I just came across this 'brochure' for an ooo-look-at-the-authentic-Japanese "theme park", a.k.a. cultural zoo, a.k.a. the Japanese exhibit in the "It's a small world" exhibit in Disneyland, where you "embark on a delightful boat ride past a congregation of singing children from around the globe".
One feels we might as well send the culture to the American taxidermists immediately, and get it over with.
The Japanese Cultural Center
Traditional Japanese Culture and Modern Kabuki
Flower Arrangement, Tea Ceremony, Japanese Musical Instruments and Modern Kabuki—the Japanese Cultural Center is a cultural theme park where you can touch and feel the essence of traditional Japanese culture.
Located close to Narita International Airport, the center offers a wide-ranging but untaxing cultural experience, with Japanese-English interpretation and explanatory brochures in various other languages, so that people not only from Japan but from all over the world can enjoy our activities.
It is our pleasure to enable as many people as possible to touch and feel the heart of traditional Japanese culture and become familiar with it.
Flower Arrangement (‘Ikebana’)
A traditional form of Japanese culture, flower arrangement is based on the understanding that plants and flowers are as alive as we people are, and seeks to express and appreciate, through skilful arrangement in vases, both the beauty of their appearance and the importance of their place in our life.
Presenters explain the basics of the art of flower arrangement in vases, so that visitors can learn and enjoy arranging flowers, twigs and branches varying with the seasons.
Tea Ceremony
The tea ceremony is a traditional Japanese way of entertaining guests by offering them a cup of powdered green tea according to traditional rules of behavior. Far more than mere tea drinking, the ceremony is deeply rooted in Japan’s spiritual culture, especially Zen Buddhism.
Visitors can see presenters serve tea in an authentic tea room with tea utensils.
Japanese Musical Instruments
Japanese traditional musical instruments include the so, commonly known as the koto, a stringed instrument with 13 strings, which produces a delicate and beautiful sound; the shamisen, a long-necked Japanese lute with three strings, played with a plectrum or fingers; and the shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo end-blown flute with five holes. Instrumental performances are conducted in the center.
Modern Kabuki
Visitors can enjoy a performance of ‘neo-Japanesque’ Modern Kabuki in an atmosphere so realistic it is as if you can hear the performers breathe.
[Program]
One-hour program (60 to 75 min.)
1) Flower arrangement
2) Tea ceremony
3) Japanese musical instruments or modern kabuki
* Japanese-English interpretation available
* Activities may be subject to change without prior notice
[Event Schedule]
Friday, Saturday and Sunday of every week
1st Performance: 17:00 -
2nd Performance: 19:00 -
* Maximum capacity for each performance is 50 visitors
* Visitors may not be admitted to their desired performance if capacity has been reached
* The performance schedule may be changed to meet requests
Please feel free to contact us regarding the schedule.
[Entrance] * Cash only (tax included)
\3,000 per adult
\2,000 per person in a group of three or more
\1,000 per child aged 4 to 12
* Children aged 3 or under are free
[Reservations]
Reservations should be made by telephone, fax, e-mail, or on the website, up to a day prior to your desired visit.
Seats may not be available if reservation is made on the day of performance.
|