「Private or Group Lesson (Non-Sports)」カテゴリーアーカイブ

Daniel Anton: Zen Meditation

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My CIP activity involved a mix of group lessons and volunteering at Nagaoka Zen-Juku, a rinzai-sect zen training center in Nagaokakyo. Weekdays would be spent cleaning the temple in a practice known as samu (作務). Weekends would involve participating in 3-hour zen meditation sessions with a lecture from Hasegawa-san, the head monk of the center, on key topics in Buddhism. Because this was a center and not a traditional temple, I felt the rules were more relaxed and I was able to make more mistakes than when I had practiced Soto-zen in America.

In an age where we are constantly asked to be “always active” (whether it be school, career hunting, or social media), it can often feel like you’re lost in a sea of anxiety. For that reason, I was looking for a place where I would be able to increase my cultural understanding while also practicing to manage my anxiety in a new and unfamiliar country.

Overall, through the CIP I was able to have many great experiences not just with Hasegawa-san, but others who studied at the temple as well. This involved always saying “yes” to when Japanese people at your CIP invite you to things outside of the CIP! The lectures were especially intense, but it was the perfect CIP to increase my understanding of the language. I would recommend to come into your CIP with the understanding that you won’t get everything right away, but to not let that discourage you from taking a leap into something new!

Mika Fishell: Ikebana

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I was given the opportunity to join an Ikebana class for my CIP. While focusing on learning the foundation of Moribana, the lessons did go into more modern styles of Ikebana. Within the lesson, while given diagrams on the composition of each piece, I was given creative freedom within those requirements. After the lesson finishes, the teacher will check the work and make suggestions and explain in which ways I could improve my work. If you chose this CIP, while it does incur a monthly cost, it was very beginner friendly. This is the case both in terms of the Japanese, as the professor could speak English, as well as the art form itself. No real background in flower arranging is necessary. Some of the lessons were taken in his house. When starting I felt unprepared to enter a house, but I think he was very forgiving and over time I became more comfortable with the etiquette.

Jack Garza: Taiko Drumming at Fujinomori Shrine

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For my CIP, I participated in the 藤森太鼓保存会 (Fujinomori Taiko Preservation Society) alongside another KCJS student. We attended weekly practices at Fujinomori Shrine, practicing taiko drumming for about an hour and a half with around 15 other members. Taiko practice is both physically demanding and mentally engaging, requiring coordination, rhythm, and group synchronization. The experience is very hands-on, with a strong community dynamic where you learn by observing and practicing, and it gave me a better understanding of how traditional arts are passed down. I’d highly recommend this CIP because it’s immersive and the members are very welcoming. One piece of advice is to not be afraid of making mistakes (even experienced members do!) just stay consistent and focus on improving over time.

Joseph Wu, Shamisen

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In the shamisen class, you’ll learn to play this instrument from scratch and eventually be able to perform four complete pieces at the very end. You will perform a final ensembled performance in the last session with other students learning koto or shakuhachi. The overall experience is very immersive and memorable. The whole process of learning isn’t just about learning how to play the instrument but about communicating with your teacher and absorb knowledges and experience the Japanese traditional style of mentor-apprentice relationship.

Kayla Hall: Weaving Lessons

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For my CIP this semester, I chose to do weaving lessons with Kawasaki Sensei once a week. Through this CIP, I learned to weave a new pattern each session. 

I found this experience to be enjoyable and, honestly, very relaxing. I used these sessions to take my mind off work and focus mainly on improving my speaking skills. However, not only did I get to practice my Japanese speaking skills, but I also got to learn a new skill that I had never tried before. Even though I started very unconfident, with the encouragement of my sensei, I felt more at ease trying new things and holding genuine conversations with him and his wife.

I think for future students choosing their CIP, please don’t be afraid to ask questions and allow yourself to make mistakes. Especially when doing lessons like weaving, just being myself and allowing myself to relax around my sensei was the best way for me to learn from him. Additionally, once you allow yourself to be more open, your conversations each week will become less strained and/or robotic, and instead, friendly and like catching up with an old friend.

Alexandra Klein: Pottery

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My CIP activity was attending group pottery lessons three times a month at Ikoma Ceramics. The studio offered a very nice intimate setting where I worked with the instructor and four other local participants. Since we all shared one large table while working on our individual pieces, it was easy to have fun, engaging conversations. Being the only college student in the group meant I was always with people older than me, which provided a great real-world environment to practice the polite Japanese I learned in class.

