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Daily Journal of Lonnell Battle,
2004 Summer Session Participant
in the
Fulbright Memorial Fund (FMF) Program
Monday, June 14, 2004
At long last I am at the airport in San Francisco waiting for United
flight 837 to board for Tokyo, Japan. I am one of 200 American teachers on
a three-week study tour sponsored by the Japanese government through its
Fulbright Memorial Fund that allows educators to experience the Japanese
culture, people and educational system first hand. I feel exceptionally
fortunate to have this opportunity to experience a land, culture and people
so different than what I am used to in my own little world. This is my
second journey outside the United States. It represents a professional and
personal stretch that challenges me to step out of my usual comfort zone. I
like that.
I’ve already attended two outstanding receptions prior to departure, one
hosted by Naoyuki Agawa, Minister of Public Affairs at the Japanese Embassy
in Washington, DC and the other at the official residence of Consul General
Makoto Yamanaka in San Francisco. The Japanese are very gracious hosts and
I believe I will learn many things from them as I am immersed in their
culture.
Tuesday, June 15
I am in Tokyo! United Flight 837 landed at Narita Airport at approximately
2:10 pm local time. The airport is large, modern, efficient and clean.
People with FMF signs lined the path as I went from the gate to baggage
claim, through customs and out to the awaiting buses. The ride into Tokyo
took approximately 1½ hours. I especially liked seeing so much water. As
the bus approached the city, there were many things to see, including
Disneyland. Vehicles travel on the opposite side of the road as they do in
the United States and drivers sit on the right side of the car. Buildings
are tall and close together, and the city is noticeably clean and neat in
appearance. We are staying at the Akasaka Prince Hotel and the
accommodations are simply luxurious, right down to the never cold,
temperature controlled toilet (toire) seat! Tonight we were randomly placed
in small groups and paired with a former FMF participant or Fulbright
scholar. Mr. Keisuke Yawata, who attended Syracuse University in the
1960’s, led my group and took us to a local restaurant called Zakkoku (or
Zakkuko?) for a many course Japanese dinner. This restaurant specializes
in healthy foods and is unusual in that it is owned and operated by a
woman. Mr. Yawata is chairman of the International Angel Investors in
Japan. He taught us many helpful things about foods, customs and business
in Japan.
Wednesday, June 16
Today was warm and the sun continued to shine in Tokyo even though the rainy
season has begun. We spent our first full day in Japan sightseeing. Our
first stop was the Lower House of the Diet, which is the equivalent of the
US Congress’ House of Representatives in Washington D.C. We visited on the
last day of the session. From the tour bus windows we could see the gardens
and wooded areas surrounding the Imperial Palace as well as the Supreme
Court Building. The outer gardens of the Palace are open to visitors, but
not the inner ones or the palace itself. We also rode by the government
building where visiting dignitaries stay. It looks like a palace in Europe.
We ate lunch at Sansada, a tempura restaurant in the Akasuka area of the
city. For the first time we experienced taking off our shoes prior to
entering a room. Women dressed in kimonos served our lunch as we sat at very
low tables on tatami mats with cushions as seats. I believe I ate a fresh
mandarin orange, or the best tangerine I’ve ever tasted, along with rice, a
custard dish, soup and green tea accompanied by the fish and vegetables
cooked tempura style which means the food is lightly dipped in a cold flour
and water batter and then quickly deep fried in very hot vegetable oil. It
turns out crispy. As we left, I watched the cooks preparing the tempura
through a glass window to the kitchen. The pots of bubbling oil are huge
and their hands go dangerously close to it.
After lunch we had time to explore the area on foot. I walked through a
pedestrian walk of shops for goods and foods that led to the Asakusa Kannon,
the Sensoji Buddhist Temple. At the temple I observed people wave the
incense smoke towards themselves, pray before the temple, and purchase
fortunes. After asking a Buddhist priest how to do this correctly and
determining in my own mind that it was ok for me to do it, I lit a candle to
make a wish that there would be no emergencies at home during my trip. Next
I continued to explore the other buildings on the grounds and found a
monument etched with haikus by three of Japan’s master haiku poets,
Nisyamamasoin, Matsuo Basho, and Enomoto Kikaku in the late 17th Century.
The monument was erected in 1809 and moved to this location in 1894. I also
visited the Asakusa Jinja Shrine, a Shinto facility that is located right
next to the temple.
When we returned to the hotel, Don Kenny, an American, and his fellow actors
performed two classical forms of Japanese theater, Noh and Kyogen. Noh uses
masks and a very particular speech pattern or rhythm and Kyogen has a
humorous side to it.
The official welcome reception in the evening included opening remarks by
David Satterwhite, Executive Director of the Japanese-United States
Educational Commission (JUSEC); Nagano Hiroshi from the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; and Mark Davidson from
the Cultural Affairs Office of Embassy of the United States. After the
reception, Mr. Davidson was so kind as to escort me and Dan Cox, another
participant from Iowa, on a two hour walk through the streets of Tokyo
pointing out local places of interest including restaurants, bars,
historical sights, shopping areas, shrines, and the US compound. The entire
time he explained various things about the Japanese culture and way of life
and gave us many pointers for our visit. Due to his expertise, we noticed
things that we would have missed on our own. His enthusiasm for and
knowledge of Japan were most apparent.
