GET TO KNOW YOUR STUDENT UNION + AN INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT AARON THOMPSON
The University of Kent’s student newspaper
InQuire
The University of Kent’s Student Newspaper Issue 14.1 Friday 14 September 2018 inquirelive.co.uk FREE
Cultural appropriation at Tokyo Tea Rooms? By Bill Bowkett Newspaper News Editor
A
newly opened cocktail bar in Canterbury has made national news after they were criticised for appropriating Japanese culture. Tokyo Tea Rooms—a Japanese themed cocktail bar—was attacked online by resident groups and students, who claimed the venue to be encouraging problematic ‘cultural appropriation’, racism, and orientalism. Members of the public reacted angrily after images emerged online from the club’s Facebook page showing two members of staff dressed in Asian-inspired outfits on its official launch night in August, after undergoing a £1 million makeover back in July. The two were seen wearing formal kimonos, the Photo byTokyo Tea Rooms traditional dress of Japan
MEET YOUR VICE CHANCELLOR: KAREN COX
and Shimada-styled nihongami wigs. They were wearing white makeup traditionally worn by Geishas, Japanese hostesses trained to entertain men with conversation, dance, and song. Images containing the two figures have since been deleted from the club’s social media page. The cocktail bar’s interior is adorned with opulent Japanese features—such as ornamental trees filled with cherry blossoms, traditional artwork, a karaoke booth, including a bar serving beverages with a ‘Japanese twist’. The news sparked a heated debate online over cultural appropriation and whether it is right for the venue to profit from its cultural theming. Corine Shimazu, a recent graduate in English and American Literature at the University of Kent, told InQuire of her “disappointment” after hearing about the controversy.
PAGE 19
INSIDE: CANTERBURY CAMPUS MAP PULLOUT PAGE 16-17
Born in Shibuya, Tokyo, Shimazu has said the whole situation has been “difficult to actually put into words.” She questions the club’s decision to have workers dressed in traditional Japanese attire, as well as the club’s motto to ‘live and serve by the Japanese Ichigo Ichi-e’ saying, which loosely translates to ‘One Time One Meeting’. “Ichigo Ichie means treating people with respect. I think they are reducing this Japanese mentality to a mere ‘concept’ of the club, because if they truly understood the meaning of the phrase they’d try to represent Japanese culture more respectfully and accurately— as oppose to having two white people wearing ‘kimonos’ that are a little to revealing compared to the traditional kimonos we have.
EXCLUSIVE: Q&A WITH CANTERBURY MP ROSIE PAGE 15
Continued on p.2