Since there are so many clubs and interests, certain clubs may be lost in the noise of all that’s happening at Linfield. A club that deserves a little more attention and should stand out through the noise is the Japanese Club.
Japanese Club is a cultural immersion club for students interested in all things Japan, including food, pop culture, anime, manga, film and calligraphy. The Japanese club can be enjoyed by all Wildcats no matter their familiarity with the subject as there are no Japanese language skills required to be a member.
As for the club’s content, meetings consist of food and activities based on the time of year and season with an emphasis on introducing attendees to different Japanese foods, not just sushi and ramen. Club meetings occur monthly during the last week of the month from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on rotating days to accommodate students’ busy schedules. Planning meetings for the Japanese club occur every other Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Lisa Pawin’s, the Japanese club staff advisor, office Melrose 105E. These meetings are to discuss what aspect of Japanese culture the club should explore next. Any Wildcat interested in planning meetings is welcome!
As for the future of Japanese club, Pawin expresses her hope to grow in numbers and expose more Linfield students to Japanese movies, customs, and food. Since Pawin lived in Japan for two years, she loves to share and revisit the culture she has great appreciation and fondness for.
“People should join Japanese club to experience something different and try tasty food,” Pawin said.
When asked about how she felt about sharing her culture, Japanese foreign exchange student Ruby Swanson said, “Japanese culture is unique, traditional and very old, so I am glad that people are interested in it and trying to learn about it.”
I, as a person who knows very little about Japanese culture, had the opportunity to attend a club meeting and experience Japanese club first hand.
The existing members were incredibly welcoming and happy to share their passion for Japanese culture with newcomers. While I was there, I was able to try food, snacks and candies I had never had before such as Melon Pan, Onigiri and Caplico while watching a Japanese game show called Ninja Warrior, making an origami frog and practicing Japanese calligraphy. From just one meeting, I was able to learn so much about Japanese culture and what makes it so special. It was compelling to learn about how different Japanese culture is from American culture. All around, I felt like a better-rounded person from the experience and I believe any other Wildcat who decides to attend some meetings would feel the same way.
