Seiritsu International Education

Pencils and clipboard in hand, the students tried drawing Japanese manga (comics).

The fun just keeps coming and Day 11 included the students' second Japanese cooking class as well as a visit to the Japanime Manga University.

In the Japanese cooking class, again led by Masuda Sensei and Kadowaki Sensei, the students prepared a menu of somen noodles, tempura, and red bean shaved-ice dessert. It was also the first time many of the students tried bitter melon (goya, in Japanese), a cucumber-like fruit that tastes like its name implies. As each student tried a piece, many funny reactions ensued...

With lunch over, it was a short train ride out to the Manga University. A school teaching the craft of drawing Japanese comics, Manga University is also known for its award-winning series of books, Kanji de Manga, an instructional book that teaches Japanese kanji (written characters) through the use of manga art. We had a manga drawing class led by resident Manga University artist, Mr. Atsuhisa Okura. Okura Sensei has been drawing manga for over 20 years and he was very patient, teaching the students the finer points of drawing manga. The best part was that Manga University provided paper and pencils so everyone could follow along with Okura Sensei's examples or draw their own.

Well, everyone except me, since I was busy taking pictures. Enjoy!

Cooking class

(L to R) Victor, Jocelyn, Bryce, Karen, and Nicholas helping chop the vegetables to become fried tempura.

(L to R) Xenia, Shirlene, and Claudia preparing a part of their dessert.

France shows her muscles by shaving the frozen red bean ice.

Cold somen noodles, good on a hot day. The noodle dipping sauce is called tsuke jiru, made from sweet vinegar and soy sauce. A big plate of vegetable tempura. Tea. Red-bean dessert with tiny condensed sweet milk balls. And that's lunch! Students with lots of energy need lots of food.

Cheese!! Or should I say... Tempura!!

Manga University

Okura Sensei explaining how an understanding of the body's musculature can lead to more realistic artwork.

Karen hard at work. Gambatte!! (Try your best!)

Shirlene working on her manga character..

Xenia shows her freshly drawn picture.

Okura Sensei, the students, and their artwork.

-Lawrence