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my first six days at Midorikai
Apr. 6th, 2011 08:18 pmHi, folks! I've been in Kyoto for almost a week, and I'd meant to post something bloggish earlier, but I've been procrastinating, I think at least partly because I'm not sure how I'm going to go about recording my daily experiences here—which I intend to do—while balancing my readership's lack of chado knowledge with my own desire not to burn out from having to write a lot of explanations. I still don't know how I'm going to negotiate that balance, but I figure the backlog isn't getting any shorter.
So, I arrived in Kyoto on the evening of March 31 and stayed the night with Anna, a friend from college whom we realized I hadn't seen in person in years. I'm excited that we'll be in the same city for a year. We had a little time to catch up before we had to be on our respective ways the next morning. In my case that was to the Urasenke office, where I met Murata-sensei, who showed me to my dorm and introduced my fellow incoming classmates (my doukyuusei) and the classmates who had begun the Midorikai program last September (our senpai). I have three doukyuusei, from Finland, Romania, and Hawaii, though the one from Hawaii can only stay for another three and a half months instead of the standard year. We have four senpai, from the Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, and New York. (Yes, Finland seems to have an active program for sending chado students to Midorikai.)
Our dormitory is quite nice. The rooms are single-occupancy and include a private bath, kitchenette, washing machine, and—in the case of the women's dormitory—a small balcony. Here's a video tour of my dorm room that I made on my second day here.
On April 1, I accompanied the senpai to a sending-off lunch for Wendy, who was evidently the last of the just-graduated Midorikai class to depart Kyoto. From the teary goodbyes I could see that the students (and teachers) form some really meaningful bonds over the course of a year.
After bidding farewell to Wendy, our senpai took us on a walk around the ward to stop by some useful stores, particularly a nearby 100-yen shop and a mid-level department store. That evening, we dined out on okonomiyaki and had time for a drink at a pub on the way back to our dorms.
On April 2, our senpai took us around for some chado-specific shopping. First to Kitayama for some supplies, including new fukusa. Then to Tankosha, where we browsed many of the books but didn't buy any. We stopped at a second dogu shop that was jammed with stuff; the shopkeeper gave us each a zokin even though we didn't buy anything on that stop; it seemed that our senpai had cultivated a good relationship with them. We stopped by Hinodeya, where our scholarship kimono will be made, just to say hello to the shopkeeper. At Kimura we bought samue, which will be our cleaning garb, meaning we'll be wearing them a lot. I found a nice black one. After lunch at a kaitenzushi restaurant, we walked along Kamogawa, taking in the festive atmosphere of children playing and groups sitting on blue tarps for hanami gatherings. We wandered over to Nashinoki-jinja to sample some of its famous spring water. We walked through Kyoto Gyoen and saw the momo and ume in bloom, though the latter are well past their peak. At wagashi confectionery Tsuruya Yoshinobu we enjoyed tea and sweets that are made in front of us; I especially enjoyed the (nerikiri) satouzakura I chose. This is definitely a place I'll bring any visitors I get. It got to be quite chilly outside by that time, so most of the rest of the walking we did was back to our dorm.
On Sunday our senpai were responsible for helping out with a chakai. Some of us doukyuusei got our cameras and went to Kyoto Gyoen, where we snapped photos of the sakura in addition to the flowers we'd seen the previous day. Then we headed over to Ginkaku-ji, which was rather a longer walk from Kyoto Gyoen than the half-hour jaunt that one of my doukyuusei had been told to expect. After walking eastward along Imadegawa-dori for a while, we stopped for ramen and then boarded a bus to take us the rest of the way. There aren't any sakura at Ginkaku-ji, and it was awfully crowded, but it's hard for me to be in a bad mood after I've had a cone of soft-serve houjicha ice cream. Afterward we caught a bus back to Karasuma Imadegawa and walked up to VIVRE, the aforementioned mid-level department store, for notebooks, seats for the low tables in our rooms, and laundry baskets. There are some things available to us that have been left by previous Midorikai students, and we stopped on our way back to "shop" in the store room containing them in the men's dormitory. Among the free stuff I've picked up have been tea cups, a pot, tissues, an electric kettle, a small ironing board and iron, and a folding kimono rack.
On Monday the 4th we new students went to the ward office to register as resident aliens. For lunch we ate our first meal in the school cafeteria, which offers a choice between two main dishes in addition to the (miso or clear) soup, rice, and tea that come with every meal. After lunch we had an orientation with Hamana-sensei, who told us about the purpose, history, and benefits of the Midorikai program and about important elements that determined the course of Hounsai's life work.
The next morning we met with Hamana-sensei for more orientation. This time we learned about Japanese values including giri/ninjō, dantai koudou (group behavior), and kata/katachi (form). He gave us some advice on how to study and succeed in Midorikai, and we had a chance to talk about what interested us about chado.
