Teaching Japan Through Art: Contemporary Ceramics, Tea Culture, and Classroom Connections
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Introduction
The USC U.S.-China Institute extends its sincere gratitude to the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) for sponsoring this professional development workshop. We also thank The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles for hosting the program and Kaoru Kuribayashi and her team for their support in making this workshop possible. Finally, we are grateful to all of the teachers and educators who joined us and contributed to the thoughtful conversations throughout the workshop.
19 educators from across the Los Angeles area gathered at The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles on September 9 for the USC U.S.-China Institute’s professional development workshop, Teaching Japan Through Art: Contemporary Ceramics, Tea Culture, and Classroom Connections. Through the exhibitions Tea Ceremony with Pacific Plastics and Kinetic Stillness, participants explored how contemporary art and traditional cultural practices can provide engaging entry points for teaching Japanese history, culture, and society. The workshop highlighted connections among craftsmanship, cultural identity, sustainability, and community while examining how artists continue to reinterpret Japan’s artistic traditions.
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Experiencing the Japanese Tea Ceremony
The workshop began with an introduction of chanoyu, or Japanese tea ceremony, led by Dr. Michelle Liu Carriger. Following a brief discussion of the history, traditions, and significance of the practice, two educators participated as guests in the tea house while three others observed as Dr. Carriger guided them through each step of the ceremony and explained the objects and customs involved. The demonstration also connected the centuries-old practice of tea to contemporary sustainability, as educators examined tea utensils and elements of the installation created from locally sourced recycled materials in California—including a tatami base made from recycled paper and objects produced through 3D printing.
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Exploring Sustainability Through Tea
The program continued with an exploration of Tea Ceremony with Pacific Plastics, an interdisciplinary exhibition that uses chanoyu, or Japanese tea ceremony, to explore sustainability, ocean plastic pollution, local histories, and cultural exchange across the Pacific. Developed by a UCLA-based collective of artists, scholars, and cultural practitioners, the exhibition features an upcycled tea room, ocean-inspired tea utensils, and a zen garden constructed from discarded plastic. Participants learned how recycled materials, including plastic collected from the California coastline, were transformed into objects and spaces associated with the centuries-old practice of tea. The exhibition invited educators to consider how a traditional cultural practice can provide a meaningful framework for discussing contemporary environmental challenges while highlighting the values of community and sustainability.
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Tradition and Innovation in Ceramics
The exploration of tradition and innovation continued with Kinetic Stillness, curated by Kaoru Kuribayashi. Bringing together seven Japanese and Japanese American artists, the exhibition approaches ceramics not simply as functional vessels, but as sculptural forms shaped by movement, experimentation, and memory. While some of the featured artists build upon geographically rooted Japanese ceramic traditions and centuries-old techniques, they push these practices in new directions through unconventional forms and contemporary perspectives. Through Kuribayashi’s presentation and their own exploration of the works, educators considered how artistic traditions are not static, but continue to evolve as artists reinterpret inherited techniques and ideas in response to changing cultural and social contexts.
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Connecting the Experience to the Classroom
Following the exploration of the exhibition, educators discussed how the tea ceremony and its underlying values could be incorporated into their own classrooms across different subjects and grade levels. A kindergarten teacher, for example, connected the customs of chanoyu to teaching students how to be respectful guests, while Dr. Carriger emphasized how the ceremony requires both hosts and guests to be present, attentive, and contribute to the shared experience. The conversation also generated interdisciplinary connections. A ceramics teacher explored the history, craftsmanship, and use of tea utensils, while a biology teacher discussed the science of green tea, including how water temperature can influence its chemical properties. Through these exchanges, educators considered how the tea ceremony could serve as an entry point for teaching not only Japanese culture, but also broader lessons about community, respect, and mindfulness.
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Sharing and Reflection
The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles also introduced educators to its current exhibitions, educational grants, and resources available to schools and Japanese language programs. Throughout the workshop, participants had opportunities to explore the galleries, exchange ideas with fellow educators, and consider how the exhibitions’ themes could translate into their own classrooms.
By bringing together contemporary art, traditional cultural practices, and collaborative learning, the workshop provided educators with diverse approaches for introducing Japan into their classrooms. Participants left with new resources and classroom ideas for supporting their students to explore the connections among art, history, cultural identity, and sustainability.
If you’re interested in exploring ritual and material culture in prehistoric Japan and the construction of traditional culture in modern Japan, join us for our five-week online seminar, Objects and Rituals. We are also planning a possible series of online tea ceremony webinars next year, so stay tuned for more information! To learn more about upcoming NCTA workshops and other professional development opportunities, please visit our website.