As a member of the IES faculty, I have a unique opportunity to not only teach English language and literature, but also to learn a lot about Japanese culture from my students.
Packages of Koala’s March, Meiji and Kit-Kat, all chocolates marketed in Japan, were scattered on my desk and one of my students enthusiastically explained how these chocolates reflected elements of Japanese culture and also events of her life. I listened quietly as she showed me a special, brightly colored Koala Marche package marketed for good luck on exams; a strawberry-pink Kit Kat bar to mark the changing seasons; and individually brightly colored packages of Meiji chocolates in distinctly Japanese flavors ranging from soymilk to green tea. These chocolates not only tasted delicious, but they also helped me to gain insight into Japanese culture.
While we were talking, I started to think about a chocolate that I could introduce to Japanese students, so they could understand more about not only American culture, but also my life and the result is this brief presentation of a confection called a “buckeye”. My home state of Ohio is known as the Buckeye State and like its namesake, this candy is made to resemble a nut from the famous Buckeye tree and it is often eaten around the holidays. As I child, I remember looking forward to celebrating Christmas with my extended family because I could see my cousins, exchange presents, and eat a delicious meal. Every year, my aunt made these buckeye treats by shaping peanut butter fudge into small balls and then dipping the bottoms of them into deep brown milk chocolate. This sweet taste always reminds me of happy days spent with my family.
These days, my two-year-old daughter is growing up in Japan. I hope she’ll be able to enjoy both Japanese and American chocolates and have fond memories of both. In your sweet life here at Kansai Gaidai, don’t miss an opportunity to talk with people from other cultures and while you’re doing so, take the time to share your favorite chocolates and childhood memories!