Thursday, June 17
I set the alarm for 4 a.m. today to go to the Tokyo Fish Market in the
Tsukji area and watch the tuna auction. This place is called Tokyo Chuo
Oroshiuri Shijo or Central Wholesale Market and is the largest fish market
in the world. It employs 15,000 people in 1200 wholesale shops and related
businesses (Kinoshita and Palevsky, Gateway to Japan, p. 310). When we
arrived (at least 50 teachers), the huge frozen and cleaned tunas had been
laid on the floor in a large warehouse and workers were hosing them off to
melt the ice off the surface. Each fish was tagged with its weight and a
number that identifies the seller. At the bell, the five sellers each began
auctions at various locations of the room. It all happened quickly.
Afterwards, the buyers carted off their purchases. Other areas housed
shrimp, shellfish, octopus, eel, and other fish for sale. I watched workers
use the largest knife I’ve ever seen to fillet a frozen tuna. It took two
men to use this knife.
A group of us used the subway for out first time to return to the
hotel. At 6:30 a.m. it was not crowded and we found our way successfully.
After a shower and breakfast, the day continued with lectures on
education, the federal government and the economy of Japan. Mr. Yoshio
Terasawa, Director of the Tokyo Star Bank, gave a very interesting lecture
on the differences between Japanese and American styles of decision making.
This information is well summarized in an article by the speaker that was
previously printed in The New York Times and explains the differences
between the U.S. “I to you” and Japanese “you to you” approaches,
defines “hon-ne” versus “tate-mae” sentiments, and describes the “goso
dendan” model. I found this lecture to be very interesting, helpful and
informative
Late in the afternoon a group of us took the subway to Tokyo
Station to activate the train rail passes we bought before entering Japan.
Finding the right place in the huge station was a challenge, and the process
was time consuming, but we were successful and able to make reservations for
weekend trips on our free time.
I think the jet lag finally caught up with me this afternoon and I
felt as if I had hit a wall. After returning from the train station, I
walked with anther FMF participant for a couple of blocks past the hotel in
a different direction. A very fancy hotel across the street included a
small mall of high-end boutiques such as Valentino. We also found a Spanish
restaurant and a beautiful small park on the same side of the street as our
hotel. People in Tokyo work later and some stopped in the park to mediate
or sit and relax after work. A few people walked dogs here. There were
little paths and a pond with koi. I peeled off by myself to run a few
errands and went back up the busier street to a shopping area with a music
store because my portable CD player was not working. The store did not have
any. Next I visited Kinko’s to check email and struggled with the keyboard
that was in Japanese and English but had a much smaller space bar. Finally
I picked up some tempura (the woman working behind the counter was kind
enough to make it take out for me since people do not eat or drink while
walking on the street in Japan) and headed back to the hotel for the night.
(Footnote: I witnessed numerous examples of Japanese courtesy on the trip.
Today on the subway a man stood and exited at a stop. A Japanese woman
sitting next to him noticed that his wallet fell out of his pocket and onto
the seat when he left. She picked it up, quickly exited the train, ran to
catch him, and returned the wallet.)
Friday, June 18
This morning the program consisted of lectures on various topics of
which each participant chose one. I selected women’s status in Japan and
the other choices included special education, math education and peace
education. Mariko Bando, the director of the Research Institute for Gender
Equality, was the guest speaker. Ms. Bando is considered to be one of the
most influential women in Asia. She reported that basically the Japanese
government has done good things to improve women’s status such as in
education and childcare, but the private sector lags behind and women’s
salaries and positions are far behind those of men. Also, the culture
expects the mother to stay home with young children as the workplace is very
demanding on the father who is gone from the home most of the time and
traditionally does not spend as much time with the children or doing
housework.
After lunch we attended a Kabuki demonstration with
lecturer/performer Mark Oshima who is Japanese American. This was a
marvelous event. After a brief introduction with accompanying power point
slides, Nishikawa Masako, a professional female dancer in the related Nihon
Buyo style or “Classical Japanese Dance,” demonstrated the lengthy and very
exact process of applying her makeup, wig and kimono. Throughout this
process Mr. Oshima continued to explain the Kabuki form of theater. At the
end, three musicians, including Kiyomoto Nobushizuyoshi who played the
traditional string instrument called a shamisen, performed and the woman
danced a Hanagatami. Even though women created Kabuki, usually only men
dance or play music in today’s performances.
The last scheduled event of the day was the prefectural orientation
when the group of 20 participants met the FMF staff person who will
accompany us to Abashiri for eight days. Our group coordinator is Aiko
Nitta.
At 5:30 p.m., Dan Cox from Iowa who was also on the teacher trip I took to
Argentina, and I left the hotel for the unscheduled weekend and traveled
with another participant to Kyoto on the Shinkansen, or bullet train, from
Tokyo Station. John ended up on a different train because he did not have a
reservation. The train is very fast, modern, clean, and spacious. Before
departing from Tokyo I had my first experience with a Japanese style toire,
or toilet. It is a ceramic bowl that is on the floor, actually recessed in
the floor and sitting up an inch or two and contains plumbing like an
American style toilet but one squats over it with a foot on either side
rather than sitting on a seat. There is no seat. Very different than what
I usually use! Fortunately, I had read about this style of toilet and its
use in Japan.
