School? I thought we were on tour!! -Jill Powers

Today we got the opportunity to take classes just like Japanese students. We visited Sakushin Gaukin High School where we learned about calligraphy and kudo, Japanese archery. Since there are so many of us we were divided up into two groups and took turns in each class.

 

The group I was in tried our hand at calligraphy first. Our sensei, teacher, demonstrated four different characters. We were each allowed to choose one to try. After four practice rounds it was time for the real test. We were all given a nice piece of paper and a fan to show off our skills. When we were all done the sensei chose the best one and presented the student with a hanging frame to display their artwork.



Jessica Turnland and I showing off our calligraphy skills.

Next, we got to try archery. Members of the Sakushin Gaukin kudo club gave us a demonstration of what a kudo competition looks like. It was a lot more complicated than I was anticipating, it isn't just shooting a bow and arrow. There is a whole presentation and routine that must be completed first. They shoot from 28m or 60m, but when it was our turn they moved us right up close to the target. We were given as many tries as we wanted to hit the target. Quite a few people hit the target, I however was not so lucky. I don't plan on taking up archery as a new hobby when we return home.


My group after our kudo lesson.

Overall, I really enjoyed this experience. Although I wasn't particularly good at either of them it was still fun trying. It was interesting to see how different they were from any subjects we learn in school. Although these classes aren't everyday skills that are needed they are taught to teach students about Japan's heritage and culture in able to preserve an important part of their history.