「KCJS 25 (2013-2014)」カテゴリーアーカイブ

ムン・ダニエル：囲碁

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私のCIPの活動は囲碁です。私は囲碁の基本的なルールは分かりますが、KCJSの前には囲碁のゲームを終わりまでしたことが全然ありませんでした。KCJSの申し込みの時はCIPのため中学校で英語のチューターをしようかと思っていましたが、日本に来た後、出来ればもっと伝統的な経験がしたいと思ったので、囲碁をすることに決めました。囲碁が日本的なことだというわけではないですが、囲碁は日本でも昔からされているので、伝統的な考え方がもっと含まれているらしいし、戦略ゲームにも興味があるし、様々な理由でし始めました。

今は「京都囲碁サロン」という場所に通っていますが、そこでは囲碁を学ぶだけではなく、他の学生達ともゲームをします。この教室で囲碁の論理についての色々な勉強が出来ましたが、それ以外に日本の文化も観察することも出来ました。特に、囲碁には相互関連（相手との関係）を大事にする考え方が含まれていると思います。もちろん、囲碁の目標は試合に勝つことすが、勝つことに他ならないというわけではないのです。囲碁の試合は会釈で始まって、会釈で終わるなどの囲碁の習慣を見ると、相互関連の大事さが分かるはずです。KCJSの終わりまで私のCIPの目標は囲碁が上手になること、そして、囲碁に含まれている日本的な習慣が分かるようになる、という二つの目標です。

ペイトン・カニーシャ：京都 YWCA

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私はCIPで女性を支援する組織でボランティアがしたかったです。先生に考えていただいて、京都市Young Women’s Christian Association でボランティアをすることになりました。同志社大学からYWCAまで歩けますから、距離からするとYWCAはとても便利です。YWCAでボランティアしたい人はいろいろなことができるんですが、私は放課後に子供の世話をすることにしました。一週間に、二回子供と勉強したり、お菓子を食べたり、遊んだりします。

今月は、子供がちょっと少ないですが、普通は私は千夏という女の子と 遊んだりします。たまに千夏ちゃんはちょっと分かりにくいですが、いつも元気で一緒に楽しみます。他のボランティアもいます。YWCAの ディレクターは私が留学生だと分かったら 、優しいディレクターは他のボランティアに私と日本語で話すようにを頼んでいただきました。そんなに難しくないですが、この無料サービスはお金や時間がない母親にとって必要ですから、いい経験だと思います。

ケートリン・コナハン：弓道

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私はアーチェリーが大好きなので、日本の文化についてを学び始めた時、弓道に興味を持つようになった。アメリカでも弓道をしてみたかったが、伝統的な日本のスポーツだからあまりなくて、わざわざ探してみたが、できる場所が見つからなかった。ＫＣＪＳに入ってすぐ弓道の場所を見つけた。運よく弓道をし始めたばかりの学生がまだいて、その学生が武道センターの川口先生に紹介してくれた。武道センターというのは色々な武道ができる所だ。例えば弓道を始め、剣道、合気道などのスポーツもできる。

毎週の月曜日と木曜日に練習する。月曜日にはモラレスさんと一緒に武道センターまで歩いて、木曜日にはバスで行く。月曜日にいる人と木曜日にいる人は違うから、皆の名前を覚えることは難しい。アーチェリーに比べると違うことがいろいろあった。弓も仕方も全く違う。始めは見ることだけで学んだが、三、四回後で弓と矢を使い始めた。川口先生と先輩たちはあまり話さないが、時々手の内とか引き方などを正して下さる。毎度平穏でいい気持ちがする。本当に楽しくて面白い。

Gordon Petty: Bati-Holic Taiko Lessons

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For my CIP I joined a Wadaiko class taught by a group called Bati-Holic.  Prior to this semester I had never done Taiko before, or indeed practiced any sort of drumming.  I was nervous that I wouldn’t have enough experience, or that I wouldn’t understand enough Japanese, to be able to participate.  Luckily both of these fears were unfounded.  Most people in this class were complete beginners to Taiko, and in addition to the fact that my sensei spoke a smattering of English, there were several other foreigners in the class and learning Japanese as well.

It quickly became apparent that these classes were mean to be fairly casual.  The class consisted of mostly women in their 20s or early 30s, though there were a few other men.  Many people would come for only one month and then stop; in fact by the time December came around I was one of only four or so students who had been there for over 3 months.  As such it was difficult at times to keep track of the people I met, and I forgot names often.  Still, I feel like I became fairly close with those other long-term students.