Once we arrived in Kyoto, the language barrier became more of an issue as
less people spoke English there. The taxi driver did not know where we
wanted to go, could not read English when we showed him the address and did
not know the Comfort Inn logo. He asked other drivers who explained and we
arrived safely. The hotel was adequate for my purposes – check-in, sleep,
and leave right after breakfast, but the rooms were not typical of American
ones. We each had a tiny room with bed, small desk, and television. The
bathroom was like a closet unit and I had to step up into it. (I later
figured out that this is so the floor can drain when people bath before
entering the tub!) It had a toilet, sink, and short but deep
bathtub/shower. Surprisingly, the same faucet supplies the tub and sink, as
the user turns it toward one or the other.
Saturday, June 19
After a western style breakfast at the hotel, Dan Cox and I checked
out of our rooms and took a cab back to Kyoto Station where we met (for the
first time) Piers Vigers. Let me back up and explain why. When I was a
high school senior at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, a
foreign exchange student named Maya Higashi from Japan joined my class.
Maya lived with the family of a good friend of mine, Lisa Dail. Over the
school year Maya and I were friends at school and church, but lost contact
when she returned to her home in Japan. Now, thirty years later, Maya and I
will be reunited in Kyoto and Kobe, Japan. When I learned that I would be
on the FMF trip I contacted AFS, which contacted Maya, who in turn sent me
an email message. She is a professor at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto and
lives with her husband, Susumu, an English teacher at Tezukayama Gakuin JH
SH in Kobe.
Back to meeting Piers, who is a British homeopath doctor married to
Reiko, one of Maya’s best friends. Because Maya is teaching all day
Saturday, he is giving us a tour of historic sights and places of interest
in Kyoto, the original capital of Japan. Our first stop is Sanju-Dangen-Do,
a structure designated as a national treasure that was established by the
warrior-politician Taira-no-Kiyomori in 1164. After destruction by fire,
the building was reconstructed in 1266 and remains unchanged, but renovated
four times. The temple measures 120 meters long and is built in the Wayo
(Japanese) style of architecture. Images of 28 guardian deities are placed
in a straight line in front of 1001 Kannon statues to protect the Buddhist
deity, Kannon or Jicchimen-senju-sengen Kanzeon. The statues of the thunder
god and wind god are located on either side of the temple hall and are
masterpieces of the Kamakura period. Many of these images originated in
ancient India. The 1001 Kannon statues are carved out of Japanese cypress
with body parts carved separately, joined together, lacquered and finished
by coloring (looks like gold leaf). The centerpiece and largest statue of
Kannon in the temple is a national treasure. Kannon has many, many arms and
each one holds an object helpful to man.
An archery competition is held at this temple in January at the Yanagi-no-
Okaji Festival. If one looks closely outside along the length of the
building, one will see where arrows have hit, or even see one stuck in the
roof as I did. The object is to shoot the arrow straight down the entire
length of the building.
Our next stop took us to Kiyomizu Dera (Temple). We followed a long,
winding, narrow uphill street lined with shops, restaurants and homes to the
gate of this temple that is painted bright red and green and contains huge
statues to guard it. The buildings are very open to the outside. At one
point there is a very large and heavy metal pole in a wooden frame. At the
top of the pole are circular metal rings on two loops on either side. The
object is to lift the pole slightly in the wooden frame. We did not see
anyone succeed. If a man lifts this, it is said he will have a happy
marriage. A relatively shorter and lighter pole is next to it for women. I
was successful lifting it, as were most women. The key to lifting the one
for men is to rely on thinking through the solution and not relying on only
brute strength. No, I’m not going to tell how to do it! There was much
laughter as men tried.
On the pathway to the various buildings, Dan was stopped by school children
and very politely asked in English to answer questions. This is a school
assignment. The children thanked him by giving him several small origami
cranes. We took pictures with the students. There is also a Shinto shrine,
Jishu, at this location. I tried the blind walk between two large rocks.
Supposedly, if one can walk from one rock to the other with closed eyes, the
person’s wish concerning love will come true quickly, but if not, it will
take a very long time. I managed to do it with the verbal assistance of
several others when I was headed in the wrong direction.
Students asking Dan questions for their English homework
We ate lunch here in a traditional Japanese setting with tatami mats, low
table and cushions in an open structure with the floor raised off the ground
and a roof overhead. (I made the mistake of stepping up into this structure
with my shoes on – OOPS!) I had cold thin white noodles (somen) served with
a clear, thin brown sauce in a cup that you drop the noodles into before
eating. For dessert we had shaved ice with strawberry syrup. When leaving
this area, I saw an older man painting with oils on canvas at his easel
outside a shop. He was painting a picture of many people on this street and
the various shops in the area. I also saw a Buddhist monk begging for money
in a most graceful way that I captured in a photo. On a side street I
stopped at a very small and old (over 100 years) shop that sells only cat
figurines. I’ve noticed a cute cartoon like cat in many places since
arriving. It is called a manekineko, which translates to “beckoning cat.”
