance

Another aspect of Japanese culture is traditional dancing. A local group of ladies from an organization called “HareBon” came in to discuss this bon dance, followed by everyone doing the dance. It was mentioned that this dance originated as part of celebrating and honoring relatives but can also be done for enjoyment.

Regarding the yukatas, apparently a few of the students who are not Japanese thought that traditional Japanese also included outfits like a karate uniform and a ninja outfit.

The school seems to rotate different cultural activities, so it will be interesting to see what culture aspects they will celebrate next year.