When the word ‘Japan’ is brought up in conversation, former Japanese Student Organization Vice President Tomo Nozoe says, a couple select images typically come to mind: sushi and samurai. It is, unfortunately, quite the narrow view of an entire, several-hundred-year-old society.
This is precisely what members of the JSO seek to correct.
“Those are definitely part of Japanese culture,” said Nozoe, “but we want to go farther.”
Japan Night is the culmination of that ambition. For more than 10 years, the JSO has worked to bring a more thorough piece of Japan to the University. Previous years have seen upward of 500 attendees and an extensive array of events ranging from music to film to fashion.
Japan Night 2009, taking place tomorrow night in the EMU Ballroom, promises to be bigger and better than ever, its hosts say.
“My favorite part would be 600 servings of food that will be prepared in the EMU kitchen on Friday and Saturday,” said JSO President Mai Taniguchi. Presenting an array of Japanese food has long been a staple of the event and this year’s menu will include bento, a modern lunchbox-style meal, as well as sushi.
Taniguchi said the JSO is taking it one step further this year by providing a Japan Night booklet with a food section explaining the cooking procedure, Taniguchi said.
Alongside this culinary exploration, a variety of shows and live performances presenting the best of traditional and modern Japanese culture are scheduled to take place.
“This year the haunted house is back, of course,” explained Nozoe. “A couple years back we used ‘(The) Ring’ to do it. This year it’s not completely ‘Ring,’ but mix of ‘Ring’ and ‘(The) Grudge.’” Nozoe said these films show a different sort of horror than what most Westerners are accustomed to. They represent a specifically Japanese take on fear and the horrific, another concept not often discussed in regard to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Taniguchi elaborated on the specifics: “We have come up with many new ideas for the haunted house, such as including some elements direct from Japan like Konyaku and horribly frightening dried fish called ‘warasubo.’ All the while, we have managed to keep the same favorite features, like our hanging man and ‘Ring’ style well.”
Additionally, the event will include performances by Eugene Taiko, a local group playing the traditional Japanese taiko drums, the Japanese Performing Arts Company and members of the Yujin Gakuen Japanese Immersion program.
Music will include a live show by the Japanese rock band One Step, as well as demonstrations of several traditional instruments, such as the koto, shakuhachi and shamisen.
As in previous years, the popular Kimono Fashion Show is set to end out the night. “We are very proud of this part of our fashion show because the clothes are authentic and brought over from Japan by our many members, volunteers and supporters,” said Tanaguchi. In addition, according to Nozoe, this year the JSO will add a twist to the tradition. “In addition to the fashion show, we have the current Japanese fashion.”
It is the hope of JSO members that through this event, students and community members come away with a more thorough knowledge of Japanese society and customs.
“People have stereotypes of Japan, and when they hear Japan, the first thing that comes to mind is sushi, samurai …” said Nozoe, who wishes to introduce attendees to lesser-known parts of the culture. “For example, one of them would be the Japanese fortune New Year’s Dream. We have a ranking. The first would be Mt. Fuji, (then) the eagle, and the eggplant. If you dream of any of these three (on New Year’s Eve), you’ll be good for the rest of the year. People don’t know about that.”
Taniguchi couldn’t agree more. “Even though Japan is physically located far away from the U.S., I hope guests can feel that Japan is closer and it’s accessible through our event.”
Tickets for the event are $6 for students and are available at the UO Ticket Office. Doors open at 6 p.m.; the show begins at 6:30 p.m.
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Japan Night celebrates cultural heritage
Daily Emerald
January 15, 2009
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