The man at the shop explained that with the one I selected to buy, one arm
raised by the cat symbolizes happiness and the other money. Both paws are
raised, but the one for happiness is slightly higher. Different cats have
various poses of the paws. According to The Japan Book published by
Kodansha International, the cat figurine beckons good fortune and
prosperity. I bought three of one of the figurines for my daughters.
The next stop allowed more shopping at the Kyoto Handicraft
Center. This is a seven-story complex which features Japanese dolls,
kimonos, cloisonné jewelry, silk attire, painted screens and scrolls,
woodblock prints, and pearl jewelry along with various other handicrafts.
There are six separate manufacturers represented. I bought two cotton print
yukatas (wrap around robes), several pairs of reusable chopsticks, and a
small woodblock print.
Nijo Castle was the next place we visited. It was originally
built in 1603 to be the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa
Shogun Ieyasu and was completed in 1626. This castle was given to the
Imperial family in 1867 when the 15th Shogun returned sovereignty to the
Emperor. The castle was donated to the City of Kyoto in 1939. The castle
area is 275,000 squared meters, of which 7,300 square meters are covered
with buildings. Having watched the movie The Last Samurai before this
trip, I found this structure most interesting and walking in a place where
the Shogun lived and worked fascinated me. The paintings on wooden walls
and woodcarvings on walls near the ceilings are beautiful. The simplicity
of the rooms is beautiful and the way beams are curved and fit together
shows great skill.
Time to return to the present with a visit to Nishiki, the food
street. This is a covered pedestrian walk that goes on for at least three
blocks with small stands and shops on either side for every imaginable
food. Occasionally a nice women’s clothing store appears. Foods can be
taken home to cook, or many places cook on location and have a few seats for
customers. The presentation and appearance of food is very important in
Japan and much attention is paid to small details.
Our last stop before meeting Maya for dinner was in a shopping
complex building near or in Kyoto Station with a large bookstore. Piers
suggested this was a good place to purchase a good pictorial book of Japan
in English and I did so. I looked at a book on haiku poetry that I now
regret not buying as well.
Finally, we met Maya at a restaurant where we tried even more
traditional Japanese foods. They are served in attractive small dishes,
bowls and two layered compartmentalized boxes with tops. After dinner, for
which Maya insisted on paying, we took a train to the Kobe area where she
lives. Her home with her husband combines western and Japanese ways. Shoes
are not worn in the house and the bath is Japanese style. Dan slept in a
room with tatami mats, paper sliding windows on the interior if glass ones,
and a futon mattress. I slept in a carpeted room without mats and western
single bed. Maya carefully explained Japanese bathing and showed us where
everything was located. The toilet and a sink were in a separate room next
to the room with a vanity area with sink adjacent to sliding doors to an
individual bathing area with drains around the tile floor, a low stool to
sit upon, basins for water and a large ladle to scoop clean hot water from
the tub. After one totally soaps up and thoroughly rinses off outside the
tub, one steps into the tub already full of hot water and soaks in it. The
same water is used by others, so it is very important to be clean when
entering it. The tub is much deeper than standard ones in the US. The
water came up to my shoulders when I was sitting up. This process is very
relaxing. Afterwards, I put on my yukata and wrote for a while before going
to sleep.
Sunday, June 20
The sun rises earlier here and it is light outside by 4 a.m. For some
reason, despite closed drapes or shade, I have been waking up with the sun.
At 5:10 a.m. today after being awake for some time, I got up and dressed for
the day. I sat at the table in the dining area, read and wrote. Later in
the morning when everyone was up, we had a leisurely breakfast sitting
around the table, talking about current events, life in Japan and in the
USA, and high school memories. I filled Maya in on other members of our
high school class with whom I have stayed in touch. Maya took Dan and me on
a walk around the town which is very lovely. She and her husband live in a
two-story home on a residential road that is just up the street from shops
and stores. We walked over a bridge and through a park along the stream
that is lined with cherry trees. We also saw the United States compound
which is constructed of a light pink material. Eventually we arrived at the
grocery store. People shop more frequently, so the grocery carts are frames
on wheels that hold a basket like one carries by hand in the USA. Even in
the grocery store, foods are beautifully displayed and prepared items can be
purchased.
Maya prepared a marvelous Japanese meal for lunch that included
sweet potato, okra, string bean and onion tempura, rice, somen with sauce,
wasabi and green onion, sashimi (raw fish), and avocado. The table was
covered with attractive dishes, bowls, chopstick rests, and smaller dishes
for sauces and seasonings. Eating here is a visual event as well as one for
the taste and smelling senses.
While Maya cooked (she would not allow me to help), Susumu set up
his DVD projector with a wide screen and we watched Spirited Away, a Disney
production that won the Academy Award for animation against Finding Nemo.
The characters and setting are Japanese. I need to finish watching the
movie when I return home.
Maya and Susumu took us to the train station and pointed us in the
right direction to return to Tokyo. Unfortunately, the area around Mt. Fuji
was cloudy and it was not visible when we passed. While on the train I saw
an elementary age boy wearing a Georgia Tech t-shirt so I took his picture
and showed him the one in my purse of my daughter Ann who attends Georgia
Tech and is wearing a t-shirt from there in the photo. By 7 p.m. I was back
at the hotel where I finished packing for the trip to Abashiri on Monday,
used the computer at the hotel business center to send and check email, and
went to dinner at the Spanish restaurant down the street. The free weekend
outing turned out to be very enjoyable and successful.
