クラブ That’s Japanese for club

Written by Monique Boileau, Staff Writer

“We have a Japanese club?”
This is, more often than not, the response students give when Mrs Saarela announces a Japanese club meeting on the morning announcements. So to clear up all the confusion, yes! Forest Hill does, in fact, have a Japanese club. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t just a place for manga and anime (Japanese comics and animation) fans to congregate on Wednesday afternoons; in this club, students can learn basics of the Japanese language and immerse themselves in different aspects of Japanese culture. “It’s not anime club,” says club president Rebecca Morales. “We’ve got music videos, movies, TV shows, and you can actually participate in what we’re doing.” The members decide what the next meeting will be about, which could be anything from movies and music to politics and pressing issues facing the people of Japan.
They may not all be Japanese, but these kids come from all walks of life and are interested in the same thing. “It’s neat because it’s a variety of kids,” says Mrs Johnson, club supervisor. “Everybody can come here and fit in because it’s a culture unfamiliar to everyone, which is what makes it interesting.” Mrs Johnson also says that although the club started small, it has doubled in size it started. It was started by students, for students, and they’re the ones running the show. “I just supervise,” she says. The way the club is structured allows students to make suggestions and work as a team to teach each other about different aspects of Japanese culture. “We have a lot of fun, but at the same time we get to see [Japan's] culture through movies and different activities,” says club member Maria Olea.
The club is currently planning a trip to the Morikami Museum once the FCAT is out of the way. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach has been a center for Japanese arts and culture in Palm Beach County for over 30 years. It was originally created as an exhibit of the history of the Yamato Colony, and Japanese farming community that came to South Florida over 100 years ago. The Japanese club hopes to visit the Morikami to gain a better understanding of Japanese customs and history. Here, one can attend tea ceremonies, which are an important part of Japanese culture, and visit the different galleries open to the public. These include the history of Japan and the Japanese culture in Florida, paintings, sculptures, traditional Japanese clothing like Kimonos, and much more. Even the buildings are built in the traditional Japanese style of architecture. When you walk out into the 200 acres of Japanese gardens surrounding the museum, there is a certain sense of tranquility. The tropical banzai and Japanese Koi fish in the gardens help to mimic the forests of Japan. The Zen gardens also offer a taste of traditional Japan. These dry gardens of gravel, pebbles, and small boulders and plants are like miniature landscapes. They are a way for Japanese Buddhists to represent cosmic beauty and are found in Japanese meditation temples.
Even though Japan is in some ways more modernized and more technologically advanced than the rest of the world, ancient traditions and cultural beliefs are still a huge part of their daily lives. Here, even if we are Americans, many of us still practice traditions and customs that our parents or grandparents brought from their countries. By visiting the Morikami, the Japanese club and other visitors can experience the essence of Japan in America. The Morikami Museum and the spark of interest at Forest Hill in Japanese culture is a reflection of the ways that Japan has really become part of our culture. “It’s fun to come here and learn about a culture that not many people get to experience,” says one member. Thanks to the Japanese club, the students of Forest Hill can learn about the customs, art, language, you-name-it of Japan. So, if you think you might want to learn a Japanese word besides “karate”, you should consider stopping by the Japanese club this Wednesday in room 4-206.