Like sushi? Experience Japanese culture!

The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum is offering some great workshops pertaining to the Japanese culture.  If you ever wanted to learn about Japanese art or food, make sure to sign up for these classes.  Most are free but reservations are required. 843.238.2510

Bonsai:  A Living Art: Practiced in Japan for more than 1,000 years, bonsai is the art of cultivating miniature trees in small containers.  Elizabeth Keller, Coastal Carolina University art professor, shows specimens from her collection of nearly 100 bonsai trees as she shares the traditions and methods of this delicate, ancient art form.

(July 18, 2 – 3:30 p.m.) (No charge, reservations required)

Ikebana:  ‘Flowers Kept Alive’: A professor second grade of the Ikenobo School of Ikebana headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, Emiko Suzuki taught ikebana, the ancient Japanese art of flower arranging, for 13 years in Japan before moving to North Carolina in 2007.  Suzuki’s expertise in the subtleties of this art form, which was founded 550 years ago with the ikenobo school as a Buddhist floral offering and later practiced by monks, samurai, upper-class women and geisha, honors the earliest traditions while embracing modern free forms.

(July 25, 2 – 3:30 p.m.) (No charge, reservations required)

Sushi:  Japan’s “Fast Food”: Join sushi chef Yosuke Oshima for an informative and tasty demonstration of sushi making from the shari (rice) to the neta (other ingredients, usually fish) along with nori (seaweed wrapper) and all the condiments.  Samples of the sushi recipe will be offered.

(August 1, 2 – 3:30 p.m.) (No charge, reservations required)

The Way of Tea: The Japanese Tea Ceremony: First a student of tea ceremony for 22 years and then a teacher in Japan, Emiko Suzuki returns to the Museum to demonstrate and illuminate the rituals and traditions associated with this ancient ceremony which has become the essence of Japanese culture.  Handed down from Zen Buddhist monks and refined through the centuries, the performance includes kimono as an important element of the protocol of the tea ceremony.

(August 8, 2 – 3:30 p.m.)  (No charge, Reservations required)

Book Discussion: The Secret Life of Geisha by Arthur Golden

Discussion of this popular novel, published in 1997, will be led by retired librarian Evie Kahn, self-described as “an ordinary reader and lover of books who likes to dig up background information.” Kahn’s research is so good, participants will be able to enjoy the discussion even if they haven’t had a chance to read the book.

(September 12, 2- 3:30 p.m.) (No charge, reservations required)