I joined an art circle at Doshisha for my CIP. It wasn\u2019t my first choice of activity. However, I love art, and I was looking forward to having a dedicated time for art\u2014which I have not really had since I entered college.<\/p>\n
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I went in knowing that a circle in Japan is somewhat though not entirely comparable to a club in America, but not certain what differences I would notice. I noticed that, in Doshisha\u2019s \u201cKurama\u201d drawing circle at least, the kohai and senpai dynamics mattered\u2014though to what extent I couldn\u2019t really grasp. Not everything was hard to grasp, however.<\/p>\n
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The subject matter of the circle made sense. The circle has weekly meetings that center around practicing a particular art method and subject (still life, portraits, pastel, colored pencil, water color, etc). One member of the club, usual a more senior member, taught the method they were studying or familiar with. Most of the members were art majors, and extremely talented so I felt as though I learned a lot, and it left me feeling my lack of practice and ability.<\/p>\n
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At the same time, all the members work independently on their own projects, and have a chance to display their art on several occasions. Since I was only staying a semester in Japan, I did not have time to complete anything or display anything, but I would have if I stayed for a year.<\/p>\n
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As for the social aspect of the club, I have to admit it wasn\u2019t very easy. As I mentioned before, the hierarchical aspects of social interaction were hard to discern, and the members seemed to expect that I wouldn\u2019t understand. However, instead of trying to make it clear, they just ignored the issue. This might sound ideal, the foreigner not having to worry about cultural norms, but when the rest of the circle is using these social practices it is awkward to be the only person not doing so. I would recommend asking at your first contact, \u201cwhat year are you?\u201d and \u201cwhat should I call you?\u201d That might seem awkward, but it makes things smooth later.<\/p>\n
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All the members were very friendly, and during the meetings chatted naturally with each other and tried to include me in the conversation. I have to say, that as much as Kansai dialect as I picked up during these conversations, just as much went over my head. The club members were very busy, so they didn\u2019t seem to meet outside the pretext of the meetings very often\u2014if at all. So I didn\u2019t have the opportunity to meet members elsewhere. However, as it is an art circle where art is the goal, I didn\u2019t feel as though they were simply excluding me.<\/p>\n
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However, this does seem like a club that needs more than a semester of participation to truly become meaningful. Art takes time, and art students in Japan are just as busy as in America. So I would recommend this to year long students only.<\/p>\n
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I joined an art circle at Doshisha for my CIP. It wasn\u2019t my first choice of activity. However, I love art, and … \u7d9a\u304d\u3092\u8aad\u3080