[Date & Time] Sunday,
December 15, at 13:00~17:00
[Participants] 10 Yokohama JICA
participants from 8 countries, with 2 each from Brazil and Benin, 1 each from Vietnam, India, Myanmar, Gabon, Congo, Bolivia and 4
escorting staff by YOKE (Yokohama Association for International communications
and Exchanges)
[Attendants] 5 KSGG members
[Languages] English and Japanese
As it was a severely cold day, the African
participants kept saying “It’s cold.”
The two Brazilian women wanted to listen to our explanations in Japanese
because they are of Japanese descent and teach Japanese in their country. The woman from Bolivia is a Japanese who
emigrated and married there. The
participants from India and Myanmar are the students of Keio University who
study engineering. It was interesting
that we guided most of them in English and the two Brazilian women in Japanese
at Engakuji Temple. At Chojuji Temple,
we saw colored leaves still remained in its garden and took many pictures of
them. One KSGG member wearing kimono explained about tea ceremony from
its origin to its manners. After we
drank green powdered tea, we practiced zazen
or sitting meditation in the main hall.
The chief priest explained about zazen
and then we practiced it earnestly.
Sometimes the sound of hitting the keisaku
or Zen stick was heard. Lastly, they
were delighted to get Japanese-doll-shaped-bookmarks made by KSGG members and
the photos of the garden from the chief priest.
Then they started for home.