Footnote: Here’s another example of Japanese courtesy: I accidentally
dropped a BIC style ball point pen in the taxi between the train and Maya’s
home and she left the cover for a collapsible umbrella in the taxi. The
driver came back to the house to return them!
Monday, June 21
Today we flew to Hokkaido, Japan’s most northern and least populated
island. The flight took us first to Kushiro. Here we had lunch at a hotel
where we coincidently met a master teacher from Arlington, VA in the lobby.
After lunch we visited Hokkaido University of Education. The president of
the university greeted us and Professor Kitazawa spoke. We learned that the
university has five campuses, was established after WWII, and is a national
university under a changing system in which such schools are becoming more
like corporations and are competitive among each other. This campus trains
teachers for this prefecture and the rest of Japan. Problems today that
pertain to the education field include the lower national birthrate and an
increase in juvenile crime. The Ministry of Education wants teachers to be
trained to handle difficult situations. This campus has approximately 1000
students. After the restoration in 1867 and before WWII, Japanese schools
were influenced by Germany, England and France. Since WWII, the USA has
been a major influence on education in Japan.
We were told that a test is the most important criteria for
admission and an interview may also be an important factor. Twenty students
attended this presentation with us. Next we broke up into groups with five
FMF teachers, five university students and one university staff member each
for a discussion that lasted over an hour. The last part of our visit
included a tour of the building where we observed classes for a few moments.
After our visit we again boarded our chartered bus (complete with a
chandelier) for the three-hour ride to Abashiri. Our route took us through
the beautiful, mountainous land of Akan National Park. At a rest stop I saw
my first volcano ever! We also stopped to observe a small fox, an animal
common to this area, on the side of the road. We checked into the Abashiri
Central Hotel, I ate dinner there with some of the other teachers, and later
got a good night’s sleep.
Tuesday, June 22
The typhoon has passed and only caused some rain during the night.
By morning the skies cleared and we enjoyed sunshine and temperatures in the
70’s.
Today’s focus was learning about Abashiri, One of Japan’s most
northern cities located on the Okhotsk Sea. Two city officials (Shinko
Tsunoda and Kazuyuki Odajima), our FMF coordinator (Aiko Nitta) and an
interpreter (Akiko Tanaka) accompanied us on a sightseeing tour today and
will continue to do so on visits throughout the week. The first stop was
the Echo Center, a community center with arts and crafts studios, a computer
lab, childcare facilities, lecture halls, a ballet studio, a performance
hall, tea ceremony room and kitchen. Here we viewed a tourism video on
Abashiri. Director Ito explained that Abashiri has a population of 42,000
and covers 470 square kilometers. It borders the Okhotsk Sea, has five
lakes and surrounding mountains. The main industries are agriculture,
fisheries and tourism. Farm products include primarily wheat, potatoes, and
beets. (My hotel pillow is stuffed with buckwheat -- very different and
hard, but functional.) Abashiri values a harmony between nature and people
who value it. Some people traveled across the ice from Asia long ago to
settle here.
Next we went to the Okhotsk Museum where we walked among authentic,
large pieces of drift ice. Coats were provided for the minus 18 degrees
Celsius room. Abashiri is the most southern point in the world where this
ice migrates to after it starts out near Siberia. It arrives in January.
Here I saw in aquariums and learned about an adorable sea creature called a
clione which lives in the sea here and is near the bottom of the local food
chain. It is about one inch tall, transparent, has orange eyes and inner
organ in the chest area, little feelers or antennae on its head, and small
fins on its sides that move rapidly and look like little wings. You’ll
have to see a picture of one to understand how unique it looks. In the gift
shop I purchased post cards, delicious hard drift ice candy, and a clione
key chain.
After lunch, we visited the Hokkaido Museum of Northern People which
represents not only this area, but all people living at the most northern
inhabited areas of the northern hemisphere including Canada, Alaska,
Siberia, Japan, China and Scandinavia. Housing, clothing, means of
transportation, tools, weapons and housewares are displayed. The last
museum visit of the day was the local history one. The bottom floor
displays preserved, stuffed animals including sea wildlife such as sea
lions, sea turtles, seals and fish; land animals such as bears and foxes;
and numerous birds such as cranes, owls and eagles all of which are found in
this area. Tools, pottery, dwellings and home items complete the upper
floors.
Next we visited a Buddhist Temple where we sat on tatami mats after
taking off our shoes before entering the room and had something cold to
drink. The priest’s wife greeted us. After a description of this Japanese
sect and the meanings of various objects such as the lighted candle and
incense, we visited the adjacent childcare center and played with the
children.
Our last stop for the day took us to the Mayor ’s office for an official
welcome. Each of us had an opportunity to be photographed with Mayor Oba
who gave us each a key chain and lapel pin. I attempted to speak one
sentence in Japanese to the mayor, but he asked for the interpreter because
he thought I was speaking in English. When the interpreter explained, we
all laughed.
