by Rebecca Copeland | Sep 27, 2023 | Japanese Culture
Part Three: The Dancers’ Practice Session “We practice at the Kokin-en. It’s close to the Funaoka Onsen,” my friend instructed. Funaoka Onsen is well known in Northwest Kyoto. Many consider it the best public bath in the city. The name “onsen” means hot spring. But,... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Sep 13, 2023 | Japanese Culture
Part Two: The Choreographer and the Secret Lessons I can’t tell you her name. I promised to keep her Nihon buyō lessons confidential. That sounds odd, I suppose. It’s not as if she is stealing secrets or trying to profit off the hard work of others. The lessons she... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Aug 30, 2023 | Japanese Culture
Part One: The Tragedy of the Maiden Scorned I’m not a theater professional. But I love teaching about Japan’s classic theaters—Noh, Kabuki, and Bunraku. One tale among all others captures students’ imagination, “The Maiden of Dōjōji,” a story of monstrous... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Aug 2, 2023 | Japanese Culture
Sometimes it’s the unexpected detours that provide the greatest pleasure. Last week, I spent the afternoon with PhD student, Ran Wei who has been spending the year in Osaka on a Japan Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. We had planned to meet at Kyoto’s... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Jul 19, 2023 | Japanese Culture
Getting lost is one method of finding your way. The outcome is usually positive, but the process is not always pleasant. Case in point: I got lost on my first run this summer in Kyoto. Badly lost. So lost I don’t even know how I got so lost. But there I was on...
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