Tag: Culture

Hibakusha Visits ASIJ

The Japan Center together with the high school Japan Seminar class and all of grade seven recently developed and participated in a two-day program called “Hibakusha Stories of Survival,” aimed at understanding the impact of the Hiroshima atomic bombing on hibakusha (survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings). The program also served to prepare seventh-grade students for their trip to Hiroshima at the end of January. While the hibakusha survived the immediate effects of the blasts, they suffer from the effects of radiation sickness, loss of family and friends, and discrimination. Continue reading →

Students Learn Soup from the Master

Tomoko Nakai’s HS Japanese 9 classes recently began their unit on traditional new year’s food and traditions are exploring traditional new year’s ozoni and how the soup differs in every region. Renowned Chef Hajime Kimura visited ASIJ to help introduce students to the world of washoku,  and to introduce the techniques and ingredients used in making ozoni. Head chef at Takehashi Japanese Restaurant in Otemachi’s KKR Hotel Tokyo, Chef Kimura has more than 22 years of experience and served an apprenticeship for four years to legendary “Iron Chef” Koumei Nakamura. The Japan Center arranged Chef Kimura’s visit to help introduce this unit, at the end of which Japanese 9 students will present their research on a specific region’s ozoni soup. Continue reading →

Kyogen: 40 Years Later

On March 14, students and faculty celebrated four decades of ASIJ kyogen performances. The annual tradition begin in 1978, with its first shows during the school’s 75th anniversary Matsuri and has continued to this day, led by the same family of kyogen teachers. Kyogen faculty advisor, Machi Nakamura, and students reflect on the anniversary performance. Continue reading →