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10/28/08
Well, the trip is coming to an end. On one hand I can’t believe how fast the three weeks went by,but on the other hand, when I think about things that happened yesterday, it feels like a long time ago. I am already missing the New Otani Hotel and its exquisite garden.


My first seminar today was on environmental education presented by Hari Srinivas from the United Nations. Mr. Srinivas is from India and spoke with a heavy accent. He is an expert on Japan’s environmental education. The Japanese are avid recyclers. It was very interesting to listen to an Indian expert on Japan speak to a group Americans in Japan! Questions on how to get Americans to buy into recycling to the degree the Japanese have was asked. Mr. Srinivas said the easiest way for a man is to marry a Japanese women….They will set you straight! That’s what happened to me. He was pretty funny.

10/29/08
Today was the presentation on Takeo, our host city. We practiced, it covered the necessary information, shed a positive light on Takeo and just as important, it met the time requirements. The Japanese are very punctual time driven people. It was interesting to hear about the other nine group’s adventures. In our final wrap up, we turned in all our official documentation. The Takeo city official and our guide enjoyed our PowerPoint presentation, speeches, stories and items collected on our visit. We were thankful to Takeo and wanted to do a first-class job for them.

A group of us hurried out for one last experience. We took the subway to a section of Tokyo know as the fabric district. We went in hopes of finding used kimonos or kimono jackets. I was able to find a few suitable items and then we made a mad dash for the subway to return for the Sayonara Banquet. The evening was bitter sweet. Many participants were anxious to get home to their families but were sorry to be leaving Japan.

It was a particularly sad evening for the JMF staff. This is to be the last group of participants in the program. The Fulbright Teacher program was originally approved for a 5 year run paid for completely by the Japanese government. The program has been funded for 12 years but must end due to budget cuts. I will be writing numerous thank you notes and the Japanese government is at the top of my list. It is my understanding that the study program costs about $20,000 per participant. Thank you for this amazing opportunity, Japan (the government and its people)!

Ryokan

Emiko, Ty and Kazuko walked me to the ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn that I was to stay at Sunday night. I became attached to my hosts very quickly and was sad to say sayonara to them. They have a very busy life which includes working six days a week yet, they gave me the gift of their time. It was hard to sufficiently thank them for that.

A banquet was held for the FMF group at the ryokan. The room had tatami mats, low tables and chairs with no legs to sit on. I believe it was at least a 10 course meal. The Japanese serve their food in separate small bowls. If you are one of those people who do not like your food to touch….Japan is the place for you! The dishes for my meal alone would fill a dishwasher! After dinner we had a great time with karaoke.

Ryokans are known for their hot spring baths which are called onsens. Onsens are a part of the Japanese culture. At the ryokan you share a room with others of the same sex. My three roommates and I slept on futon mattresses on top of tatami mats. It was like a pajama party!

The school superintendent, board members as well as city officials came to say sayonara to us. They lined up outside the ryokan doors and waved as the bus pulled away to take us to the airport. How nice is that! We took a two hour flight back to Tokyo and then drove an hour to our hotel. I used the travel time to work on the presentation for the Japanese officials on Wednesday. A Takeo city official will fly to Tokyo just to see our presentation on their city. No pressure there, right!

You are not going to believe what I did that evening. Do you see the picture of the maiko (a geisha in training)? Guess who it is!!!!

Home stay in Takeo

My host family, Ty (8 years old) and Kazuko (Ty’s grandmother) picked me up this morning to bring me to their home for the weekend. We walked from the hotel to the grocery store, stopped at the bakery, and then walked to their house. Emiko, Ty’s mother, was working. Emiko teaches English from her home six days a week in the late afternoon and evening. Kazuko teaches koto, a Japanese string instrument and is a professional kimono dresser. Kazuko helped me make origami.

Emiko and I walked to a Shinto shrine. They purify their hands and mouth with water before going up to the shrine. She explained that they purchase a fortune sheet to see if they will have good luck. Then they tie any bad fortune sheets to a tree. The wind will carry the bad fortune away. The Japanese toss stones at the horizontal beam of the gate. If the stone stays there, they will have good luck.

Emiko and Kazuko practiced the koto with their students for an upcoming performance. The music was beautiful. Justin, an English teacher from Chicago, came to hear the music. It turned out; a group of us had met him at the festival. This added to the small town feel of Takeo.

I slept in a traditional room with tatami mats (thick wicker flooring). They placed a futon mat on the floor with a down comforter over it for me to sleep on. I was very comfortable. I noticed that they had one western style bed and a kitchen table and chairs set in their home. In the traditional room, they had the low table with cushions for you to sit on.

