Ok I am doing a study aboard trip to Japan this August to Ritsumeikan University for one year. Most of the classes I am taking are in English but there are 3 classes I would really like to take that are in Japanese. The tea ceremony, calligraphy and Shamisen.
Ritsumeikan - SKP Japanese Traditional Arts
The Tea Ceremony and Shamisen grading is based on attendant and paticipation,(click the link and click on tea ceremony and shamisen to see grading requirements) which I figure I can learn by watching and following what to do.
The calligraphy class however there will be test and quizzes in Japanese, so I am probably not going to be able to take that class. That makes me sad, but
I am also taking a Japanese language class too during the same semester.
Also I am currently teaching myself hiragana and katagana before I go and learning some Japanese words and phrases.
So my question is would it be a good idea to try and take the tea ceremony and Shamisen since they are both taught in Japanese? Has anyone taken the tea ceremony or Shamisen class before? If you have, can you tell me if it would be possible to take with limited Japanese or would it be essential to be fluent in Japanese in order to pass the class?
Thanks in advance
