I had the amazing opportunity to learn Japanese traditional dance, 日本舞踊 (Nihon Buyo), for my CIP activity! The teacher is so bright, funny, and very knowledgeable about this art form, so it was so fun learning about Nihon Buyo’s history and method from her.

Personally coming from a long history of learning traditional dance myself (specifically Indonesian dance), it was quite fascinating learning the similarities and differences between both country’s respective traditional dances.

If you find yourself wanting to also partake in this CIP, the advice I have is to be prepared for mild confusion when trying to figure out the proper tuition payment system. If you’re able to find resources on this practice on the internet before arriving in Kyoto, I recommend reading up on that before coming. Also, when first starting your lessons you may feel a little lost at first when you see how the teacher and dance classmates interact, as there will be a lot of keigo and a certain body posture to follow. Be sure to observe them! This will really help you get more comfortable and help you connect more deeply with Japanese culture.