Hi,there! Now, you are at the second section of my presentation, "Discover Japan!"Let’s move to the traditional Japanese culture. First, the tea ceremony. (The image is from;http://www2.pref.shimane.jp/kouhou/esque/14/menu03c.html) A Tea Ceremony is literally the way of serving tea or having tea, but it is based on a kind of Buddhism, so every action has a meaning. I said Japanese people are not religious, but cherish morals. In Japanese morals, it is important to be humble and caring. If you go to a tea ceremony, you should follow many rules, and these rules are based on “caring about others.”
For example, you should make a bow toward the next person before you eat a Japanese cake. Every Japanese tea bowl has a beautiful picture on one side. The tea server gives the bowl to the guest with the picture facing the guest. But before the guest drinks it, he should turn the bowl to make the picture face the server because it shows the guest’s respect to the server.
Have you ever seen a movie, “The Last Samurai?” Samurai means a Japanese soldier. It was important for Samurai soldiers to do tea ceremonies. Basically, they were like athletes, so they wanted to show their sophisticated aspects. If they served tea ceremonies artistically, they were considered smart people. Nowadays, a tea ceremony is not our daily activity. But it is also popular as in traditional culture.
For example, you should make a bow toward the next person before you eat a Japanese cake. Every Japanese tea bowl has a beautiful picture on one side. The tea server gives the bowl to the guest with the picture facing the guest. But before the guest drinks it, he should turn the bowl to make the picture face the server because it shows the guest’s respect to the server.
Have you ever seen a movie, “The Last Samurai?” Samurai means a Japanese soldier. It was important for Samurai soldiers to do tea ceremonies. Basically, they were like athletes, so they wanted to show their sophisticated aspects. If they served tea ceremonies artistically, they were considered smart people. Nowadays, a tea ceremony is not our daily activity. But it is also popular as in traditional culture.
Second, Japanese Flower Arrangement. The left one is a western flower arrangement. (The image is from;http://www.kasyo-nobu.jp/omakase-arr.html)The right one is the Japanese way. (The image is from; http://ikebana.jugem.cc/) Can you see the difference? Western flower arrangements are mostly gorgeous and brilliant. Japanese flower arrangements have many groups, so some of them look like the western style, but the traditional groups prefer not to be gorgeous, but to be chic. The Japanese flower arrangement started in a Buddhist temple, and they are used in the tea ceremony. Therefore, the Japanese flower arrangement also has a theory of being humble, and caring about others. In Japanese traditional morals, to be outstanding is not so good.Even being outstanding was not good, Geisyas were exceptional. (The image is from; http://www.cosmonet.org/nhonda/nhonda6site/traditional/geisya.html )I love watching movies, so I’m going to ask you again.. How many of you have watched “the Memoirs of a Geisya?” Thank you! I guess some peopl
e may have wondered whether geisyas still exist or not. The answer is “yes.” Geisyas are still active in Japan. There are no Samurai soldiers anymore, but there are from 10,000 to 20,000 geisyas in some certain areas. A geisya means an artist. They have been trained as entertainers. They can sing, dance, and play some traditional instruments at the dinner parties. Hiring a geisya is very cultural, but also expensive. If you hire a geisya for a two-hours party, you should pay at least 200 dollars. However, they don’t come alone usually, so you have to hire several geisyas. Then…how much? To see the geisyas’ entertainment is one of the prestigious pleasures among Japanese people.
e may have wondered whether geisyas still exist or not. The answer is “yes.” Geisyas are still active in Japan. There are no Samurai soldiers anymore, but there are from 10,000 to 20,000 geisyas in some certain areas. A geisya means an artist. They have been trained as entertainers. They can sing, dance, and play some traditional instruments at the dinner parties. Hiring a geisya is very cultural, but also expensive. If you hire a geisya for a two-hours party, you should pay at least 200 dollars. However, they don’t come alone usually, so you have to hire several geisyas. Then…how much? To see the geisyas’ entertainment is one of the prestigious pleasures among Japanese people.
At the end of the traditional culture section, I will introduce you to traditionally popular sports. Sumo is the national sport of Japan. It is a kind of wrestling. (The photo is from; http://rd.nikkei.co.jp/net/news/photo24/headline/u) The object is to force the opponent’s body out of the ring. Their physical characteristic is ..the wrestlers are very big and …look fat. The bigger the
better to force and push their opponents out. So far, the biggest wrestler was 700 pounds. (He is from Hawaii! Konishiki!!) However, they are strong athletes, and their games are really exciting! Sumo is a traditional Japanese sport, but we have many international sumo wrestlers. Unfortunately, there is no American professional Sumo wrestler now, but some of them are from Russia, Brazil, China, Korea, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kazahstan, and so on. Right 
now, the highest ranking wrestler, Yokozuna, is the only one. His name is Asasyoryu, from Mongol. (The right picture)His smile is good, but my favorite Sumo wrestler is Kotoousyu. (The left picture. Both pictures are from; http://www.sanspo.com/sports/sumo/profile) He is cute, isn’t he? Actually, he also is not a Japanese. He is from Bulgaria, Europe. It is interesting for us that Sumo, is a Japanese sport, but the strongest one and the most popular one are from another countries.However, there is another popular sport that many players go
oversea, here. U.S. It is baseball. Last year, 13 Japanese baseball players were registered in the Major Leagues. I think the most famous player is Ichiro Suzuki. He has been the right fielder for Seattle Mariners since 2001. He became the first Japanese-born everyday position player in the Major Leagues. His is our hero because of his magnificient performance. He has been winning a gold glove award and also every year All-Star selection for 6 years since he came to the U.S. In 2004, he marked 262 hits. Ichiro completed the 2004 season with 262 hits and an MLB-leading .372 batting average. It shattered the previous all-era record of 206, set by Wee Willie Keeler in 1898. When he did it, many American medias celebrated him. I said Japanese people cherish morals. Because his fruitful results in the U.S. are so impressive to us that his stories are referred in some moral textbooks in Japanese elementary schools. We have learned a lot from his effort and persistence.
