Jan. 10, 2024

Japanese program: Great semester kick-off with many events

It has been a very busy but fruitful semester for everyone in the Japanese program. Back in October, we held many inetersting events, “Meet and Greet” to meet up with other fellow Japanese major students, “Tea tasting with JET” to learn about the Japanese tea culture and the JET(Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme, “Professor Xiao Jie Yang Memorial Lecture” to celebrate his life work, and “Kimono 101” to learn about the Japanese kimono culture.

Japanese Major Students Meet and Greet

The first “Japanese Major Students Meet and Greet” event of the year was held on the 13th of October and the participants had a great time meeting with other EALS (Japanese concentration) major students. It was a valuable opportunity for each student to build connections and strengthen academic relationships in a supportive environment. It is essential to gather the students and enrich their academic journey. This event played a crucial role in shaping the experiences and aspirations of researchers of Japanese culture, language and history through networking and strengthening academic ties. It also fostered a strong sense of community, inspired students to excel, and prepares them for a future where their passion for Japan can make a meaningful impact.

Japanese Major Students Meet and Greet 2

Tea Tasting with JET Alumni

This event was a joint event with the Consulate of General of Japan, the JET Alumni Association of Southern Alberta, and the SLLLC Japanese Program. It was a lovely afternoon learning about Japanese tea (ocha) from the Japanese tea sommelier, Ms. Michiko Ono. The talk was quite enjoyable and our attendees were provided with the opportunity to not only learn more about the history of Japanese tea but also to sample various kinds of Japanese tea at this event. The last half was an information session about the JET(Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme by the former participants of the (JET) Programme. These former JET participants shared their interesting stories with our students, and they gained precious and exciting firsthand information about the prospect of working as an assistant English teacher in schools and living in Japan during the Programme, or finding a job and settling down in Japan after the Programme. Big thank you to the Consulate of General of Japan, the JET Alumni Association of Southern Alberta, and Ms. Michiko Ono. It was indeed an excellent opportunity for our students to get some guidance and knowledge from the JET alumni and learn in depth about Japanese tea culture.

Kimono 101

The SLLLC Japanese program hosted a kimono event with the lecturer, Ms. Chichi, from ChiChi Kimono to educate students on the history and the method of wearing the kimono. Ms. Chichi’s knowledge about the kimono helped supplement the student’s learning and delved deeper into Japanese culture. After her demonstration putting a kimono on a student volunteer, Ms. Chichi invited students to try to tie an obi (a traditional belt) with a partner. Thanks to Ms. Chichi, this event provided students with valuable firsthand knowledge and experience of the Japanese culture without physically stepping foot into Japan.

These events provided every participant excellent experience that enriched the understanding of the inherently profound Japanese culture, and we are expecting more events in the next semester.