LBCC’s Japanese Culture Club held its weekly meeting on April 16, where members participated in different aspects of Japanese culture, sang karaoke and discussed upcoming events for the club to partake in.
The club held a presentation on the Japanese tradition of Hanami, or “flower viewing”.
Hanami is a centuries-old tradition in which people gather under blooming cherry blossom trees and picnic, often around springtime, usually around late March or early April.
The tradition symbolizes appreciating nature and the start of spring.
Club President Omar Quezada brought an artificial cherry blossom branch along with a variety of mochi and unsweetened green tea.
Those in attendance got a chance to look at the cherry blossom branch and try the snacks, and the club meeting ended with a quick karaoke session.
The Japanese Culture Club discusses topics ranging from pop culture, cuisine, fashion, history and common traditions like tea ceremonies.
They’ve also held fundraisers selling Omamori charms, which are traditional amulets meant to bring good luck to their owner.
Club member Luis Mendoza Jr. found his love for Japanese culture in anime and video games before taking an interest in studying Japanese history.
“I decided to come here as a great opportunity to learn about the culture like Hanami and maybe much more like cuisine and fashion,” Mendoza said.
Fellow club member, Daniel Cedillo, is glad to have found a community that shares the same interests as him.
“I’m still new here to LBCC, but this club is one of the best places that I go to find new people that share the fascination and interest with the culture,” Cedillo said.
He added, “I’ve made friends here and done lots of things with these friends. So, I do highly recommend it to anybody who’s interested in joining,” Cedillo said.
Quezada hopes that others are encouraged to join the club through recommendations by word of mouth and events put on by the club.
“I hope that they spread the love as well. I hope that they can share it with their friends or their family and hopefully they can learn something new here,” Quezada said.
The club is open to all who are interested in Japanese culture, regardless of ancestry.
The meetings are every Thursday in room M-330 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m..
The club will participate in the Japanese Cultural Festival on LBCC’s Liberal Arts Campus on May 12.
