One of my friends, Miyoko, who I also teach English, invited my mom and I out to experience Japanese Tea Ceremony and Karaoke.
Miyoko welcome us into her home, and allowed us to wear her kimono. She helped us dress - I never knew wearing a kimono was such a complicated process! It was very tight and a bit uncomfortable... but very fun to wear, especially to a Japanese Tea Ceremony.
The man in this photo is the teacher, apparently it takes several years to become certified in tea ceremony. The women we attended with have been practicing for many years, and are still learning! The tea ceremony is a well orchestrated series of events, each part of the ritual is symbolic. I love that the kettle is in the floor. They use a bamboo ladle to pour and serve the water.
These are the three women we attended the ceremony with, Miyoko and her friends. All learning and practicing the tea ceremony process. It was a very interesting experience, and I'm interested in learning more about the meaning behind the movements in Japanese Tea Ceremony.
After the Tea Ceremony, we headed over to a local karaoke "box" for some good ole' singing! Karaoke is one of the main social activities of Japanese people. Many karaoke bars are open 24 hours, and often feature all-you-can-drink deals. Each group has their own room with access to all karaoke paraphernalia... far more private compared to U.S. karaoke since it's just you and your friends in a room. They have a wide variety of songs to choose from - my mom enjoyed singing oldies, especially the Beatles.
Miyoko welcome us into her home, and allowed us to wear her kimono. She helped us dress - I never knew wearing a kimono was such a complicated process! It was very tight and a bit uncomfortable... but very fun to wear, especially to a Japanese Tea Ceremony.
The man in this photo is the teacher, apparently it takes several years to become certified in tea ceremony. The women we attended with have been practicing for many years, and are still learning! The tea ceremony is a well orchestrated series of events, each part of the ritual is symbolic. I love that the kettle is in the floor. They use a bamboo ladle to pour and serve the water.
These are the three women we attended the ceremony with, Miyoko and her friends. All learning and practicing the tea ceremony process. It was a very interesting experience, and I'm interested in learning more about the meaning behind the movements in Japanese Tea Ceremony.
After the Tea Ceremony, we headed over to a local karaoke "box" for some good ole' singing! Karaoke is one of the main social activities of Japanese people. Many karaoke bars are open 24 hours, and often feature all-you-can-drink deals. Each group has their own room with access to all karaoke paraphernalia... far more private compared to U.S. karaoke since it's just you and your friends in a room. They have a wide variety of songs to choose from - my mom enjoyed singing oldies, especially the Beatles.
fun!
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