Culture Day

Greetings from Japan! Madeline here! I’m reporting to you about our Japanese culture day. We started off in the morning with a lesson on haikus; then we went to observe nature and wrote our own. I ventured off to nearby a Shinto temple seen in the picture.

Once the haikus were completed we went to a local restaurant specializing in fish. The food served that day was caught the very same morning…talk about fresh! I tried both sushi and sashimi for the first time. I can’t believe I did it!! The fish was very tasty and my favorite was the tuna, least favorite was the squid. It’s texture was crazy, chewy at first and then it literally expanded in the mouth like gum.

After lunch we were submerged in culture! We made Japanese fans and even did a wood block painting, both crafts led by the locals of the community in an effort to preserve and spread their culture.

Next we went to a Matsuri Demonstration. Matsuri is based upon a summer Shinto festival, but the locals were kind enough to put one on for us in January. Entire families participated in this presentation, from the kids to the adults! There is one large drum within a shrine, which also works as a parade float and two side drums. The shrine can be seen in the picture. We were allowed to join in and play as well! A BBQ dinner followed with the local families, accompanied with a Taiko drumming show, with an all girl ensemble.  So much culture in one day!! It was an amazing day!

Shinto Shrine

Matsuri Drum Demonstration