Japanese Student Association kicks off their first meeting of the year with Japanese New Year, Soba

The Japanese Student Association hosted their first meeting of the semester on January 27th, to presumably wide success. This success was most likely fueled by the recent involvement fair less than a week ago. In terms of a turn out a member noted that attendance had increased compared to last semester. Nevertheless, the turnout was impressive, with the Wilson classroom in the South Residence Hall area becoming an energetic mess in terms of organization, simply due to the excess of people. Tables were shoved to the side in lieu of floor space, chairs were unfolded or viewed as a luxury, with many standing, and the room grew hot relatively quickly as body heat and the hot breaths of passionate, talkative mouths filled the room.

Though I had initially expressed interest in the club last semester, my academic schedule and other commitments prevented me from participating. However, I was warmly welcomed to the community during the first meeting of the spring semester. Many of the veterans were intermingling with new people, breaking them out of comfort zones, bringing new people up to speed, and were genuinely passionate as to the interests of these new members, evident with one member, the Vice President, engaging in a conversation with me for minutes on end about my jacket, the radio station I volunteer at, and various other random bits of info here and there. There were also various conversations focused on various aspects of Japanese culture, where I learned about new types of candy based on international meme icons that began in Japan, some information about typical way to prepare the soba noodles we were eating, as well as thoughts on the songs that were playing in the background, from popular J-Pop groups. I especially appreciated the opportunity to learn about Japanese culture in an environment outside the classroom. While it was less formal, the conversations and debates were really engaging. While most of the meeting was loosely structured, there were informative formal presentations by two of the group members, Melissa and Lana. In the presentation, the duo focused primarily on the Japanese New Year, or shogatsu (正月), celebrated throughout Japan on the date similar to our New Year, January 1st (though, prior to the Meiji restoration in 1873, the Chinese New Year date was officially used). They spoke on the importance of ceremonial bell ringing to ring in the new year, the giving out of お年玉, or otoshidama, essentially envelopes filled with yen (or, if one is really lucky, yen and a mandarin orange), kite-flying, こま (top-spinning), listening to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and a variety of other New Year's traditions that seemed, at the same time, new and semi-familiar to the Western idea of a New Year's celebration. The media that was viewed in Japan on the Japanese New Year was especially unique, as it centered on viewing a show,　紅白歌合戦, (which could be translated as “Year-end Song Festival”). The program, which airs on NHK, one of the largest Japanese TV networks, focuses on a performance or battle in which two musical teams, the red team and white team, compete to win the competition for best musical team. The teams, split by gender, and decided by nomination, feature some of Japan’s top musicians, and is seen as a highlight in a performer’s career. It was fascinating to have exposure to an aspect of Japanese culture that I was previously unfamiliar with, and while I tried to draw a parallel American program for comparison, I was unable to. I suppose it is like an American Idol, but specifically focuses on celebrations of the New Year.

Overall, the JSA New Year's celebration was fascinating to attend as someone who was tangentially interested in Japanese culture and studies, and should be attended at least once, as the community itself is highly inclusive, enthusiastic, and many in the club are passionate about the culture they wish to share. Those who are eager to learn more about Japanese culture, I encourage you to attend a JSA meeting, as there is not a better source to learn about the various customs, lifestyles and activities of Japan.

In particular, this is essential for any Humanities-inclined individual, because the focus on the art, language, music, and literature produced by the Japanese culture in particular is put on display here. For anyone who has an interest in the humanities and cultural formation of Japan, the JSA is an essential on-campus club. To learn more about the Japanese Student Association (JSA), visit their facebook page, join the JSA group, also on Facebook, and to see the event I attended, be sure to view their photo album.