僕のCIPは太鼓です。バチ・ホリックと言う太鼓グループとレッスンを受けています。子供の時から、僕は色々な楽器を弾いてきたけど、日本に来る前、太鼓をしたことがありませんでした。日本らしい音楽を習いたいから、太鼓はいい選択肢のようでした。
まだレッスンは三回しかないけど、もう大好きになりました。太鼓の先生は黒坂とおっしゃいます。でも最初のクラスで「僕を『くろ 』と呼んでください。」とおっしゃっていました。カジュアルだから僕はちょっとびっくりしました。
クラスでほかのKCJSの学生はいないけど、週によって5人から10人生徒がいます。たいてい日本人ですが、アメリカ人とタイ人もいます。最初、先生の指示がわかるかどうか分からなかったし、全然太鼓をしたことがないし、緊張していました。でも実際は、くろ先生は英語が話せるし、以外の生徒も初心者だし、大丈夫です。
私は自分の大学で太鼓のクラブに入っているので日本にいる間もCIPとして太鼓をたたくことにしました。同志社に近い北野天満宮という素敵な神社で練習しています。太鼓会は全部二十人ぐらいで、子供からお年寄りまでいます。とても上手な人も太鼓をした経験がほとんどない人もいます。ですから、それぞれレベルが違いますが共通点は太鼓が心の底から好きだということです。太鼓の練習はたいてい土曜日の午後で三時間ぐらいだ。太鼓会のメンバーが着いてから、一緒に太鼓を並べます。それから、リーダーはお知らせを伝えて、皆さんは一斉に「よろしくお願いします！」と言って練習を始めます。
私以外にもKCJSの学生の三人が北野天満宮の太鼓会に入っています。私たちはまだ演奏には参加していないが、太鼓会の演奏を応援するためにいつも見に行っています。今年の十月は特に忙しくて演奏が多かったから練習の日がなくなってしまいましたが、演奏を聞くことで少しずつ太鼓の曲を習うことが出来ると思います。秋学期の終わりまでに、演奏に参加できるように一生懸命がんばりたいと思います。
私は和太鼓が好きで少し経験があるので、地域参加型プロジェクトのために、北野天満宮太鼓会に入らせてもらいました。北野天満宮というのは、京都にある大きくて割と有名な神社です。北野天満宮太鼓会は基本的に市民の太鼓会で、年齢や経験にかかわらず、だれでも入れるグループです。神社が太鼓会を支えていますが、太鼓会は神社以外にも色々なところで演奏します。太鼓会はもちろん演奏ばかりではありません。演奏できるようになるために、練習がとても大事なのです。あいにく、私が太鼓会に参加し始めた時期は演奏がたくさんあって非常に忙しいです。だから、月に一回しか練習がなくて、少し残念です。その上、練習があまりないため、曲をまだ上手に叩けなくて、演奏の時は見学しかできません。しかし、決して無駄な経験ではありません。見学だけでも組太鼓について色々分かってきている気がします。そして、太鼓会の皆さん、特に太鼓の先生は私たち留学生をよく励ましたり、応援したりします。アメリカに帰る前に絶対に一緒に演奏しようと言ってくれて、私も皆さんの期待や信頼に応えたい。二ヶ月くらいしか残っていませんが、一生懸命頑張りたいと思っています。
My CIP has been one of the best experiences that I’ve had while in Japan. I didn’t expect much from it, because I chose it at the last minute when my original ideas didn’t work out. But now I’m glad, because I don’t think I could have planned something better.
For the past two months, I’ve been going to lessons almost weekly to learn calligraphy. My teacher and her daughter are very kind and patient with helping me understand. Of course, I’m way behind the other students who have been learning since they were young, but I was surprised with how much I’ve learned since I started, thanks to my teacher.
Almost all of the students are younger than me, most being in middle school. There are two sisters who take their lesson at the same time as me, and because they live in my neighborhood, we usually walk home together. One is in college and the other is in high school. We are planning to go out together soon, so that they can show me some of their favorite places in Kyoto.
Through my CIP, I was able to observe and learn about more different aspects of Japanese culture. For example, we learn in class how to properly greet and thank people, but I was never sure how Japanese people learn those things. In the United States, I learned most of them from my mother, but in my calligraphy class, I observed my teacher instruct the younger students on how to thank her and how to behave in the classroom. I also saw that many of the students needed repeated reminders from the teacher in order to behave properly. I thought this was interesting because when I was growing up, no teacher would have reprimanded me for not having good manners, but would have talked to my parents about it instead. It was interesting to see how the teacher played a part in socializing the younger students in the class.
At the end of April, the teacher has planned for a going away party for me. The teacher, her daughter, some of the students and I will all go out to dinner. I’m excited to have a chance to have fun with the people I’ve met there, and also to thank them for everything they’ve done for me.
My CIP was not only a lot of fun, but I also learned a lot, met wonderful people, and started to really feel like a part of my community. I think I lucked my way into a great experience, and I’m so glad that it all worked out so well. I want to continue learning calligraphy when I go back to America, but I will never forget my first teacher and my first lessons.
