Traditional Skills
Japanese people brought their traditional skills with them when they immigrated to Canada. Many of these skills are still used today by Canadians of various backgrounds.
Waka Poem (detail) written by Mr. Sato for the Japanese Canadian Society’s Centennial celebration, 1977.
Galt Museum & Archives, 19790277000.
Calligraphy
Sho, or calligraphy, is one of the unique arts of the East. It is a creative art form which attempts to express spiritual depth and beauty by means of kanji and kanacharacters written with a brush and sumi(ink).
Beauty is sought through the shape and position of the characters drawn, the gradation of the ink, and the force of the brush strokes.
Beauty is also found in the complexity of the kanji characters, each of which has a meaning.
Colourful Origami Paper, ca 1960-1970.
Galt Museum & Archives, P19950073056.
Origami
Origami, a paper craft, is indigenous to Japan. Square pieces of paper are artfully folded to make animals, dolls, boats, and other traditional shapes without using scissors or paste. A square shape is considered natural for paper. Folding is also considered more natural than cutting and pasting.
The joy of origami came from creating animals and objects solely by folding square pieces of paper. The crane is a favorite and signifies “long life.”
Additional information for this item is available on the Galt Museum & Archives website.
Bamboo and paper fan used to decorate the Nakayama home in Coaldale, Alberta ca 1950-1960.
Galt Museum & Archives, P19970041114.
Folding Fans
The folding fan is a Japanese invention. Originally it was purely functional but it later became important in Japanese etiquette and dancing. The first folding fans consisted just of thin sticks of Japanese cypress wood held together by ribbons. It was only later the sticks were covered with silk or paper.
The most popular types of designs were handwritten poems, artistically executed kanji characters and various painted patterns, landscapes and portraits.
Additional information for this item is available on the Galt Museum & Archives website.
Floral Arrangement by Linda Tanaka, ca 2010.
Photo by David Tanaka.
Floral Art
In Japan, the art of flower arrangement, or Ikebana, is thought to have started around 600 AD. The Zen Buddhist offered the lotus flower, symbolizing purity, to the Buddhist shrine. Since then, flowers have been an essential part of the Buddhist altar.
The flowers represent impermanence, harmony and the love of nature. The name of the arrangement was ikenobo, meaning the dwelling by the pond. The name ikenobo is still used today and is the oldest ikebana tradition.
Dance
In Southern Alberta, most Japanese dancing is referred to as odori. Odori is one of two main types of Japanese dancing, involving mostly women, in graceful, synchronized movements, either individually or in groups. The second form of dance is mai.
Mai is a more static form associated with noh (musical drama), and odori is a more dynamic form related to kabuki (theater forms). Kabuki dancing grew out of various folk dances that became popular starting around the 15th or 16th Century.
Odori is an important part of the Obon (Festival of Souls). For more information, go to “Obon” in the “Festivals” section.
Video courtesy of Pat Sassa. Digitized by K2 Communications
Description of video: Women and girls dancing in a circle to music in park with audience watching.
Food Preparation
Japanese cuisine is unique to the Japanese archipelago where it originated and developed over the centuries. The majority of Japanese dishes accent the natural flavours of fresh fish and shellfish. Some dishes have been adapted from the Chinese; for example, chow mein and sweet and sour spareribs.
Utmost care is used in arranging the foods on dishes of various colours, shapes and materials. Typical seasonings are soy sauce, sake (rice wine), vinegar and sugar. Prepared in many different forms and combinations, fish, seaweed, vegetables, rice and soy beans can appear as sauces, main dishes, desserts and candy.
Fish Grater
Finely sliced dried fish is used in many Japanese dishes. This grater was used by Florence Senda’s mother for as long as she can remember. She used it to make special foods for New Years.
Additional information for this item is available on the Galt Museum & Archives website.
Fish Grater, ca 1910-1945.
Galt Museum & Archives, P20090036000. Photo by David Tanaka.
Noodle Maker
Hand-cranked noodle makers were used to flatten and cut noodles. In southern Alberta, community groups added electric motors to the noodle makers for use at large community Chow Mein suppers.
Additional information for this item is available on the Galt Museum & Archives website.
Noodle Maker ca 1950-1960.
Galt Museum & Archives, P20030044015.