Because of the casual nature of the group I did not experience much of the senpai-kohai relationships that many other KCJS students have mentioned in regards to their CIP.  In fact I hardly ever heard keigo at all.   My teacher, 黒坂先生, asked us to call him by his nickname Kuro.  It seemed to me that most people, especially the senpai students, seemed very comfortable talking to Kuro and often used short-forms and casual speech.  Furthermore, he was addressed almost always as Kuro-san, not Kuro-sensei.  This was surprising at first, as it clearly went against my expectations of the structure of a Japanese club or class, but it also made for a very comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

I was happy to find that, perhaps because of this relaxed attitude, everyone was very open to having me, a foreigner and a beginner, as a member of the group.  The first few lessons I was approached with the standard “Where are you from?” “Why are you in Japan?” “Your Japanese is very good!” that I have come to expect when meeting a new Japanese person.  However after a while, perhaps when I became a familiar face, conversations became a bit more personal, regarding subjects such as what I was studying in school, what I had done over the weekend, as well as the songs that we were playing in class.  Of course, this being only my third year studying Japanese, there were many conversations that I simply couldn’t participate it.  In many ways I still felt like an outsider, but I think this is the result more of the language barrier, and certainly not because of any rejection or exclusion from the group itself.

In the end I am a bit upset that I am leaving this winter and won’t be able to continue taking Taiko.  It feels as though I am finally starting to make some connections and form some friendships in my class, and it will be tough to leave those behind.  I am very glad to have had this opportunity to meet and talk with members of the Japanese community outside of Doshisha.  And of course, I have now fallen in love with Taiko, and plan on studying it further when I return home.

Miles Bothwell: Tea ceremony

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After four months and seven or so lessons worth of Tea Ceremony, the only thing I am confident in is how unknowledgeable I really am about the subject.  You could study book after book, which I have, about the ethereal concepts and practices behind Chanoyu. However, only until you spend truly countless hours learning the seemingly-trivial, elementary techniques like how to enter and exit the tea room, fold your tea cup cloth, and even just how to stand up, do you realize that there is nothing trivial in anything you do in Tea Ceremony.

That being said, I couldn’t be happier that I chose to do Tea Ceremony for my CIP.  Besides giving me the opportunity finally do hands-on learning of a traditional art I’ve been interested for a long time now, it has opened me up to a amazing community, giving me insight into how and through whom Tea Ceremony survives in the modern era; a question for which has and will take a long time to find an adequate answer.

Within the community, I was surprised to learn that most of the students are in fact  only up to ten years older than me.  But, with the exception my fellow classmate HB, everyone is clearly years ahead of me in experience.  On the one hand, this has been exceptionally convenient because no matter who I direct my questions toward, they have always been able to at least answer my questions. Whether I’ve been able to understand their answers is a whole other matter. On the other hand, because the discrepancy between our skill and knowledge levels is so great, that discrepancy veils to me how far I have come and how far I have to go in my training before being able to conduct a tea ceremony.  So, I try not to think too much about it and let my own idea of my experience speak for itself.

For two reasons, one of the more memorable moments I will have from this time was when we went as a school group with our teacher to have Tea Ceremony at Doshisha conducted by the on-campus student circle.  First and foremost, it was the first time I participated in a more formal Tea Ceremony setting, as opposed to a classroom setting.  Secondly, and more importantly, sitting there alongside my teacher, facing the Doshisha students, made me realize that I’ve now become a part of this Urasenke school community just as all my other Japanese classmates have.  It was a surreal moment to say the least.

With this semester coming to an end, I’ve decided that even if I choose a new CIP for next semester, I have enjoyed my classes so much that I will be continue to take them regardless.  All I can hope for is that I will learn as much next semester as I have this one.

 

James Ross: Kyoto University Weight Training

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For my Community Involvement Project, I joined the Kyoto University Weightlifting team. It has been a fantastic experience, and one of the highlights of my semester abroad in Japan. When I first planned on joining a weightlifting team, I thought it would be some kind of group where I would go and work out for an hour or so a week whilst awkwardly trying to communicate with my Japanese contemporaries. Upon attending my first practice, I quickly realized these preconceptions to be quite untrue.

First of all, it was not a place to just “work out for an hour or so a week”. Practice generally lasted 2 ½ to 3 hours, and I usually went twice per week. Before coming to Japan, I had little experience with Olympic Style Weightlifting, in fact, I had no experience at all, save for a small overlap in exercises with some of my previous weight lifting endeavors. At the beginning, the coach, Arima-sensei, seemed like a very helpful and knowledgeable coach. Now at the end, (even with a vast array of athletic experience and many good coaches) he seems like one of the best athletic teachers I have ever had. He is more knowledgeable about his field than any other coach I have ever worked with, and was very adept at explaining various difficult concepts and techniques necessary to become a successful weightlifter. Also, this being a small group, I was able to receive much more one-on-one guidance than I ever would have in a training session for an organized sports team. Since entering college, I have found it very difficult to maintain a consistent workout schedule, and found myself losing a vast majority of the athletic ability I had built up over many years of athletics throughout my childhood and high school. Under Arima-sensei’s tutelage, and support from my team members, I was able to come close to (and even surpass) some of my accomplishments from high school four years ago.