Studying under Mr. Chisaka has been a gift. Mr. Chisaka started my first day by having me write my name. Satou, Jirou. Embarrassingly, I did not know how to write Jirou. So my sensei looked it up in his book of characters, considered the variations on it (I love seeing variations on Kanji. This is so interesting to see.), and wrote an example for me. From this, I practiced writing my name. I probably went through about twenty tries, and by the end, I had one that I liked.
This is how most days go. I want to write a certain character, usually one that’s on the Kanji test for the week, and I practice writing it for an hour to an hour and a half. Between sheets, I sometimes practice strokes I find difficult to make, and I compare the one I just did with Sensei’s example, looking where I wrote the character differently. Through this process, I become more aware of how sensei fit all the strokes together, and the energy and flow in each stroke.
At Shodou, sometimes young kids come and practice their writing. One time, a five or four-year old girl spent 30 minutes practicing た. I thought this was impressive that a child that young was studying calligraphy. In America, calligraphy is considered a very academic hobby. I’ve heard of young children studying violin or baseball, but not calligraphy. I asked my teacher about this, and she explained that handwriting is very important in Japanese culture. People are judged by their handwriting, and when highschool juniors apply for jobs, they must hand-write all of their cover letters. Not only do they handwrite their cover letters, but Japanese students often apply to a lot more companies than Americans, sometimes between 50 and 100. This explains why the mother would bring her child to Calligraphy.
I asked my calligraphy teacher how I could study kanji, and he recommended reading children’s books. He brought some books to calligraphy class. What first struck me was not the Kanji, but the drawings. They’re very graphic and scary, especially for Children’s books. There were pictures of Kapa, Oni (demons), and zombies. What made the drawings even more disturbing was the style of illustrations. Lines were thick and blurry, and made use of very strong, dark colors. I’m sure not all children’s books are like this, but I’m so used to seeing cute illustrations in advertisements, these drawings really surprised me.
But back to kanji. The Kanji in the manga had furigana written next to them. It seems that rather than simply memorize lists of Kanji, children can learn Kanji by reading. I think this is a much better way of learning, because even if I don’t always know what the words are, I can get an idea, frame by frame, of what’s happening.
Japanese children have multiple ways of learning characters. They can learn through formal study, or by reading manga and short story books. In contrast to this, in Japanese class, we learn Kanji by memorizing lists and reading essays. When I return to the states, I think I’ll try learning Kanji by reading children’s books and manga.
For my CIP, I had originally wanted to do Kendo, since I had just started learning at BU. However, I quickly realized that it would be too difficult, because most practices- at circles and dojos would be too high-level for me. So, instead, I decided to do a different martial art, Kyudo, and Taiko.
One of my friends from a previous KCJS semester (whom I did Kendo with at BU) highly recommended Kyudo, so I decided to try it out The atmosphere of the dojo was very relaxed and it seemed quite common for them to accept and teach beginners, so overall it seemed much more welcoming and comfortable. Since it is a traditional martial art, I was expecting it to be very intense and intimidating, however it was very much the opposite. The sensei is very patient and individually attentive. Although it is a “practice” it really seems more like a lesson.
In addition to Kyudo, I also joined a Taiko group that practices at Kitano Tenmangu. Since the practices aren’t regular, it is sometimes difficult to fit it into my schedule, but the practices are very exciting and fun- despite the fact that they are also very long. The first practice I participated in lasted from about 5:30PM to about 11PM. The practice time included preparation/clean up time- taking out the drums and putting them away, and also dinner time. The actual practice was very enjoyable. I don’t have much experience with Taiko, so picking up the pieces is difficult, but the group members are all very energetic (even if they are a little bit older), enthusiastic and eager to help.
In terms of becoming part of a community- feeling like part of a group, I guess Kyudo isn’t necessarily the best way. However, if you want to take private lessons and are interested in learning Kyudo, then this is a great choice. Because everyone is in the same boat, aiming towards the same goal, you feel more part of the team, rather than an outsider looking in. In addition, the dinner afterwards is a good opportunity to socialize with other members. Taiko, however is great. Everyone practicing together, and eating together afterwards is a nice way to meet people and immerse yourself into a genuine Japanese community.
In comparison to the school activities I was doing at BU, the Taiko and Kyudo were significantly harder to actually get involved in. Initially, it was kind of a shock for me to not have all these club responsibilities and leadership positions. Because of the short amount of time that I am here- just one semester, it’s really difficult to do all the activities I want to the extent I want. In addition to that, just by being in a completely different environment with significantly different societal rules and norms, fitting in and feeling comfortable in a group is a challenge in itself.
And just as a side-note, for any future students interested in doing Kendo, there is a practice held at Kyoto Fucho Center every Monday and Friday from 7-8PM. I’ve gone a couple of times, it’s considered to be a recreational practice and it’s not actually at a dojo. People who practice there are all very high level (I think the lowest rank is 5-dan), but they’re all very nice people and very enthusiastic about Kendo and teaching Kendo. So, it is a great opportunity to learn, if you’re not intimidated by the level difference. It’s 100yen every week.