The city chime rings and then music is played over loud speakers in the street at 8 am, 12 noon, and 5pm. One the chimes let me know it was time to get up, we had breakfast (clams, rice, salad with squid, and raw salmon). Then Kazuko dressed me in three different kimonos and took pictures. I hope I can dress myself in the kimono I bought when I get home.

The home stay part of the program showed me how a typical Japanese family lives. I am very grateful to Emiko and her family for the generosity they showed in opening their home to me and sharing their culture.

Takeo Junior High School

I had an awesome day! The weather was beautiful. Today we visited the junior high which consists of grades 7, 8, 9. I think we saved the best for last. This was my favorite school visit. First, we were introduced at an assembly. All 700 students were standing and clapping for us as we entered. I have to show you the video. Then, the group met with the principal who explained basic information about the school. After that, we
visited different classrooms. There were about 40 students in each class. The teacher stands on a little platform so everyone can see her (or is it so

she can see them!). The teachers played tiatako

drums, the koto (the string instrument pictured), and the shakuhachi (a type of flute) in the different music classes. The flute was the most difficult for me. I also had an opportunity to paint in art class and watch students build powered models.

We each had lunch with a different class. Everyone eats the same school provided lunch. Once again, the students served the food and cleaned up afterwards. It was quite a production. The students slid their desks together and placed table clothes over eight desks. Every student knew what their responsibility was. The Japanese are very serious about recycling. Paper trash goes in one bag, food scraps go in a pot, milk cartons are collapsed, and containers are stacked.
After school, the USA teachers had a question and answer time with the Japanese teachers. It was interesting to hear what their concerns were and to hear what their education system is like. I found out students are never held back up through junior high school. However, they may be retained in high school.
All students are involved in clubs after school. I observed the kendo, judo, and souran-bushi (dancing) clubs. I had never seen kendo (pictured) before and found it quite interesting, scary and LOUD!

Tomorrow I will go stay with my host family until Sunday evening. I am a little nervous but I am sure it will be a memorable experience to see how a real Japanese family lives.

Takeo Senior High School

Today we visited Takeo Senior High School which has 756 students. There are 42 male teachers and 8 female. Isn’t that different than the USA? Why do you think that is the case?
You do not wear your shoes in the school building. When you arrive at school you place your shoes in a cubby and put on slippers. In some of the classrooms, you take off your slippers before entering and just walk in your stocking feet.

As a joint project, the high school and Space and Science Museum constructed a cell powered car. They also built a robot. All students except seniors stay after school for club activities (extracurricular activities ie. sports, band, etc.). Clubs include judo, ping pong, kendo, basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, tennis, archery, brass band, tea ceremony and photography.
We participated in the home economics class and played badminton in PE. We were paired up with a student for lunch so they could practice their English and we could ask questions. At the end of the day, we listened to the student council give their election speeches and observed the students cleaning the school. Yes, you read it right. The students clean the school inside and out! Just like at the elementary school, everyone had a chore. Great idea don't you think?

Mifunegaoka Elementary School visit

Today we went to the largest elementary school in the area with over 700 students. A welcome assembly was held and the 6th grade students played instruments and sang for us. They practiced for 2 months for our visit. They did an awesome job!

The American teachers observed in different classrooms. There are up to 40 students in a class. The classrooms were very organized, structured and consistent.
The students serve lunch to their fellow classmates in the classroom. Then there were a few minutes of recess, followed by cleaning the school. Every student had a cleaning assignment.
The Japanese and American teachers met to share information and ask one another questions. I was surprised to hear that most Japanese teachers work until 7 or 8:00 at night!

In the evening, we went to a fall festival. There were tug of war contests, dancing, and drum performances. I ate corn on the cob and chicken on a stick. Several of the students from the school that we visited came up to us or waved at us. A good time was had by all.

Hiroshima survivor

My first session today was on Peace Education. Kenijiro Matsushima is a survivor of the atomic bomb attack at Hiroshima. He was 14 years old and at school at the time the bomb was dropped. His description of the event, its aftermath and his personal story were very moving. You could have heard a pin drop in the room. I am bringing home a copy of his story and purchased a DVD.

Tomoko Yanagi is the daughter of a survivor. She said that most survivors do not want to talk about it and that many feel guilty for having lived when so many died. The Japanese people discriminated against the survivors. They were looked at differently. It was hard for a survivor to marry for fear of problems having children.

Hope is what helped people move on. A baby was born the day after the attack. The baby was a symbol of hope. No plants grew in Hiroshima for 60-75 years after the atom bomb. When they saw buds of new growth, they had hope for the future.

Kabuki theater
We learned about Kabuki Theater in the next session. Clips of different styles of traditional dance and theater were viewed. The presentation ended with a group performance of traditional dance and music.