Japan Week

As most of you all know this week was Japan week in the Vaughan household. Ryan and I were talking and we decided that we were going to pick a new country every week or so and learn about it with Sophie. We want to expose her to all kinds of cultural experiences including the art, music, cuisine, and folklore of different countries. So Ryan and I researched the history of Japan, found some recipes and checked out some books from the library on Japan. We have been having a great time!
Ryan found a recipe for Yakitori (chicken skewers) and we decided to give it a try. We took Sophie to the Asian Market to find mirin (a condiment needed for the recipe) and experience all the different foods that she might not see at Meijer or Whole Foods. We walked up and down the aisles and Sophie got excited about the Hello Kitty fruit snacks. We did get some traditional rice cakes and miso soup while we were there. The Yakitori was excellent, and Sophie enjoyed it bento style with rice and edamame.

We also found the traditional Japanese folk song Sakura Sakura (Cherry blossoms) and have been humming it all week.

We found a few books also to complement our weeks theme.

One of Sophie's favorite books to read is My First Book of Sushi by Amy Wilson Sanger. The pictures are excellent, the rhyme is easy to follow and it has just enough wit for Ryan and I to enjoy it too. Our favorite lines are "Miso in my sippy cup and tofu in my bowl" and "pink pickled ginger cools my tongue and wasabi hot, hot hot!"
The Beckoning Cat by Koko Nishizuka was another great find. It is based on a traditional Japanese folktale about a little white cat who welcomes visitors into shops and is said to bring good luck to the owner. The pictures were artfully done and held Sophie's attention for being a true childrens book. I liked how the book not only focused on the folklore, but also highlighted the Japanese custom of respecting your elders and community. I think this book might make a good addition to our bookshelf.

In honor of learning about the Beckoning Cat, Sophie colored a coloring sheet with the cat with his paw in the air. Sophie is getting to be quite the artist and is doing great with coloring with her twistable crayons.

A third book that we enjoyed this week was Yoko Writes Her Name by Rosemary Wells. It is about a little girl kitten named Yoko who is worried that she will not pass kindergarten because she can not write her name in English. Yoko does learn to write her name in English but also shares with her class her countries language and customs.

Sophie also made a Japanese flag to hang up to remember the week.




Stay tuned for next week as we head to.....Italy!