When they said ‘Japan will seem like a world away,’ they were not wrong. It’s a place full of culture and art, but a culture and art so far removed from my own that I felt honoured to be allowed even the tiniest glimpse of it on my recent trip with Fusion Youth Theatre.
The first thing that struck me about Japan was how immediately at home I felt, very strange considering it felt a world away from everything I am accustomed to, but the people there welcomed us with open arms. They are very proud to be Japanese and have every right to be. From their castles, to their parks, to the food and the art, everything seemed so rich and vibrant. But what is most striking about this culture is its ability to coexist with all that is modern. It was not uncommon to see two friends, one in jeans the other in a full traditional kimono, walking side by side down a busy shopping street. Or people playing drums for their own amusement in the park. Or a glorious castle set against the back drop of a city skyscraper. Traditional buildings and markets are found nestled amongst everything high tech and futuristic we have come to expect of Japanese society today.
Our group travelled to many places and experienced many things. A highlight for me was the Taiko drumming workshop. The drums, which are akin to a barrel with skins on either end, were used in feudal Japan to motivate troops, but for us it felt more like a full, hard work out. There was a discipline to be learned too and we soon learned that playing the Taiko drums was more like taking part in a martial arts class. It was incredibly fulfilling though, hearing the deafening thump of the drum in time with your team mates was a wonderful sound and something we would not get to experience easily at home.
I think the most poignant and memorable part of our trip for a lot of the younger members of the group was our visit to Hiroshima. What happened there all those years ago is a distant memory for most, and not even a conscious thought for others. But I believe the peace memorial park, in its remembrance of all that died that day, is a far better way of honouring the dead than moving on and forgetting. Our day in Hiroshima taught the group more in a few hours than any school course ever could, and I believe the youngsters felt that too, reflecting it in their performances during our later workshops. I believe they took memories of that day, and most probably the entire trip, home with them and I can only hope it did one simple thing; Made them think. Made them think about the future, about their actions and about their consequences. Made them think about who they are, where they are and where they are going. Quite a lot from one trip to Japan, but it was a trip so rich in experience I think it impossible to have come home without at least a pull on the heart.
http://fytjapan.blogspot.com/
By Gemma Quickfall.
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