After lunch we participated in nyuryoshiki, a dormitory-entering ceremony that includes the introduction of entering students, the appointment of dormitory chiefs, and a pledge to abide by the dormitory rules.
This morning was nyugakushiki, the school-entering ceremony, which is quite a bigger deal. I should explain that all of these ceremonies involve the whole school—that is, Urasenke Gakuen Chado Senmon Gakko—of which we Midorikai students are but a small fraction. For this nyugakushiki all of the students except the incoming Midorikai students wore formal kimono, and students' parents were invited. We recited the Urasenke creed while facing Rikyu Onsodo (except those of us who hadn't had time or inclination to memorize it in the day since we learned it would be useful to do so). Oiemoto and Okusama gave speeches; each of us stood and bowed to Oiemoto when our names were called. Afterward we received our scholarships, attended teicha, paid our respects at Rikyu Onsodo, and ate an elegant shokado bento lunch. Many students posed for photos outside of Gakuen. We scurried back to our dorms to change into samue and returned to Gakuen for ōsōji, where we Midorikai students were responsible for cleaning the three second-floor classrooms. The four of us incoming Midorikai students had to skip out early, though, to go to a fitting session for our scholarship kimono. I chose a blue fabric, which one of my doukyuusei insists is more appropriate for older women; my understanding is that colors like pink, orange, and yellow are particularly appropriate for younger women while colors like green, blue, and gray are more appropriate for older women. Well, I already have two pink kimono and a yellow one (though all three are the less formal komon type). And I prefer the older-woman colors. So there. Pffft. The obi I chose to go with it is dark red with a gold design. We had the option of adding a mon to the back of the kimono, which makes it suitable for formal occasions (of which I'll attend many over the next year, and not a few even after I return to the States, I expect) though that add-on isn't covered by the Midorikai scholarship. If you are Japanese you already have a designated mon from your family, but if you aren't, you get to choose one, an act of identity-expression that rivals choosing a name for yourself, if you ask me. The shopkeeper has a catalogue of hundreds of—probably over a thousand—mon, and I'm afraid I tried my doukyuusei's patience in paging through the catalogue to choose one, but I eventually found one I think suits me well. It'll be a surprise to you readers that I'll reveal when I receive the finished kimono in about a month, but suffice it so say it's one I've never seen in person.
Over here in the women's dormitory we Midorikai students capped off the evening with kitsuke practice. Putting on a women's kimono is not easy; I've always depended on others for help. But at Midorikai, after a week or two we're expected to procure kimono of our own (in addition to the scholarship kimono) and learn how to put it on correctly so that we can wear it every day. If this evening's round of practice was any indication, I've got a lot of practice ahead of me before I can make myself remotely presentable.
So, I arrived in Kyoto on the evening of March 31 and stayed the night with Anna, a friend from college whom we realized I hadn't seen in person in years. I'm excited that we'll be in the same city for a year. We had a little time to catch up before we had to be on our respective ways the next morning. In my case that was to the Urasenke office, where I met Murata-sensei, who showed me to my dorm and introduced my fellow incoming classmates (my doukyuusei) and the classmates who had begun the Midorikai program last September (our senpai). I have three doukyuusei, from Finland, Romania, and Hawaii, though the one from Hawaii can only stay for another three and a half months instead of the standard year. We have four senpai, from the Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, and New York. (Yes, Finland seems to have an active program for sending chado students to Midorikai.)
Our dormitory is quite nice. The rooms are single-occupancy and include a private bath, kitchenette, washing machine, and—in the case of the women's dormitory—a small balcony. Here's a video tour of my dorm room that I made on my second day here.
On April 1, I accompanied the senpai to a sending-off lunch for Wendy, who was evidently the last of the just-graduated Midorikai class to depart Kyoto. From the teary goodbyes I could see that the students (and teachers) form some really meaningful bonds over the course of a year.After bidding farewell to Wendy, our senpai took us on a walk around the ward to stop by some useful stores, particularly a nearby 100-yen shop and a mid-level department store. That evening, we dined out on okonomiyaki and had time for a drink at a pub on the way back to our dorms.
On April 2, our senpai took us around for some chado-specific shopping. First to Kitayama for some supplies, including new fukusa. Then to Tankosha, where we browsed many of the books but didn't buy any. We stopped at a second dogu shop that was jammed with stuff; the shopkeeper gave us each a zokin even though we didn't buy anything on that stop; it seemed that our senpai had cultivated a good relationship with them. We stopped by Hinodeya, where our scholarship kimono will be made, just to say hello to the shopkeeper. At Kimura we bought samue, which will be our cleaning garb, meaning we'll be wearing them a lot. I found a nice black one. After lunch at a kaitenzushi restaurant, we walked along Kamogawa, taking in the festive atmosphere of children playing and groups sitting on blue tarps for hanami gatherings. We wandered over to Nashinoki-jinja to sample some of its famous spring water. We walked through Kyoto Gyoen and saw the momo and ume in bloom, though the latter are well past their peak. At wagashi confectionery Tsuruya Yoshinobu we enjoyed tea and sweets that are made in front of us; I especially enjoyed the (nerikiri) satouzakura I chose. This is definitely a place I'll bring any visitors I get. It got to be quite chilly outside by that time, so most of the rest of the walking we did was back to our dorm.
