Cady Burstein, a seventh-grade teacher at Redwood Middle School in Saratoga, started a Japanese cultural project with her students last year as a result of her travels to Japan. She decided to continue the project again this year, but instead of hosting the culmination event in the school library, students presented their final projects at Hakone Gardens of Saratoga in February.

"This setting is perfect for a Japanese festival—with the trees and all the bonsai shrubs," said parent Barbara Sotiriadis, as she helped to prepare food for the event. "This has really brought it home for them. It made them work on their projects a little harder."

Parents coordinated a potluck dinner including miso soup, sushi, teriyaki chicken and gyoza (Japanese dumplings), to name a few items. Access to the gardens on the cold, winter night came through the parent of a student in Burstein's class, Beverly Harada, who sits on the board of trustees for the Hakone Foundation. With the students surrounded by peaceful, serene Japanese architecture and landscaping in the gardens, Burstein said, it added to the experience and helped give the assignment meaning for her students.

"Most of us have never been here before," said seventh-grader Neil DeVera, who studied the Japanese way of the warrior called Bushido. His teammates on the samurai research project included Michael Vu, who learned about food and origami; Kiyoshi Harada, who studied weapons; and Philip Chen, who researched armor.

Michael and Kiyoshi explained that "orig" means folding and 'gami' is Japanese for paper. Origami originated in China, they said, and samurais used the paper to wrap meat, giving it to fellow warriors as a good-luck token.

Seventh-graders studied ancient and medieval Japan as part of the California social studies standards for two months, Burstein said, before the final presentation at the gardens.

"I have the students studying the samurai and the warrior code, origami, poetry and art, religion, ceremonies and food," Burstein said.

Burstein was a participant in the Fulbright Memorial teacher program, in which in November 2002 she spent three weeks studying in Japan. She visited everything from schools to landmarks, and as part of the program was asked to spread information about Japanese history and culture to her students.

The students chose to work individually or in teams for a total of 23 presentations based on their personal interests. The final projects were set up amid the gardens in a method similar to a setup at a science fair, for which students are asked to create projects that require interaction with their audience.

Burstein has 54 students between her two classes, but more than 150 people—parents, siblings and relatives—attended the cultural night at the gardens. Burstein teaches core, which includes social studies, language arts and literature.

Performances at the event included the Saratoga Sister City Taiko group and the Palo Alto kendo studio, as well as student entertainment.

"I think seeing a bit of the culture was so meaningful to the kids," said parent Terrie Creamer, co-president of the Saratoga Education Foundation, whose son is in Burstein's class. "We are so fortunate to have not only Hakone Gardens in our backyard, but other Japanese cultures preserved in our community."

Arian Mahini and his partner, Albert Kim, focused their research and project on Japanese food and etiquette. As an interactive activity with their audience, they challenged visitors to try picking up candies with chopsticks. They also taught people how to use chopsticks properly.

Arian said Japanese manners at the table include not blowing one's nose in pubic, eating everything on one's plate, refraining from topics of discussion pertaining to the toilet, and, of course, no burping.

"In Japan, before you start a meal you say 'itadakimasu' and that means I gratefully receive," said Arian. "After dinner, you are supposed to say 'gochisosama' and that means thank you for the meal."