JAPAN HOUSE

Support Japan House by Treating Yourself to a Cupcake!

We are honored that Cream & Flutter, the incredible bakery in downtown Champaign, at 114 N. Walnut, has chosen Japan House as their community partner for the month of May 2012. Cream & Flutter will be donating 5% of their profits from that period to Japan House. You can enjoy any of their delicious treats but the Green Tea Cherry Blossom cupcake looks utterly delightful to us! 

Thanks to Cream & Flutter for their innovative combination of baking and generosity! 

And as an added inducement....for every 6 Green Tea Cherry Blossom cupcakes that you buy you will receive a voucher for a free tea ceremony ($8 value)!

Spring and Sharing

For such a quiet, peaceful place Japan House can also be very busy!  Yesterday was one of those days.  The weather outside was gorgeous and people were ready to visit and celebrate Setsubun with us! Professor Kimiko Gunji shared the tradition of Setsubun and mamemaki with us, complete with traditional masks and the throwing of soybeans.  Afterwards we all shared some toasted soybeans and laughed as we shared in the feeling of welcoming spring and banishing demons!

Before the Setsubun, we were honored to welcome Native American House director Jamie Singson and his staff to Japan House for a tea ceremony.  The diversity of cultures on this campus and the humble respect we have for them is something that is a joy to share.

After the Setsubun we offered another tea ceremony and then later on the Tea Study Group met for their weekly evening class.  A very busy, full...and good day at Japan House.

Winter Afternoon Tea at Japan House

On Saturday, January 21, 2012 we held our first Saturday afternoon tea and welcomed 16 guests to enjoy the warmth and peace of the Japanese tea ceremony.  We will continue, on the third Saturday of each month, to offer these tea ceremonies at 3:00 p.m.  Japan House is always open on the third Saturday of the month from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. offering tours.  However now, that will be augmented by the opportunity to participate in a tea ceremony at 3:00.  Reservations are recommended as these may fill up quickly.  The cost is $8 per person.  If you'd like to make a reservation call Nancy at 217-244-9934 or email at japanhouse@illinois.edu.  We will continue to offer tea ceremonies on Thursday afternoons at 2:00 and 3:00 as well.

This most recent Saturday was made even more special because we also welcomed Shozo Sato and the children and adults of the Damine Kabuki group who were performing at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts the following day. 

I'll have some pictures from their incredible performance coming up soon in another post so check back!

 

Special Opportunity for a Backstage Tour with Shozo Sato!

Are you a Japan House Tomonokai member?

Professor Emeritus and Founding Director of Japan House Shozo Sato is offering a special backstage tour for Tomonokai members prior to the Damine Kabuki children's performance at Krannert Center this Sunday, January 22, 2012 in the Tryon Festival Theater. Tickets are free for everybody for the 3:00 p.m. performance but at 1:00 p.m. Shozo Sato will bring Japan House Tomonokai members backstage for an exclusive tour! Just look for the 'Japan House tour' in the lobby of the Tryon Festival Theater and Professor Emeritus Sato will meet you there. There is no need to make a reservation----just be in the Tryon Festival lobby, by the 'Japan House tour' sign a few minutes before 1:00 p.m.

 

Would you like to become a Tomonokai member to take advantage of this unique backstage experience? Membership levels begin at just $25 and you will then be able to take advantage of special rates for our upcoming calligraphy and cooking workshops, as well as an invitation to a members-only  cherry blossom celebration. And that's just SOME of what's happening this semester! If you are interested in joining, please call Japan House at 217-244-9934, or click here to join online.

And don't forget----even if you aren't a Japan House Tomonokai member---you can still attend the Damine Kabuki performance for free at 3:00 p.m. 

AND on this Saturday, January 21, 2012, we will begin offering tea ceremonies on the third Saturday of each month at 3:00 p.m. Call or email japanhouse@illinois.edu to make a reservation.