Wednesday, July 23
Today we visited Shiomi Elementary School where the principal stated
the four school slogans:
1. Think well and be wise
2. Be gentle
3. Be friendly with each other and cooperative
4. Be healthy and cheerful
The principal informed us that this school has 684 students in 21 classes
and 2 special education classes for four students. The principal explained
the following things to us: Teachers meet every Friday for one to one and
one-half hours of discussion or in-service meetings. Japanese students
study all subjects very well, but their weak point is expression,
discussion, or explanation of ideas. The government wants students to learn
how to think independently. Teachers have rules and expectations; students
listen and answer questions well in class. The school year runs from April
through March with the longest break occurring between mid July and August.
What I did and observed:
A fourth grade class had prepared questions in English about where I teach.
The teacher read them aloud and I answered. This was very interactive and
fun. The teacher was very energetic.
In a music class the children played John Denver’s “West Virginia” on
recorders.
Students in one class played paper, rock, scissors in groups to make plans
for a field trip.
A science lesson took students outside to a garden to observe the progress
of potato plants.
In home economics students washed cloths in basins.
In a math class, students measured and drew angles.
Schools in Abashiri do not have cafeterias or separate lunchrooms. At lunch
time, the food is brought to the classroom where students set up, serve, eat
and cleanup, including recycling efforts. To my amazement, none of the
students began to eat until everyone had served him or herself and sat at a
desk. A word of thanks was given, and then everyone ate.
Throughout the day students lined up in the halls to ask us for autographs.
Students play, even kickball, in large hall areas during 10 minute breaks
between subjects.
The bell is a pleasant sounding chime.
A special education classroom and three rotating teachers serve four
students with varying degrees of abilities and needs.
After school, children sweep the halls and clean up.
For recess, the students walk a few blocks to a park with a very long slide
with rollers to keep you going.
Curriculum is decided at the beginning of the school year, printed and
carried out.
Japanese educators see the greatest challenge in elementary education today
as teaching students to express themselves well.
These teachers at Shiomi have many more students (35-40) per class and
little or no planning time during the school day compared to U.S. teachers.
The school does not use outside substitute teachers, but sick leave is
given. In-house teachers cover as subs.
The pension plan is a big issue in the upcoming national election.
After this school visit, we made a stop at the office of the
superintendent of schools where the desire of the national government to
teach students to think, study and act for themselves was reiterated. The
superintendent stated a need to move towards independence and creativity in
education in Japan.
After returning to the hotel, I unsuccessfully tried to see the sun
set in the west over the water. The waiter at the hotel suggested that I
walk north. I climbed 294 steps (I counted them on the way down!) and
reached a high point, but trees blocked the view of the water. However, I
did see the most extensive private residence garden I’ve seen so far in
Japan as I was walking. Then I went to the Echo Community Center to use the
computers for email as arranged by the city officials. This was a great
convenience for us. There I saw other members of the group. After
finishing, we returned to the hotel a little before 9 p.m., but the dining
room was closed so I walked down the street to KFC, breaking my rule for no
American fast food while on this trip, and brought my dinner back to the
hotel. One never eats or drinks food when walking on the street in Japan
and even the drink is placed in a bag that is closed up for take-out
orders. I visited with Dan and Nancy in her room while I ate. Nancy let me
borrow her portable CD player for the evening and I listened to Josh Groban
in my room while I worked on my greeting message to be given the next
morning at our high school visit.
Thursday, June 24
Today’s school visit takes us to Minamigaoka High School where I
volunteered to deliver the group’s greeting remarks to the staff. In
Japanese schools teachers all have workspaces (desks) in one very large
room. One reason for this is that teachers rotate from classroom to
classroom and students stay in the same place, so a desk in a classroom
would not work. This differs greatly from how we set things up in the
United States. At Minamigaoka, we were welcomed as a group in this large
staff room. Vice-Principal Hayashi greeted us. In a separate room where he
and a few other school officials, including a math teacher who acted as the
moderator, met with us, he told us that this school is 82 years old. He
presented each of us with a ceramic teacup with the school emblems and
mottos on it. The old mottos included austerity and manliness,
industriousness and independence. The new ones include decency, volunteer
spirit, industriousness and independence. This school also has night
classes. Currently 594 students attend during the day and 53 at night. The
staff includes 44 full and six part-time teachers as well as five other
staff members. Mr. Hayashi told us that this is a core school, but I am
unaware of exactly what that means. Goals include students achieving strong
minds and bodies through good academics and sports. 77.8% of students
belong to a club. Students acquire important life skills through
extracurricular activities.
Things I observed and learned:
The students wear a uniform very similar to the one my students wear at Paul
VI. The girls wear a black skirt and white shirt and the boys wear black
slacks with a white shirt. My students would like the fact that the shirts
here are made with an even bottom that does not have to be tucked in! The
students look neat and comfortable.
After the school briefing, a newspaper reporter interviewed me. A group of
American visitors is not a common occurrence in Abashiri, and people seem to
know we are in town. The reporter seemed surprised to learn that students
in the United States study haiku poetry translated into English and write
haikus in English.
