Last month, two Harker students were recognized in a New Year’s greeting card contest held by the Japan Information and Cultural Center at the office of the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco. Third grader Momo Matsui-Disini received the Judges’ Award in the elementary division and sixth grader Jaden Chyan earned the Creative Award in the middle and high school division. These and the other New Year’s cards (“nengajo”) submitted for the contest – more than 540 in all – will be viewable through Feb. 20 at the Japan Information and Cultural Center at 275 Battery St., Suite 2100, in San Francisco.
Late last month, the Japan Information and Cultural Center at the office of the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco recognized three Harker students in its annual New Year’s greeting card contest. In the middle school division, seventh grader Shareen Chahal received special recognition and Jessica Wang, grade 6, was awarded an honorable mention. Momo Matsui-Disini, grade 2, received an honorable mention in the elementary school division.
This contest invites local students to participate in the Japanese tradition of sending New Year’s cards (“nengajo”) to their loved ones. These and other greeting cards that Northern California students submitted for the contest (more than 640 in all) will be on display until Feb. 21 at the Japan Information and Cultural Center, located at 275 Battery St., Ste. 2100, San Francisco.
On April 16, students in Kumi Matsui’s Japanese 2M class went on a special field trip to learn more about Japanese culture and customs, starting with a visit to Japanese restaurant Tomisushi.
“They ordered dishes using Japanese expressions they have been practicing in class and enjoyed a tasty, authentic, Japanese lunch,” Matsui said. “The students benefited from practicing Japanese outside the classroom while learning Japanese food culture.”
Later, the students visited the Hakone Gardens in Saratoga to observe a tea ceremony, “a wonderful opportunity for the students to learn about the choreographic movement of this special Japanese ritual,” Matsui added. To finish the trip, the students toured the gardens, enjoying the beautiful scenery and feeding fish in its koi pond.
Upper school Japanese language students received a special visit from musician Baisho Matsumoto on May 17. Wearing a black kimono, Matsumoto played a series of musical pieces on the shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument resembling a guitar, and the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese flute.
“We learned a lot of interesting information on these instruments,” said Japanese language teacher Yumiko Aridomi. “For example, shamisen has been played for about 800 years in Japan, and tsugaru shamisen artists are expected to play their original pieces of music for their customers.”
Matsumoto played traditional Japanese folk, pop and jazz music, among other styles.
“It was really fun watching the shamisen player play different instruments that you do not get to see in the United States,” said Scout McNealy, grade 10.
“It was an interesting aspect of Japanese culture that I never took the time to investigate before,” added junior Liana Wang. “I have heard of the shamisen before, but I didn’t know it was such a complex instrument. I was quite impressed.”