Classroom lessons about Japanese culture came to life during Japan Night in the Fenn Lounge Jan. 28.
About 160 people came out to celebrate Japanese culture at the event, which was organized by faculty and students from the Japanese language and history department, along with Carleton’s Japanese student association.
Martial artists, karaoke and haiku poetry filled the room for Japan Night. These performances, coupled with hands-on calligraphy, origami and sushi-rolling workshops, took Japanese culture beyond the classroom, said Jacob Kovalio, a Japanese history professor who initiated Japan Night at Carleton in 1994.
“Lecture classes are good and important, but this event is very important for us to be as exposed as [much as] possible to the culture,” he said.
Yoko Azuma Prikryl, who teaches Japanese at Carleton, agreed with Kovalio.
“We do not have too much time to spend more on cultural activities in class,” she said. “We would like students to experience more about Japanese culture [at] this event.”
The event was a nod to more modern elements of Japanese culture, like karaoke sessions, but also to its traditional aspects.
During the traditional kitsuke performance, the hostess slowly wrapped a silky kimono around herself.
Later on, a student was invited on stage to wear a kimono and pour matcha tea. Many of the movements of the tea ceremony evolved from the wearing of a kimono, according to the hostess. For example, certain movements are designed with long kimono sleeves. Those movements are intended to move sleeves out of the way or to prevent them from becoming dirty in the process of making, serving or drinking tea.
While the event is important in taking students’ knowledge a step further, Kovalio said it’s not valued highly enough and is facing financial problems.
“Ninety per cent is financed with [the] $20 per person that we charge ourselves to get a virtual ticket, because we get some very modest and very low level of support from the university,” he said.