As for “awkwardly communicating in Japanese”, I can’t say that communication was always effortless and harmonious, but the other team members were very patient with my less than 上手 Japanese ability. With the exception of another study abroad student from Germany, none of my teammates spoke (or were confident enough to speak) English with me. This provided me an excellent opportunity to use the language, without the option of using English as a crutch. A lot of the new vocabulary I learned was very specialized and perhaps not all that useful (names of exercises and the like), but often the team would go to dinner after practice or spend time chatting about nonsense between sets. This was a great opportunity to talk in Japanese with students who grew up in a culture vastly different from mine, but share the same interests.

I think I accomplished many of my goals with my CIP. Before coming to Japan, I had intended to play rugby, and when that didn’t workout (no pun intended), I was a little disappointed, but I was determined to find another sports activity. I was excited when I discovered weight lifting, but I was a little nervous. As far as I know, no other KCJS student had joined their club, so I didn’t know how receptive they would be to a study abroad student from Doshisha. But, I was able to contact them myself and started practicing without any problems. Even before arriving in Japan, I was nervous about contacting my CIP, but I think the whole initial contact process went quite well. I was also glad to have joined a community outside of my English speaking friends and my comfort zone at Doshisha.

Amelia Loew: English Conversation Partner-Kyoto Bunkyou High School

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For my CIP, I decide that I would teach English.  While interacting with children is not my strong suit, I wanted experience with high schoolers as I was considering applying for the JET program.  I also thought it would be a good way to step out of my comfort zone.
I ended up acting as a tutor for some students learning english at the Kyoto Bunkyou High School.  A few times a week I would go to the school and meet with a couple of high schoolers.  Since the school was only a short subway ride out of the way it was very convenient for me.  At first the students were a bit shy, but they slowly warmed up to me.  Still I found that I ended up doing a lot of the talking; my throat was pretty sore by the end of the hour.  I quickly learned that the best way to get through to the students was to ask open-ended questions.  Once I go to know them, they were really sweet.  Upon hearing that I liked matcha deserts, one of them bought me a special macha-chocolate cookie and a little stuffed manekineko (lucky cat) as an omiyage.

Once, I ended up speaking to an entire class of students who would soon be going to Australia.  Though I had initially anticipated that my job would be something like this, I wasn’t prepared that time and ended up simply awkwardly asking questions up in front of the board.  I really wished I had prepared some sort of lesson plan for that time, and changed my mindset to deal with students who’s english was a bit weaker than I was used to.

However, as the semester went on, I found that the school had a lot more breaks and times when the students were too busy to have conversation with me.  I would definitely recommend having a back-up plan for your CIP.  Even if it seems to be going well at first, things can change.

Matthew Albrecht : English conversation circle

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Half-way through this semester I made the scary decision to completely switch my CIP, from the Kyoto University frisbee circle Breeze, to Klexon, an English conversation circle at Doshisha. I know many people are thinking the same thing I was worried about when I joined — why spend the little time you have in Japan speaking English instead of practicing Japanese? And it’s true, almost all of the weekly meetings are done in English, but it’s also a group of amazingly friendly people and in my few weeks there I’ve made more Japanese friends than the other two months combined. After the meeting every week, most of the people there go out to a upstanding refreshment establishment nearby for a completely non-judgment-inhibiting drink of litchi juice or two, which is a great way to get to know the people better and finally practice your Japanese! There have also been two dinner parties at the leader’s apartment so far this semester, of which I was only able to attend one, but the leader made amazing Japanese food for us and it was a great opportunity to talk to everyone and have some fun.

Although it could have something to do with having come of age in Japan and not America, it seems to me that litchi juice is a lot more central to Japan’s social life than what I see in America. Maybe because Doshisha doesn’t have on-campus housing and apartments in Kyoto tend to be tiny to hang out in, almost all social events are out in the city and involve litchi juice in some way or another. Litchi juice seems to break down a lot of the social barriers that require people to be reserved and distant, and polite speech gets less and less frequent throughout the night, although even nights with litchi juice aren’t free of the kohai-sempai relationships so important in Japan. Whether in English or Japanese, the Japanese members without fail try to discern how old and what year the person they’re talking to is in school so that they know who is in the position of authority. Unfortunately, finding out that I’m both a Junior and recently turned 20, the age of a Japanese Freshman or so, doesn’t make my role any more clear. This emphasis on age sounds especially funny in English when you hear a bunch of people who just met asking each other how old they are, a rather infrequent occurrence in America.

