October 16th, 2014
Talking with students about the Nippon Kan gardens-Nippon Kan Vice President Emily Busch
Bokken movement demonstration for students
Nippon Kan General Headquarters has been located at its current facility for almost 20 years. In 2014 over 700 elementary and middle school students and their parents and teachers have come to Nippon Kan for a cultural fieldtrip tour. These tours are usually set up in the spring but this year schools were interested in fieldtrips well into the fall. These tours include a facility tour, hands-on origami and Japanese games, an Aikido demonstration, folk art museum and garden tour and a Japanese lunch. Before eating their traditional Japanese lunches, the students are taught how to use chopsticks and the manners and etiquette associated with using them.
The students are introduced to all of these Japanese activities and also learn about AHAN and our support projects for children all over the world. The fee for these tours is $10.00 per student and includes lunch. $3.00 is allocated to material costs and $7.00 is donated to AHAN for funding of international children’s support projects. All of the staff volunteer their time, taking time off work or school to orchestrate these tours of the Nippon Kan facility. Homma Kancho makes all of the lunches himself, sometimes over 100 at a time.
Report by
Nippon Kan General Headquarters Official Instructor
Yuji Kosakowski