When in Rome....

The Japanese proverb “Go ni itte wa go ni shitagae” is similar to, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. I just found out that we will be staying in a ryokan on the night of June 22nd. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn which contains tatami floors (straw mat), futons for sleeping and communal baths (yes, you read that correctly). The water for the bath is usually provided by a hot spring (onsen) and yukata are worn after a bath. A yukata is a casual form of a kimono, meaning bathing clothes. Needless to say, this will be a true Japanese total immersion cultural experience. Bathing is an art in Japan and is taken very seriously. It provides a source of not only cleanliness, but also relaxation. To begin the bathing process, you first sit on a stool and clean yourself, shampoo your hair and rinse off. Then, you may enter the bath tub or pool to relax. The bath water is not drained after every use like we do in the US. Often times, the entire family uses the same bath water because you are clean when you entered the bath. Because of this, most Japanese homes have a separate toilet and bathing area. At the ryokan, a small towel (just 1) is strategically placed over the "important areas" when you move from the cleaning station to the hot springs bath. This should provide for some entertainment. I'll let you know how the communal bathing goes.....

Ichigo Ichie

culture word/tip of the day: ichigo ichie

ichigo ichie (一期一会) loosely translates as: "Treasure every moment for it may never return." That is what I am hoping to do these next few weeks as I explore Japan for myself and hope to share all of this with my students, community and family. This saying is a popular calligraphy sign that is displayed in the Japanese tea ceremony that helps to remind guests that this opportunity will not come again and that they should cherish it. Ichigo ichie reminds us to value each and every moment.

Top 10: #5 Japanese Tea Ceremony

Japanese tea ceremony: green tea is ceremoniously prepared using matcha, or powdered green tea. I hope to experience this traditional ceremony in Japan as it is so fascinating to me and a source of mystery. These links do a better job of explaining such a complicated ritual:

http://www.asianartmall.com/teaceremonyarticle.htm

http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/jtea.html

I want money, lots and lots of money...

I have always had a fascination with currencies from other countries and have quite a collection that I've accumulated...Mexican pesos, euros, Venezuelan bolivares, Belize dollars, etc. etc. I can now add yen to my stack as I just picked up the yen I ordered from the bank. I feel rich!!! The exchange rate today (it changes constantly) is 1 USD=104 JPY (Japanese yen) so I'm left with a lot of money....or so it looks like anyway. The Japanese yen is the third most-traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the US dollar and the euro. As you can see in the picture, the 5 & 50 yen coins have a hole in the middle. A long time ago, men carried these coins with a hole in the middle of them around their necks tied together with a string. Japanese Money is called okane (pronounced oh-kah-neh).

Top 10: #4 100 Yen store

The 100 Yen Store is called called "hyakkin" (hyak-keen) in Japanese slang. Hyakkin is the equivalent of the Dollar Store, if you didn't figure that out from my exchange rate lesson above. Part of my follow-on project when I return will be to prepare a trunk of all things Japanese such as resources, artifacts, lesson plans, etc. that could be borrowed and used in the classroom. The trunk will offer insight into the Japanese culture i.e. musical instruments, currency, arts and crafts, books and magazines, maps, etc. I hope to find things at the 100 Yen Store to use for my follow-on plan.