Students at this school are described as obedient, hard workers who are
eager to study and have a good attitude. They work hard to “realize their
dreams.”
Instead of switching classrooms for different subjects like in the United
States, Japanese students stay with the same group in the same room and
teachers switch classrooms, taking what materials they need with them. In
the schools we visited, classes had 35-40 students.
This school has a well-equipped computer lab, but my impression was that it
is very underutilized.
The desks in the music room interest me because they have a keyboard
pictured on the top.
For lunch we were treated to traditional bento box meals that are
compartmentalized and contain a variety of foods attractively arranged.
I observed several English classes. In one, students were translating from
English to Japanese a story about using a boomerang. The students listened
to the story on a tape or CD and followed along. When visiting English
classes we were often asked to speak to the students and answer their
questions. We were happy to do so.
The concern and emphasis on tests/examinations for university study is
enormous for both teachers and students.
Late in the school day we had a discussion with teachers from the school.
They explained that recent education reforms include a five-day week. Many
seem concerned about having less time in school because of the tests that
must be passed to enter universities. Independent thinking and learning is
part of the reform and a goal of the national government, but schools still
use a conventional lecture style to teach, so there is a need to do things
to achieve this goal. New styles are being used in elementary schools at
this time but not so much in high school, even though there is some slow
change. It seems to me that this goal will be difficult to achieve with
such large classes.
Computers are used to teach computer skills and word processing. Students
use the lab after school to study for the word processing exam.
In ethics or morality, philosophies including historical ones of the world
are introduced and compared with the Japanese way of life. Japanese
philosophers are studied as well. Students think about these philosophers
and of their own lives.
Teachers give subject exams four times a year. Some tests are taken at home
and were referred to as “weekend” tests. Assessment is based only on
written tests. A score of 10 is perfect, 1 is the lowest grade and fails.
A majority of the teachers are men.
Mr. Kato, an English teacher whose class I observed, agreed to take my
haikus written in English by my students and have his students attempt to
translate them to Japanese. It will be October before this can be done
because of exams and his duties coaching the rowing team. (Please note:
Mr. Kato emailed me in July that the students had completed this task and
enjoyed it. He will be mailing me the haikus along with Japanese-English
dictionaries and expressed his willingness to help with other things in the
future. His efforts will greatly aid my follow on plan.)
One thing is becoming very obvious to all of us – the workday at school is
very long for teachers. Many are at school until sometime between 5 and 7
p.m. They also have little planning time. A female English teacher invited
us to attend the tea ceremony after school club that she moderates and the
students served us in a special room where we kneeled on the floor on tatami
mats having taken off our slippers before entering. We also observed other
club activities including basketball and volleyball in the gym and a martial
arts group in another gym. It is obvious to me that this woman is very
active in school activities and popular with the students.
Late in the afternoon we exchanged thank you and goodbye messages.
Additional notes:
This school has outstanding scenic views of the water from the windows both
in classrooms and at the end of hallways.
View from the end of the upstairs hallway
In addition, beautiful original artwork is displayed throughout the high
and middle school buildings that we visited.
When one enters a school, street or outside shoes are removed and slippers
or inside shoes are worn. This keeps the school floors very clean and is in
keeping with the Japanese tradition. This is also done at homes. When the
students arrive, there is an area right inside the entrance everyone uses
where they each have a shoe locker. Students keep a pair of shoes, such as
tennis shoes, in this locker and only wear them in the building, never
outside. Slippers are available for guests who visit. Most of us carried
our slippers with us and put them on in this area. This was done at all the
schools we visited, but not at the university.
Most students ride bicycles to school.
Friday, June 25
Today’s school visit took us to Abashiri City Daison Junior High School for
grades 7, 8 and 9. At the greeting and following session with the principal
we learned that there are 29 teachers, 43% of whom are women, and the
average age of the teachers is 36 years. The school motto includes the idea
of independence: intellectual (creativity; perseverance in studies),
emotional (respect of self and others), and physical (value of life; healthy
mind and body). These three areas are incorporated into lessons. Lessons
are intended to be enjoyable and understandable. Students are encouraged to
be courageous, thoughtful of community, and ambitious. The official teacher
workday runs from 8 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., but many teachers stay as late as
7:30 because many students stay for after school activities. 86% of
students at this school belong to clubs.
The principal explained that a house near the school is provided for high
and middle school principals. I was unclear about whether or not this was
paid for by the school system and am under the impression that he had
another home as well.
During our discussion with teachers, an American teacher asked how the U.S.
atomic bombings in Japan are discussed in Japanese history textbooks. First
of all, textbooks must be approved at the national level. A social studies
teacher stated that books teach that the U.S. dropped these bombs to be in a
better position than the Soviet Union and that textbooks also teach that
Japan did bad things in the past to southeastern Asian countries.
Again this school has a large computer lab but we were told that “almost no”
teachers use computers in/for class. It is difficult to use the Internet
for research by classes due to not having broadband connection, but some
teachers allow students to use it and there is a computer club.
