Students at iCLA had the special opportunity to experience two of Japan’s most iconic traditional arts, Sado (Japanese tea ceremony) and Kado (Japanese flower arrangement), in a hands-on workshop held on campus.
The session was part of iCLA’s iEXPerience Program. The iEXPerience Program, which has run since 2022 aims to deepen students’ understanding of Yamanashi Prefecture’s rich culture and history through immersive, extracurricular experiences. The program takes students beyond the textbook with study trips and practical workshops led by professors and Yamanashi’s experts and industry professionals. Previous programs have included a viniculture experience and winery tour to explore Yamanashi’s renowned wine industry and business, a taiko drumming lesson to learn about Japanese music culture with an acclaimed high school Taiko Club, and temple visits to deepen understanding of regional history.
This time, the focus was on Japanese traditional arts.
The tea ceremony session took place in iCLA’s traditional tea room on campus. Guided by a local tea master, students stepped into the role of guest in a tea ceremony. They learned Sado etiquette such as greeting the host, bowing, entering the tea room, and observing the elements in the tokonoma: the calligraphy scroll, the seasonal flower arrangement and its matching flower pot. Students were also taught important gestures like the use of a paper fan in the tea room and audibly drinking the last sip of tea to indicate finishing it. The Japanese sweet, wagashi, eaten during tea ceremony typically symbolizes the season, and on this occasion was shaped like a plum, representing the rainy season.
Following the tea ceremony, the Japanese flower arrangement workshop, Kado, was also held on campus. In the workshop led by a master of Kado, students made the arrangement “Inyo nishu”. They learned to identify the structure of the arrangement, shin, mikomi, and tome, and worked with the seasonal flowers, camellia, lily, and stachys. After a demonstration from the master, each student created their own arrangement and received personalized feedback.
In this iEXPerience Program, iCLA students could gain an authentic experience in the traditional Japanese arts Sado and Kado from tea and flower masters.
Through these workshops, students not only learned the basics of Sado and Kado, but also gained deeper insights into Japanese culture and arts. The iEXPerience Program offers a chance to engage meaningfully with the traditions and cultural richness of Yamanashi, fostering learning that goes beyond the classroom.
“I learned how important the aesthetic is in Japanese culture, and also how precise it is. For example, it is very interesting to see how every movement in the tea ceremony is precise. It really shows how much Japan still follows and respects traditions.” – iEXPerience Participant, Caroline