On Monday and Tuesday, Executive Director Yoko Tanaka and Cultural Coordinator Takeshi Hayasaka visited Rebecca Erickson’s art class at Marshalltown High School (MHS) to present on calligraphy and allow students the chance to draw and then paint their own characters and symbols.

Tanaka, who was born in Tokyo, has lived in the Des Moines area for decades, and she noted that while the Japanese-American community in Iowa is relatively small outside of college students in Iowa City and Ames, she appreciates the opportunity to share a piece of her home country beyond the widely known aspects like anime, Pokemon, sushi, ramen and other foods.

“We are doing it to share the culture in a perspective that we have and for (Americans) to realize that what we do is not that different from what they do,” she said. “To me, it’s very important and I really enjoy it when they say ‘Oh yeah,’ they got it.”

The Society puts on programs at various school districts around Iowa, and Erickson was glad that MHS was one of the stops.

Japan America Society of Iowa Executive Director Yoko Tanaka paints Japanese calligraphy symbols at Marshalltown High School on Tuesday.

“We’re so grateful that they’re sharing their knowledge and expertise with our students, and the students are very, very welcoming to them,” she said.

Hayasaka presented to the class, teaching students the intricacies of correctly painting the visually striking characters of Japanese calligraphy. He hails from the Miyagi Prefecture in the northern part of the country and will be returning home this summer after about two years stateside.

“I’m sharing Japanese culture because I’m learning your culture as well,” he said. “When I came here, I had no idea what Iowa is.”

He joked that some people still believe his home country is full of samurais running around with swords — as an example, the recent adaptation of “Shogun,” set in the early 1600s, was a massive hit on Hulu — but like all countries, Hayasaka added, Japan has modernized and the ronin are long gone.

Calligraphy, he said, is something everyone learns in Japan, and it’s also a form of meditation because it requires quiet and patience. And as he prepares to head back home, Hayasaka will take a bit of Iowa with him — he particularly loved the annual Asian cultural celebrations and the State Fair.

“I like Iowa because you have so many events,” he said. “I’m gonna miss these events.”

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.