If you’re willing to make the effort to do more than the weekly meetings, Klexon really can be a great way to both practice Japanese and make friends. I only wish I had joined earlier in the semester, as it feels like I just started right as the semester’s drawing to a close.

Jier Yang: Igo Class

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I still remember my first Igo class vividly. It was a hot afternoon and I was sweating because of the heat and nervousness. My teacher taught me the names of all the Igo equipment and told me the size of the Igo board. “It is 19 by 19, remember it.” My teacher told me, and then he pulled out a smaller board said:” This one is 9 by 9, and we will start with this.” I was a little disappointed because I thought the 9X9 board was totally something made for kids. I had to comfort myself with the thought that maybe I could use the regular one after a few classes. I was so wrong.

Nearly three months have passed since then and I have not touched the regular board a single time. Since I showed no special talent in Igo at all, both my teacher and I are quite certain that I won’t have the chance to play on that board before I go home in winter.

When I wrote my first blog, I thought playing Igo was like doing math. I thought it was all about trying to get as much territory on the board as possible by carefully calculating which spot would gain more blocks. However, now I start to realize that even though winning is good, the goal of Igo is not simply about increasing territory. When an expert plays Igo with a beginner, the beginner gets to place several stones on the board before the game starts in order to compensate for the difference between their abilities. Both the expert and the beginner can enjoy the challenge and no one can be sure about the result of the game. I think people like Igo because they can learn how to overcome problems, not because they like defeating others.

My teacher told me that the most important thing for me is to have fun, because I don’t want to become a professional player. For professionals or people who are really in to Igo, playing Igo is like walking on a endless road. They are constantly facing new difficulties but they are willing to continue the journey. When they play Igo with another player, they are helping each other to go further on that road. A good game in Igo is not the game where a player conquers the entire board. On the contrary, people seem to like the games that almost come out even. When a player is losing by one block or two blocks, people who are watching will claim it is a good game because both players are challenging themselves.

I think there are still so many things about Igo that I need to learn and I want to continue my journey with Igo after I go home.

 

Roddy Curtis: Kyoto University Golf Circle

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For my CIP ethnography, I joined the Kyoto University Golf Circle, and observed the seniority relationship between the “sempai” and “kouhai.” The reason I decided to do so is because I am interested in Japanese culture placing importance on the concept of “respect your elders” and how it plays a role in the student hierarchy and corporate world. I observed student conduct/behavior and speech patterns towards their sempai during practice on the golfing range and on the golf course (golf competition against Doshisha University Golf Circle). These were the two main locations to observe the behavioral and speech patterns of the kohai members towards their sempais, as well as the importance placed on their school year in making decisions. I thought that university students do not follow this cultural precedent. Do university students of this generation still place importance and follow the sempai-kouhai relationship?

During my participation in the Kyodai Golf Circle, I quickly learned that the sempai had a lot of power. Most of the decisions were made by the sempai, and the kouhai respectfully abided by these decisions. For example, the seniors would decide the restaurants they wanted to go to after practice. The underclassmen would get to vote on which restaurant they preferred to go to; however, the initial decision is made by the upperclassmen. This was interesting because instead of everyone having an equal say, they are limited to what the seniors wanted to eat. I also learned that the golf circle placed heavy emphasis on school year. During practices at the golfing range and at the Doshisha University golf competition, the president of the golf circle and the senior members decided the groups instead of letting the members choose their own groups. Also, they divided the golf groups based on school year and not golf ability. I am at a novice-intermediate level of golf, but because I am a junior, I was placed with another junior who was a much better golf player.

Speech patterns also play a very important role in Japanese seniority, as younger members are required to speak in politer form to their elders. I expected the kouhai to speak completely in polite form to their sempais; however, they spoke in casual form with only a hint of polite form. When I lived in Japan and went to a Japanese tennis club, it was necessary for me to use polite form at all times towards my coaches and sempai. In this golf circle, it seemed as though the larger the age gap was between the members, the more polite form they used. This was seen when a graduate from Kyoto University and former member of the golf circle came to visit. All members of the group used keigo towards him, which I recognized as a sign of respect.

From this analysis of the prevalence of respect for seniority in the Kyoto University Golf Circle, I can conclude that it is still strong in Japanese culture today.  I was able to closely observe behavior and speech patterns in this microcosm of Japanese university students in my age group, and was able to conclude that they follow the cultural precedent of respecting your elders.