This semester I decided to take a Japanese pottery and sculpture class at the Yuuraku classroom in Katsura. Not unexpectedly, from the very beginning I turned out to be the odd man out as a young foreign student in a Japanese sculpture class dominated by おばさん (middle aged women and housewives). Whereas in the US, a foreign college student branching out into various classes is something that wouldn’t cause anyone to bat an eyebrow, but my presence to most people in the small classes was evidently a surprise. While in America that surprise would likely be channeled into small talk, it would take a week or two before most of the other sculptors besides my teacher, Katayama Sensei, would become brave enough to question me. However most of the time I was quite content to listen to them gush about their kids and small talk while I sculpted much like the way an American class would work.
Moreover Katayama Sensei wasn’t shy about telling me that she hadn’t had much experience with foreign students. Nevertheless she was always quite kind in helping me form my creations. Using rather simple Japanese we were able to overcome the barriers of technical terminology that sculpture sometimes requires. Recently she showed me a dual Japanese-English picture guide to Japanese sculpture that has helped us both understand each other quite well, and recently we have tasted the fruits of our labor.
For example, this is my first cup:
This is only half of what we did this week:
Regardless my experiences trying to express my ideas and wishes therein have been very helpful for my Japanese. My weekly visits also allowed me to move in from the periphery of the classroom dynamic that I found myself in during the first week or two as the Japanese began to drop the honorifics from their speaking habits in favor of casualness. They still kept a healthy dose of Kansai dialect though!
This process has matured to the point where, when we aren’t all concentrating on keeping our creations from spinning out of control or lopping off a side of a piece due to negligence, the people of the Yuuraku classroom and I have very stimulating conversations. Often they have to do with comparing each other’s work as any work space would, yet due to my inherently foreign characteristics the conversation tends to gravitate towards what adventures I should have in Japan or what they would like to do themselves.
In that way despite my class largely consisting of middle aged women I can probably say that we’re becoming friends. For beyond the new pottery techniques I’ve acquired and potter culture, the ability that people have to connect to each other with very little in common has been the most useful insight into Japanese culture I’ve had the pleasure to experience.
子供の時から粘土と遊ぶことに興味がありました。粘土を使った色々なおもちゃの形の作り方を習ったとたん、ほとんど私のおもちゃが粘土からできるようになりました。少し大きくなったら、美術と陶芸をしようと思っていしました。そして、彫刻と粘土で作られた物に魅了されるようになりました。
ですから、日本にいるうちに日本的な陶芸の作り方を習いたいと考えました。もっとも、外人で単なる留学生であれば、達人には教えてもらえませんけど。それで、地元の授業を受けることにしました。
毎週の水曜日、桂駅の近く「ゆうらく」という教室で陶芸の作り方を教えてもらっています。「ゆうらく」で私の先生は片山先生という女性で、いつもニコニコしています。また、週によって他の人がいるかどうか違いますけど、たいてい一人や二人のおばさんと一人の男性の先生がいます。
今お茶のカップを作っています。今まで役に立つ物を作ったことがありませんでしたけど。黒い粘土で時間をかけて作りました。まず手でカップの形を成形します。次にでこぼこがあったら、特別なえんぴつのような物でもう少し形を成形します。最後に、カップの面に絵を描いて焼きますが、私は最後のステップをまだしていません。
今まで作り始めたカップを本当に楽しみました。その上にKCJSが終わるまでに三つ粘土でできた物がほしいです。がんばります！
僕はCIPとして書道をしています。毎週自転車で千坂先生の家へ行きます。漢字に決めて、七時半から九時まで書道を練習します。先生はとても優しいから、終わると、僕が一番好きな書いた物をラミネートしてくれます。これは僕の書いた物です。
ちょっとしか話す機会がありませんから、DESAという交流サークルについて書きます。僕はＤＥＳＡを通して節分の時二人日本人学生と知りました。節分祭で有名な吉田神社に行った、後で、飲み放題へ行きました。次の日、節分祭の火祭を見ました。とても面白かったです。節分に行って本当に嬉しかったから、友達に「thank you for inviting me」はどう言う聞くと「誘ってくれてありがとう」と教えてくれました。これは簡単な文ですが、とても便利です。
古い都の京都には、たくさん文化について活動や授業があるから、どんな活動に参加するかは難しい問題だ。心を訓練するために、書道に決めた。ホストお母さんのお陰で、家の近くに書道の授業に参加している。
ホストお母さんのお陰で、家の近くフェリエというショッピングモールで書道の授業に参加している。授業は毎週一回で、毎回２時間の授業は７時から９時までだ。先生の下で初めて書道を習っている。初心者だから、一番簡単な「一、二」から習っている。先週、自分の名前の書き方を習って、今も練習している。名前の漢字（劉毅）はちょっと複雑だけど、自分の名前だからこそ、力を入れて練習しなければならないと思う。先生と他の生徒達はとても親切なので、楽しい。
日本人の子供達は小さい時から書道を習うから、時々「僕は遅いな、、、」と思うが、書道をすることは自国の習慣ではないので、大丈夫だと考える。たぶん、三ヶ月の授業の目標は、自分の名前がきれいに書けるようになることだ。
頑張るぞ！