Japan House, located on the far southeast end of campus on Lincoln Avenue, provides a peaceful refuge from the bustle of everyday life.

From the authentic Japanese rock gardens to the tatami (straw)-matted floors, it seems as though a country halfway around the world is right around the corner.

“It feels like we’re out in the middle of nowhere because it’s very secluded and private and it really gives you the sense of escape and you really haven’t gone far at all,” said Lissa May Mudrick, assistant director of Japan House.

The House had their second auction, Simple Elegance, on Sunday during which they sold silk and cotton kimonos, paintings, sculptures and authentic Japanese dinners from American artists as well as donated objects from Japan.

The event was meant to raise money for Japan House, but Mudrick hoped the auction accomplished more than that.

“Having an event like the auction helps people actually see beautiful Asian objects that they can buy as well as promote our local artists, so it’s a nice combination of East and West,” Mudrick said.

The cultural learning center not only mimics a common Japanese house, but also the traditions of Japanese society. Visitors are required to take their shoes off upon entering, and the tea rooms are built with tiny doors, making it possible to enter only by crouching. The doors are built this way to follow the Japanese philosophy that crouching pronounces that the elite and peasants are all equal when entering. The tea room also has four tatami mats to symbolize the four seasons.

Though there are many valuable sculptures and Japanese art works at Japan House, Mudrick says the facility is not supposed to have a look-but-don’t-touch atmosphere, but is meant to be an interactive learning center by offering classes, exhibits, tours and tea ceremonies.

In addition to various events, Japan House offers classes through the College of Fine and Applied Arts such as Chado, the way of tea; Ikebana, Japanese flower arranging; Kimono Dressing and Dance; Calligraphy and Origami.

Michael Lama, sophomore in FAA, took the Ikebana and Chado classes.

“These were some of the most outstanding classes I have taken at the University,” Lama said. “The class is unique because it is an oasis of calm in my frantic schedule. Where else can one forget the rest of the world and spend some quality time drinking tea and creating art?”

Kate Anderson, the official photographer for Japan House, also enjoys the serenity of the House’s atmosphere.

“When I’m working, it’s unbelievable, the overwhelming feeling of peace and tranquility,” she said. “When I leave I always feel refreshed and ready to take on anything.”

The learning center is also open for younger non-University students to come and explore Japanese culture, as well as to learn the ways of the tea ceremony.

“We explain to the kids how to bow and show respect,” Mudrick said. “They get real quiet and interested. It’s pretty cute.”

Japan House is meant to educate people from different backgrounds to promote cultural awareness.

“We want to open people’s minds and expose them to a different style of living,” Mudrick said. “We want to promote cultural understanding and to not be so focused on a Midwestern or U.S. perspective, but to think of the larger world… The students will become our future leaders and (the things we teach) are all good things for our future leaders to learn.”

Lama agrees that the House is a great cultural asset to the University.

“Students who take classes there are exposed to everything from concepts of Japanese aesthetics to Zen philosophy, but also the traditions, ceremonies and key components of Japanese heritage,” he said. “It offers students, faculty and visitors a first-hand look at Japanese culture.”

A bigger scale goal of Japan House is world peace.

“The more you learn about something, the more you learn to respect it,” said Morton Weir, retired chancellor of the University and volunteer at the House. “We are playing a small part in bringing world peace.”