 

Tea Ceremonies on the Third Saturday of the Month

We are delighted to announce that tea ceremonies will now be offered to the public on the third Saturday of each month at 3:00 p.m.  Tea ceremonies will continue to be offered every Thursday at 2:00 and 3:00 but due to many requests we are adding these monthly Saturday teas to accommodate those that aren't able to attend during the week.  Please join us and find a moment of peace as you experience the Way of Tea.

Take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony this Saturday, January 21 at 3:00 p.m.  Reservations are required.  The ceremony begins with a brief tour of Japan House and will last approximately an hour.  There are plenty of opportunities to ask questions and photographs are allowed. The fee of $8 will cover your participation in the ceremony, your bowl of matcha tea and a traditional Japanese sweet. Tea ceremonies are limited to only 20 participants so don't hesitate to make your reservation at 217-244-9934 or japanhouse@illinois.edu!

Chado, the Way of Tea, is one of the most time honored Japanese traditional arts. It encompasses all of the different Japanese art forms, aesthetics, and philosophy. Codified almost four hundred years ago by Sen Rikyu, the greatest tea master, the four spirits of tea signify the highest ideals of the Way of Tea: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. Its core elements involve the acts of serving and receiving a bowl of tea with the utmost sincerity, appreciation, and attentiveness, while bearing an attitude of single-mindedness and a keen awareness of the concept ichigo, ichie (one life, one opportunity).

Campus Honors Program Celebrates 25th Anniversary at Japan House

October 8, 2011 saw the Campus Honors Program celebrating its 25th anniversary.  We were delighted to welcome a group of Campus Honors alums to a special tea ceremony that afternoon.  It was a pleasure to see so many familiar faces--thank you so much for attending and remembering Japan House as one of your key experiences as a student!

 

 

Lifetime Achievement Award for Kimiko Gunji

We are delighted to announce that Kimiko Gunji will be the recipient of the 2011 Lifetime Achievement ACE Award from 40North/88West, Champaign County's art, culture, and entertainment council.

CONGRATULATIONS KIMIKO!

The award ceremony will be held on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, at 5:30 pm at the Canopy Club in Urbana.  Tickets are only $10 and I invite you to join us to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.  Unfortunately, Professor Gunji will be in Japan that day but Interim Director Jennifer Gunji-Ballsrud will accept on her behalf and we hope that many Japan House supporters join us for the celebration!

Tickets may be purchased at the following link:

https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/40North/OnlineDonation.html

or you may contact 40North for more information at 217-351-9841.

Please join us to celebrate both Kimiko's accomplishments and the other award winners!

Below is her nomination:

It is my pleasure to nominate Kimiko Gunji for an ACE award in the field of education.  The retirement of Kimiko Gunji from the University of Illinois marks the end of a very special educational force.  For close to four decades Kimiko has created powerful learning experiences for University of Illinois students and members of the community.  She may have officially retired from the University in August of this year but I have no doubt however that she will find a way to continue sharing her vision for teaching Japanese culture. 

Teaching in Champaign County since the mid 1970’s, Kimiko’s unique approach to teaching cultural arts can be seen in the mission and programming of Japan House.  Japan House provides an academic, cultural, and natural setting for promoting an appreciation of Japanese culture and related Asian cultural concepts. Built around the concept of the Way of Tea, with three separate tearooms, the Japanese style building is a center for teaching and learning about Japanese art and culture.  However, the overarching goal is truly to promote peace through cultural tolerance.  Kimiko believes strongly that learning about another culture greatly increases your tolerance and respect for all cultures. 

Began in an old Victorian house in the 1970s, it might have been the end of Japan House when founder Shozo Sato retired, and the house was torn down.  However, Kimiko believed that there should be a permanent facility for Japan House.  So in 1998, as a result of Kimiko’s determined and tireless fundraising, the doors to the current facility opened and the gardens were planted.  Today Champaign County is fortunate to have this incredible immersive environment that makes learning experiences truly transformative.

