The Japan Forum > Click Nippon > Class Ideas

Students read the interview article about Aoyanagi, a tatami maker who makes bags with tatami, and explore traditions in their own environment and how they have been passed down. Students then create a commercial or flyer for the tatami bag.

Students will read the interview article of Murasame Tatsumasa, a professional gardener of traditional landscape gardens in Japan, and will learn about the traditional Japanese gardens and gardeners through reading the interview article. After reading the article, the students will research traditional Japanese culture like Wabi Sabi to compare them with their own culture and write an email to Murasame.

Students will learn about the Japanese tradition of living mindfully and using things with care through reading about Mr. Maeda’s ideas and the challenges he faces in demonstrating the value of tatami for today and the future. Also students will consider their own lifestyle choices in light of this such ideas. Read about the project to send tatami to disaster areas, and consider the importance of understanding the viewpoint of evacuee when taking action to help.