Ohayo means good morning. (Sounds like Ohio) If you are here in the the afternoon hello would be “Konnichiwa” in Japanese.
Let’s say good morning by learning a song about the Japanese words for the members of our families. Show me your finger family.
Let’s talk about kimono and perhaps make a process based kimono out of coffee filters. Kimono’s are traditional japanese robes. Here are two people dressed in traditional Japanese clothes. Do you remember that we have a black and white Japanese kimono in our classroom?
We can make a self portrait or doll with a kimono that we make. What parts of their outfits are you noticing. Both have something special around their waist. Both are wearing toe socks called tabi and wooden flip flops called zori.
https://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/01/in-art-room-self-portrait-in-kimono.html
Do you see her kimono? Her tabi? Her special belt called an obi? Can you make these for your person?
Do you want to add your name to your work? You can make these Japanese characters with a marker or black pen. If I were at school I might print this out and laminate it to have on a table with clipboards and writing tools. Keep a laminated English alphabet close by as well. Remember, the product isn’t what we are looking for… it’s the process and the ideas.
Here is a story for you about Suki and her special kimono.
Let’s talk about Japanese food. When my oldest daughter was little we lived in Portland, Oregon, and we loved going to the Japanese grocery store. It was the size of Kroger. There were little food stands outside that sold traditional street food like tiny grilled octopus or grilled chicken. That store sold the best dishes, toys, and food tools for children, and the Japanese bento box is truly an art form. Would you like to eat this?
This morning I pulled out this simple mold for a hard boiled egg to show you.
You just pop the peeled hard boiled egg in the mold and put it in the fridge.
Would you be interested in making a simple Japanese dinner to celebrate our trip to Japan? What about yakitori chicken on a stick? Or any meat or tofu.
For your rice balls you can just mold the balls of sticky rice with your hands. If you have some seaweed snacks around you can cut out shapes for panda eyes, ears, and noses like this.
Parents, have you ever watched this movie? I know my children loved it when they were very young, but there are some scary moments. I think I definitely need to watch this again while I’m at home. If you have older children you should preview everything from Studio Ghibli. I sense a film festival at my house this weekend.
Tomorrow we’ll learn about Taiko drumming and make some Japanese paper lanterns. Garden Children, put your hands in the air. Wherever you are we wish you well.
