The Japan House sits behind a collection of trees and shrubs on the University of Illinois’ arboretum grounds. Located at 2000 S. Lincoln Ave. in Urbana, it is nestled yet navigable, a landmark of art and culture on this campus.

This Saturday, the Japan House will open its doors to Moms Weekend participants at the University, hosting activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and welcoming those who seek to learn and gain a more global perspective. Its graveled walkways invite visitors inside, while the house has a naturally illuminated interior due to elongated windows. As the Japan House becomes uncovered behind its traditionally styled fence, it is evident that it is in its youth, having meditated on these grounds since 1998.

Its history, however, is much deeper.

The idea to have a Japan House was born in 1964, when Shozo Sato, professor emeritus in the School of Fine and Applied Arts, wanted to spread awareness about the Way of Tea, a Japanese cultural activity surrounding the preparation of ceremonial powdered green tea.  His idea ignited a tradition that now stands strong in the University and in the Champaign-Urbana communities. It also motivated the construction of what would become the current Japanese cultural space, erected 15 years ago this June. 

Today, the Japan House is transformative. The gardens surrounding it are instantaneously calming, its interior smells of incense, and its constructed woodworking is precise and clean.

Moms Weekend participants can expect to be welcomed upon entry and more culturally aware upon departure. Inside, visitors will find slippers for use in the restrooms, one example of how small details of this house encourage cultural immersion and respect. Japan House will incite consideration of your own culture with what it offers. It will influence a sense of presence, an appreciation of in the moment living.

According to Cynthia Voelkl, assistant director of Japan House, the idea of presence and its sacred appreciation is an influential line of thinking behind the Way of Tea, the historical tradition that holds up the house.

To participate in the Way of Tea, one must be an expert. Students study the intricacies of this practice for life. Delicate steps take place in the preparation and sharing of tea. Moms Day participants will be exposed to its detail first hand.

“The mission of Japan house is, kind of, first and foremost focused on the tea ceremony,” Voelkl said to explain the importance of the custom.

The ceremony is interwoven throughout all of the other events at Japan House, including those planned for Moms Weekend. Voelkl said that although learning the Way of Tea is a lifelong endeavor, anyone planning to attend the event can now be made aware of the dedicated study and care that goes into the sharing of tea. Each ceremony is seen to create its own unique experience, as those drinking tea spend an irreplaceable moment together.

Voelkl and Nancy Probst, the secretary of the house, spoke of Japan House’s pursuit, one that is driven by cultural immersion and awareness.

“Our thought is that … any time you become more aware of another culture and how it’s different, you become more tolerant to all other cultures,” Voelkl said.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Moms Weekend event on Saturday. According to Probst, the event is expected to garner over 500 guests throughout the day.

Another event to be held at Japan House will be the presentation of Mizuhiki by Hisako Tsutsui, a visiting artist from Japan. Her presentations will occur at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mizuhiki is used for adorning presents, and the Japan House will host its related, interactive tutorial on April 14. Spaces to attend the Mizuhiki class on Sunday are filling quickly, due to it being a rare opportunity on our campus, Voelkl and Probst said. Voelkl explained Mizuhiki’s originality: “Mizuhiki (is) … just truly not seen at all in this country, so when we have the chance to highlight something like that, we try to do it.”

The Garden Tours, another featured event on Saturday, are typically not held unless scheduled. Tours will be led by Jim Bier, the mind behind the garden, at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. He is also its keeper. 

An invaluable aspect of the campus community, Japan House is an opportunity for greater cultural understanding. It provides a new way for many of its patrons to understand the drinking of tea, its gardens maintain a sense of calm, and its goal is one that deserves acknowledgement. Patrons can expect to leave having stepped into another culture, and having gained a new perspective.

Even if students are motherless this Moms Weekend, visiting the Japan House is a great opportunity to open up to new experiences, practices and points of view.

Katie can be reached at [email protected].