Voyage with Ambassadors：Japan

Hong Kong people are so into the Japanese culture that they have incorporated into their daily life such Japanese kanji as hōdai (“all you can”) and ōen (“support”).

That is why this time we have Mr. Okada Kenichi, the consul general of Japan in Hong Kong. He is going to try Japanese taiko with our host Chris Leung, learning about the taiko’s history and its roles in contemporary performing arts.

Mr. Okada came to Hong Kong to study in as early as 1989, so he is no stranger to the city. He likes visiting local coffee shops, so Chris has invited him to learn making Hong Kong-style milk tea. Speaking of Japanese tea ceremony, Mr. Okada mentioned ichi-go ichi-e (“once in a lifetime”). That marks a stark contrast in socialising practice between Japanese and Chinese when considering our common saying "得閒飲茶 dak1 haan4 jam2 caa4" (“having tea when free”).

Ms. Yokoyama Katsue, a Japanese woman who has lived here for 28 years, shows a stronger passion about traditional Hong Kong culture than most locals. A fluent Cantonese speaker, she has taken us to Ko Lau Wan Village in Sai Kung to observe An Loong Ching Chiu which takes place every 7 years.