On Sunday our senpai were responsible for helping out with a chakai. Some of us doukyuusei got our cameras and went to Kyoto Gyoen, where we snapped photos of the sakura in addition to the flowers we'd seen the previous day. Then we headed over to Ginkaku-ji, which was rather a longer walk from Kyoto Gyoen than the half-hour jaunt that one of my doukyuusei had been told to expect. After walking eastward along Imadegawa-dori for a while, we stopped for ramen and then boarded a bus to take us the rest of the way. There aren't any sakura at Ginkaku-ji, and it was awfully crowded, but it's hard for me to be in a bad mood after I've had a cone of soft-serve houjicha ice cream. Afterward we caught a bus back to Karasuma Imadegawa and walked up to VIVRE, the aforementioned mid-level department store, for notebooks, seats for the low tables in our rooms, and laundry baskets. There are some things available to us that have been left by previous Midorikai students, and we stopped on our way back to "shop" in the store room containing them in the men's dormitory. Among the free stuff I've picked up have been tea cups, a pot, tissues, an electric kettle, a small ironing board and iron, and a folding kimono rack.On Monday the 4th we new students went to the ward office to register as resident aliens. For lunch we ate our first meal in the school cafeteria, which offers a choice between two main dishes in addition to the (miso or clear) soup, rice, and tea that come with every meal. After lunch we had an orientation with Hamana-sensei, who told us about the purpose, history, and benefits of the Midorikai program and about important elements that determined the course of Hounsai's life work.
The next morning we met with Hamana-sensei for more orientation. This time we learned about Japanese values including giri/ninjō, dantai koudou (group behavior), and kata/katachi (form). He gave us some advice on how to study and succeed in Midorikai, and we had a chance to talk about what interested us about chado.
After lunch we participated in nyuryoshiki, a dormitory-entering ceremony that includes the introduction of entering students, the appointment of dormitory chiefs, and a pledge to abide by the dormitory rules.
This morning was nyugakushiki, the school-entering ceremony, which is quite a bigger deal. I should explain that all of these ceremonies involve the whole school—that is, Urasenke Gakuen Chado Senmon Gakko—of which we Midorikai students are but a small fraction. For this nyugakushiki all of the students except the incoming Midorikai students wore formal kimono, and students' parents were invited. We recited the Urasenke creed while facing Rikyu Onsodo (except those of us who hadn't had time or inclination to memorize it in the day since we learned it would be useful to do so). Oiemoto and Okusama gave speeches; each of us stood and bowed to Oiemoto when our names were called. Afterward we received our scholarships, attended teicha, paid our respects at Rikyu Onsodo, and ate an elegant shokado bento lunch. Many students posed for photos outside of Gakuen. We scurried back to our dorms to change into samue and returned to Gakuen for ōsōji, where we Midorikai students were responsible for cleaning the three second-floor classrooms. The four of us incoming Midorikai students had to skip out early, though, to go to a fitting session for our scholarship kimono. I chose a blue fabric, which one of my doukyuusei insists is more appropriate for older women; my understanding is that colors like pink, orange, and yellow are particularly appropriate for younger women while colors like green, blue, and gray are more appropriate for older women. Well, I already have two pink kimono and a yellow one (though all three are the less formal komon type). And I prefer the older-woman colors. So there. Pffft. The obi I chose to go with it is dark red with a gold design. We had the option of adding a mon to the back of the kimono, which makes it suitable for formal occasions (of which I'll attend many over the next year, and not a few even after I return to the States, I expect) though that add-on isn't covered by the Midorikai scholarship. If you are Japanese you already have a designated mon from your family, but if you aren't, you get to choose one, an act of identity-expression that rivals choosing a name for yourself, if you ask me. The shopkeeper has a catalogue of hundreds of—probably over a thousand—mon, and I'm afraid I tried my doukyuusei's patience in paging through the catalogue to choose one, but I eventually found one I think suits me well. It'll be a surprise to you readers that I'll reveal when I receive the finished kimono in about a month, but suffice it so say it's one I've never seen in person.Over here in the women's dormitory we Midorikai students capped off the evening with kitsuke practice. Putting on a women's kimono is not easy; I've always depended on others for help. But at Midorikai, after a week or two we're expected to procure kimono of our own (in addition to the scholarship kimono) and learn how to put it on correctly so that we can wear it every day. If this evening's round of practice was any indication, I've got a lot of practice ahead of me before I can make myself remotely presentable.