Kimiko taught not just the University students that attend classes at Japan House through the School of Art and Design, but also the entire Champaign-Urbana community---through classes and programs, and also through every single personal interaction in which she was involved.  At Japan House anyone can join classes open to the general public for studying the tea ceremony and Ikebana, or meet monthly for cultural presentations and tea, and groups, ranging from grade-schoolers to university students to senior citizens, visit and experience the tea ceremony.  

In these times marked by intercultural conflict and misunderstanding, the mission of Japan House is increasingly important both politically and personally, and both globally and locally.  As Kimiko herself wrote about her teaching:

This path upon which I guide students is also a means of exploring a new approach of viewing their own lives and the world in which they live. It is my utmost hope that the knowledge that I share and the opportunities that I provide for them to encounter new experiences will not only broaden their knowledge and awareness but also will amply enrich their lives.  Through my teaching and my art, I hope to impart the significance of becoming a fine human being through the vitalization of the senses and the natural manifestation of one’s heart.

Although Kimiko’s formal teaching is perhaps over, there is no question that she will continue to teach, and to encourage transformative experiences and reflection to everyone with whom she interacts.   And there is certainly no doubt that her influence will continue to be felt by her students and the lives they lead and those that they teach, and all those that will continue to learn through Japan House in the future.

                                                                                                                         Cynthia Voelkl

Readying

Japan House is looking a little bare as we ready the interior for a fresh coat of paint.  It hasn't been painted since it opened in 1998.  It's hard to believe that it's been so long and also hard to believe that this beautiful facility hasn't been here even longer.

We spent part of Friday taking framed pieces from the walls and clearing the space.  It gave us a moment to reflect on the beauty of the items that Japan House holds and the purity of the space itself.

Of course it always helps to know tall people who can help!

and thanks to Jeff Wallace and others in the Tea Study Group for their help in moving all the cranes hanging in the main room into the smallest of the tearooms.  What a magical place it looks!

Japan House on WCIA

WCIA-TV, Champaign's local CBS affiliate, recently chose to begin their premiere episdoe of ciLiving.tv, their new afternoon new hour-long, live news and lifestyle show, with an episode on Japan House.  Correspondent Joe Barlow visited Japan House to speak with Interim Director Gunji-Ballsrud, docent Barbara Hundley and experience a tea ceremony.  You can find the video clip here.  Please note that tea ceremonies are offered every Thursday afternoon at 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. (except for breaks) and are $8.  Reservations are recommended.  Contact us at 217-244-9934 or japanhouse@illinois.edu for more information.

 

Pond Walkways at Japan House and the Arboretum

The new walkways around the ponds are almost completed.  These pictures don't even begin to capture how beautiful the views are.  All of us who spend time in the Arboretum are extremely grateful for the generous gift from the Kari Family, to honor the metmory of Dr. Frank A. Kari. 

From the Arboretum's recent press release:

INVESTMENT OF THE DR. FRANK A. KARI GIFT

The UI Arboretum received a generous gift from Kari Family to honor the memory of Dr. Frank A. Kari. The Arboretum has determined to invest the gift in a walkway from Japan House, around the ponds and connect back into the walkway that leads from the Arboretum parking lot to Japan House (see attached plan). The gift will also provide for native plantings around the ponds and an endowment for the management and maintenance of the plants and ponds. There is no other location on the UI campus with such a native plant display.

Investment of this gift in the walkway is in keeping with the mission of the Arboretum, which is to discover, interpret, and disseminate knowledge in the plant sciences and applied arts by providing an aesthetically enriched setting for education, research, conservation, and enjoyment. The Arboretum is envisioned as a living laboratory, including plant collections and facilities that supported the teaching, research, and public service programs of several units throughout the University. The Dr. Frank A. Kari Walkway and Pond Restoration will be a wonderful addition to the native plant collection of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

just a bit more work left....