April’s Escapades in Japan!
KCP Winter 2023 student April Kirkman shares her adventures in Japan, kicking it off by celebrating Setsubun!
For many centuries, it has been a custom for Japanese to perform rituals to chase away evil spirits during the start of spring. Setsubun (節分) or “seasonal division” is a Japanese festival held yearly on the day before the beginning of spring based on the Japanese lunar calendar.
April attending the Japanese tea ceremony during her Culture class
Also known as the Way of the Tea, the Japanese tea ceremony is the traditional method of preparing and drinking matcha or powdered green tea. The ceremony is called sado (茶道) or chanoyu (茶の湯) in Japanese culture.
April having fun in with her Koto Club classmates
The koto is considered to be the national instrument of Japan. The koto was first introduced to Japan in the 7th century and 8th century from China. It is a stringed musical instrument that was adapted from the ancient Chinese plucked zithers the guzheng and se and it is also similar to the Mongolian yatga.
April at the Egon Schiele Exhibit-Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno
Egon Leo Adolf Ludwig Schiele (12 June 1890 – 31 October 1918) was an Austrian Expressionist painter with Gustav Klimt as his mentor.
April at her Earthquake Simulator-Disaster Preparedness Culture Class excursion