oversea, here. U.S. It is baseball. Last year, 13 Japanese baseball players were registered in the Major Leagues. I think the most famous player is Ichiro Suzuki. He has been the right fielder for Seattle Mariners since 2001. He became the first Japanese-born everyday position player in the Major Leagues. His is our hero because of his magnificient performance. He has been winning a gold glove award and also every year All-Star selection for 6 years since he came to the U.S. In 2004, he marked 262 hits. Ichiro completed the 2004 season with 262 hits and an MLB-leading .372 batting average. It shattered the previous all-era record of 206, set by Wee Willie Keeler in 1898. When he did it, many American medias celebrated him. I said Japanese people cherish morals. Because his fruitful results in the U.S. are so impressive to us that his stories are referred in some moral textbooks in Japanese elementary schools. We have learned a lot from his effort and persistence. 
Here is another major leager who lives near my town. He is Tadahito Iguchi. He has been the second baseman for the Chicago White Sox since 2005. In his rookie year, his team won the World Series! He is the first Japanese player who won the World Series. Actuall, I met him in Chicago’s Japanese supermarket. You know, Japanese society is not so large here. He was with his wife and four year old daughter. He is a nice guy. 
Last year, St.Louis cardinals reigned the World Series. (All three players pictures are from; http://www.sanspo.com/mlb) You can also find a Japanese player in this team! His name is Sou Taguchi. He is 38-year-old player, not so young, but he played four of five games in 2006 World Series.J
apanese national team won the first world Baseball Classic last year. Ichiro was the team leader, and Sadaharu Ou was a team manager. Now he is 67 years old. This picture is when he was a professional baseball player. He is famous worldwide because his record of 868 career home run is 113 more than Hank Aaron’s. However, Japanese baseball fields were shorter than MLB fields at that time, so we don’t know whether he was geater than Hank Aaron. However, while I was watching live WBC games, announcers addressed him “Ou-san.” San means sir in Japanese, and many MLB American players asked came to him to get his autographs. (His photo is from;http://mbs.jp/jounetsu/2006/03_12.shtml)Thus, I knew how he is admired in the U.S. Also,his father is a Taiwanese, so he is a baseball icon in Taiwan and China as well.
Incidentally, this is our custom. When Japanese won big
games or cases of celebrations like weddings, we toss the most valuable one into the air. (The photo is from; http://www.tandai.ichinomiya.ac.jp/blog/archives/2006/03/index.html)Sadaharu Ou get accustomed to be tossed because he was a popular player in the most popular baseball team, and he has been a manager of a strong team. It is not so easy to stretch your arms and legs straight and keep smiling like him while you are tossed! It is hard to keep the balance in the air! But his style is always beautiful, so he was also called “the best Japanese of being tossed.”
apanese national team won the first world Baseball Classic last year. Ichiro was the team leader, and Sadaharu Ou was a team manager. Now he is 67 years old. This picture is when he was a professional baseball player. He is famous worldwide because his record of 868 career home run is 113 more than Hank Aaron’s. However, Japanese baseball fields were shorter than MLB fields at that time, so we don’t know whether he was geater than Hank Aaron. However, while I was watching live WBC games, announcers addressed him “Ou-san.” San means sir in Japanese, and many MLB American players asked came to him to get his autographs. (His photo is from;http://mbs.jp/jounetsu/2006/03_12.shtml)Thus, I knew how he is admired in the U.S. Also,his father is a Taiwanese, so he is a baseball icon in Taiwan and China as well.Incidentally, this is our custom. When Japanese won big
games or cases of celebrations like weddings, we toss the most valuable one into the air. (The photo is from; http://www.tandai.ichinomiya.ac.jp/blog/archives/2006/03/index.html)Sadaharu Ou get accustomed to be tossed because he was a popular player in the most popular baseball team, and he has been a manager of a strong team. It is not so easy to stretch your arms and legs straight and keep smiling like him while you are tossed! It is hard to keep the balance in the air! But his style is always beautiful, so he was also called “the best Japanese of being tossed.”
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