The sessions were held on Wednesdays or Sundays and lasted two hours each. I really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere; it felt like a safe space to ask questions or simply work on my pottery to de-stress. Through this activity, I became more confident speaking Japanese and understanding the local dialect.

I really recommend Ms. Ikoma’s studio! She is very approachable and flexible with scheduling through text. If you’re looking for creative freedom and want to craft some unique pottery pieces to take home, this is the perfect opportunity.

Kaya Kamei: Ikebana

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Our ikebana lessons were under Ashida Ichiju Sensei at the Kadou Enshu School of Ikebana. We had opportunities to take small group/one-on-one lessons at the Kadou Enshu School, or larger group lessons at the Heartopia Kyoto Community center. During these lessons, we would begin with a short explanation of the names of the flowers we were using that day, and an explanation of the style we would be arranging. Then we slowly worked on our own arrangements, getting feedback from Ashida Sensei as we worked.

I had such an amazing experience learning from Ashida Sensei. Beyond just teaching the stylistic philosophy of ikebana, he would also explain the rich history surrounding the art. While he does speak English, I wanted to challenge myself to speak only in Japanese, and he was very patient and always made sure to explain words I was unfamiliar with. After the one-on-one lessons, we had the honor of sharing tea with him, and during this time I was able to chat with him more about his career, and he asked me questions about my semester as well. At the last lesson, it was so hard to say goodbye as I really enjoyed the calm and kind atmosphere, but Ashida Sensei said we were welcome to come visit and take lessons again, so I hope to be able to return to Kyoto soon!

A piece of advice I would give is to really make an effort to talk to your Sensei (if you’re doing a CIP with a Sensei, but also all of the Senseis within KCJS as well)! The first few weeks I went, our conversations were mostly about ikebana, but as time went on I was able to ask about all of my curiosities and Ashida Sensei was so enthusiastic to talk to me, it was overall just such a welcoming and fulfilling experience and I think it would have been completely different if I hadn’t made an effort to make conversation. Also, don’t be afraid of one-on-one lessons! I was definitely nervous about it since there are certain rules and manners to be careful of, but over time I found that the one-on-ones was where I was able to chat with my Sensei the most and also get lots of feedback!

Brian Ramon-Miron: Ikebana

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This semester I took weekly ikebana lessons under Ashida Sensei over the course of eight weeks. During these lessons, I learned both traditional and modern styles of ikebana.

Each class focused on a specific arrangement style while keeping in mind the four main principles of ikebana in these styles: shin, gyō, tome and dou. Learning to respect the unique purpose of various flowers allowed me to continue appreciating the deep meaning and intentions behind every piece that keeps the ikebana spirit alive.

I recommend anyone starting off or continuing ikebana to remember to stay patient with all aspects of arranging, as the process itself is just as important as the final result. It was very rewarding to see how a simple assortment of flowers can be styled in a way that holds deep meaning, history, and beauty.

Tai O’Malley: Shamisen Performance

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In this CIP I learned all the basics of playing the shamisen, from techniques to repertoire, alongside two other classmates from KCJS. We’d go to the Greenwich House (practice space) twice a week to practice with different groups of relatively older Japanese locals, most of whom had relationships to Iwasaki sensei as students. Learning the shamisen in an environment with a language that I’m not entirely familiar with led to the action of demonstration and common understanding within music to be the biggest teacher of all. I also learned how the power of music can bring people together from various different walks of life, as evidenced by the diversity of people attending Iwasaki sensei’s rehearsals. For future students of Iwasaki sensei, I wouldn’t be worried about making mistakes, as the space is very friendly about giving people a voice through music despite skill level. In fact, in Iwasaki sensei hearing me noodle around on the instrument one day, I was given the opportunity to perform a improvised solo for our final concert.

Our full performance can be found here: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N9qkeN6lkI__;!!BDUfV1Et5lrpZQ!QEtwNJ5CtYMGkjg0sapTOUV1f9RVug_dUbArsKQoFUmgiGif-0kPvViiBa3M5wjz4VNft1a5TyGyHPFxUWBI0uky$

Nava Berwick: Learning the traditional dance art form, 日本舞踊 (Nihon Buyo)

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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.