CULTURE INTRODUCTION

Many Japanese Americans are often asked about Japanese culture, like "What kind of tea is used in the tea ceremony?" or "Is it okay to eat sushi with a fork?" (See the bottom of this page for the answers.) But the truth is that most Japanese Americans, especially the younger generations, know little more about Japan than any other Americans, though perhaps we should. Here on Bainbridge, we are fortunate to have persons of Japanese ancestry, and others, who can and do share their knowledge, and this enriches us all.

If you also have questions—or answers—relating to Japanese and Japanese American culture, language, music, food or anything else, please feel free to get in touch with our webmaster and we'll post them on this page. For starters, here are some of the "things Japanese" that were demonstrated at recent BIJAC events, with some suggestions as to where to learn more. (Note: links shown below are not necessarily recommended or endorsed by BIJAC.)

MOCHI—Sticky Rice the Old-Fashioned Way

Mochi (o-mochi), or pounded rice cake, is an unexpected delight, eaten at New Year celebrations (or anytime) in a number of different forms. Each year, BIJAC holds a Mochi Tsuki (Mochi Making) event, open to all. For background articles and photos, click HERE.

IKEBANA

Even the name of this popular art form is beautiful—"Life Flower." Its aims are not to imitate or follow nature but to achieve balance and harmony using natural and man-made materials. There are dozens of different "schools" of ikebana, each with its own philosophy, and the rivalry among them can be quite fierce. More information at IKEBANA INTERNATIONAL. (By the way, you can join that organization for a reasonable fee, and learn lots more about this exciting art from their English-language magazine (which happens to be produced by the Tokyo staff of this humble webmaster's company.)

 

 

ORIGAMI

Think of origami (lit., "folding paper") as a form of sculpture. The traditional tsuru (crane), a symbol of peace and sympathy, is easy to make—just follow the instructions. More challenging (and fun!) are the amazing monsters, realistic insects—even entire mini-cities—that artists create just by folding, not by cutting, a simple piece of paper. More information at ORIGAMI.CO.

 

 

SHODO

Actions CAN speak louder than words. Unlike characters written with a pen or pencil, those created with a brush (fude) and ink (sumi) can express much more than their literal meaning. The art of Shodo, freely translated as "calligraphy," is as much a mental as a physical exercise. But sometimes, the words and the feelings behind them can leap right off the paper! There are a number of shodo experts in the Puget Sound area—do a Google for "shodo+class+washington."

 

 

 

 

SUMI-E

Add a drop or two of water to a dry mixture of soot and glue (sumi), dip the brush (fude) and make a picture (e). Sounds simple—and it is! You won't hit a home run every time, but with practice you'll be the MVP (most valuable painter)!

Purists insist that sumi-e is strictly a monochromatic medium, although some artists in the Far East have been using colored inks for centuries. In Japan, even the phrase sumi no iro means "dark gray" and sumi, in the proper context, also means "charcoal."

Shingo Shoko, a modern sumi-e artist in Japan, has an excellent "starter book" complete with ink, brush and paper. Visit her English-language website where you can see (and purchase) examples of her avant-garde works, using forms that are far beyond the traditional e-maki or scroll.

 

WRITING

Kanji (lit., "Chinese character") is the basis of written Japanese. A high-school student must master around 1,850 "Toyo Kanji" in order to graduate. Hiragana characters (46 + modifiers) are phonetic, mostly derived from kanji shapes. They are "helpers" to form written sentences and verb endings. Katakana is a simpler form of phonetic writing, and some say it is older than Hiragana. It is used to write "loan words," foreign names, etc. More information at JAPAN-GUIDE.COM See also HIRAGANATIMES.COM a lively magazine in English and Japanese.

  

GYOTAKU

Taking rubbings (taku) of natural objects is nothing new. But using fish (gyo) as the model wasn’t popular until the early 19th century when—says the legend—an emperor caught a huge red snapper and, proud of his catch, wanted to “have it and eat it, too.” Fisherfolk have been doing gyotaku ever since, and lately, graphic artists have gotten into the act. With the direct method you paint ink directly on the fish, then press it to a piece of paper. This is particularly useful when you want to use color.

With the indirect method you take an impression (something like rubbing charcoal on paper pressed to a coin) using a special brush. Handmade paper (washi) is preferred, expecially in the indirect method, since it is applied to the fish sopping wet. Aside from a photo, a good indirect gyotaku is probably the most accurate image, in every detail, of a fish's external features. But only if you’re careful to make your rubbing to scale, so to speak. 

JUDO

Modern judo (lit., "Way of Suppleness") began in the late 1800s with the work of master Jigoro Kano, who developed it from unarmed combat jujutsu techniques at least 1,000 years older. Though it may look similar to karate and some other martial arts, judo puts the emphasis on "defense," and is considered to be less "aggressive." But don't count on it! More information at USJA.

 

 

 

 

BATTOJUTSU

Anyone with a sword can swing and slice up something soft (if not themselves) like a rolled-up straw mat. But the jutsu (art) of this batto (sword-draw) move is to draw, cut, cut again, clean the blade and neatly return it to the scabbard, all without looking away from the imaginary opponent. The art developed out of traditional sword-fighting disciplines and was popular with the militaristic fringe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The art (not necessarily the more radical parts of its philosophy) is being revived in some places today, including Bainbridge Island!

 

 

TOYS & GAMES

Japanese life is not all work and no play, despite what you may have heard. Kids still enjoy old-fashioned toys and games--almost as much as the new hi-tech stuff. Most traditional toys are made of wood, painted in bright colors. There are koma (tops), sumo games, even fish and birds on wheels! Popular games for grown-ups include mah jong, shogi (a kind of chess) and probably the most "Japanese" of all, i-go. Card games like hanafuda ("flower cards") are slightly less popular—except among professional gamblers!

 

 

OTHER

As stated above, if you also have questions—or answers—relating to Japanese and Japanese American culture, language, music, food or anything else, please feel free to get in touch with our webmaster and we'll post them on this page.

And speaking of ANSWERS: The tea used in the Japanesse tea ceremony is called mattcha, a finely powered green tea that is exquisitely bitter. And, sure, if you want to use a fork to eat sushi, go ahead. But it should be wooden or plastic, as metal tends to interact with the vinegar in the rice and/or the oil in the toppings, producing an acid taste that is NOT exquisite.

 

Posters graphics & text by McDavis