Several routine practices at all school levels surprised us. First, we
noticed that sometimes students are unsupervised at activities and in
classrooms for short periods of time. Another interesting practice is that
students eat lunch in the classroom. The containers of cooked foods are
delivered to the room, students organize a serving line like a buffet, and
each person serves him or herself and goes to his or her seat. No one eats
a bite until everyone is served and a short saying of thanksgiving is
offered. After the meal, each student cleans up after him or herself,
including recycling efforts. We experienced this lunch system at the
elementary and middle schools. Amazingly to us, after school the students
clean sinks, sweep hallways and do other cleaning chores throughout the
school. It just happens without any announcements.
At this school the uniform is an athletic style warm up suit. Each grade
level wears a different color. Of course, as mentioned previously, students
and staff remove their outdoor shoes upon entering and put on school shoes,
usually athletic ones, before stepping onto the regular school floors.
We also noticed a variation among teachers as to how they teach English.
Some teachers instruct as much as possible in English, while others give
instructions in Japanese for the students completing lessons and translation
in the English textbooks. A first year very young teacher seemed to use
English the most of the teachers I observed at this school.
After school we were treated as a group to a tea ceremony or chanoyu
conducted by Takuya Sata, a male English teacher whose mother is a trained
tea ceremony teacher. His mother and grandmother as well as one other woman
wore traditional kimonos and obis. Mr. Sata wore the male kimono. This
ceremony, which was explained step by step, took place in the open area
hallway or atrium of the building that was two stories high with lots of
windows, natural light and original artwork. Many of us, including me, had
an opportunity to mix and whisk a cup of the green tea combining the powder
and hot water. The tea is very hot and frothy when served. When handed the
cup of tea, both people bow and the recipient turns the cup slightly
clockwise twice before drinking from it. When finished, if the cup is
passed to another, the recipient wipes the lip of the cup where he or she
drank, and in any case turns the cup back counter clockwise to be in the
position in which it started.
Students also attended this event as well as faculty members and the
principal. After completion of the ceremony the Mr. Sata took out his
acoustic guitar and played an Eric Clapton song while singing in English
much to our surprise and delight. Everyone clapped to the melody and gave
him a rousing round of applause. This was one of those times when
everything came together and language barriers disappeared in a moment of
enjoyment and smiles with American teachers, Japanese educators and
students. Music is truly an international language.
I must also mention the dynamic music teacher at this school whose students
gave their all. Another class that greatly impressed me was the art one
where students were creating large, precise, intricate geometric designs
showing perspective. They reminded me of Spirograph designs, but were done
without the toy!
Saturday, June 26
The big day for our home visits with a Japanese family has arrived. I rose
early to shower, dress, have breakfast, wrap gifts for the Yamashiros and
check out of the hotel. After breakfast I made a quick trip with Tracy to
the Echo Center to check email and send out a short message.
All of us met with Aiko at 9:30 a.m. in the lobby, and host families started
arriving at 10 a.m. I saw several others including Nancy, Phyllis and
Craig leave before my family, a couple, arrived. As soon as I saw them, I
felt like we’d have a successful weekend. Ryoko is very petite and teaches
ballet, so she has beautiful posture. Her husband, Norikazu, stands taller
than I do and has jet-black hair. They are an attractive couple. She’s 59,
he’s about to turn 61.
We walked to their home about four blocks from the hotel. She has a Mernard
skin products shop on the first floor and he has a small home office for his
insurance business even though he also goes to the company office not far
from the hotel. The back of the first floor is the kitchen, bathroom and
living area. Upstairs I had a private guest room with bed (Japanese style
on the floor), two sofas, television and coffee tables. The Yamashiros room
is across the hall.
Friends and family came over to visit, which was very nice. Everyone spoke
at least some English, and I tried to find Japanese words and phrases to
communicate. We all worked very hard to communicate and all probably now
have a greater appreciation for being able to do so naturally. Mr.
Yamashiro’s boss had lunch with us as well as two ladies. One of the
ladies, Shigeko Kawamura, is an artist who creates pictures with torn
Japanese paper. This form of art is called thigirie. After lunch she spent
a couple of hours teaching and demonstrating this unique and beautiful art
form to me. Next month she has an exhibition in Tokyo. She brought some of
her work with her for me to see, and gave me four post cards as well as
supplies so I can try this at school or home. The paper tearing art lesson
gave me an excellent opportunity to experience the Japanese way. It
requires patience, concentration, repetition, attention to detail and time
to create a torn paper picture. The outcome is a work of art that
incorporates and recognizes the beauty of nature.
Lunch was a feast! Stir-fried chicken marinated in garlic, rice balls
wrapped in seaweed (which I was taught how to make), asparagus, egg omelets
(Japanese style rolled in a bamboo mat and sliced into small pieces),
tomatoes and fresh strawberries were among the foods served. Lunch was
followed by a tea ceremony. (Mrs. Kauamura’s daughter was also in
attendance and later Ryoko’s niece visited.) We had a sweet made with red
beans that is congealed like cranberry sauce. The Yamashiros gave me a
bamboo whisk to use when I make green tea.
Next we went by car to the grocery store to buy food for dinner and Sunday.
We also stopped at the liquor store and bakery. Desserts were enjoyed by
all when we arrived back at the house. I had a whipped cream and strawberry
tart.
Much to my delight, we went to see a professional company perform a musical
or operatic version of The Wizard of Oz at the Abashiri Citizen’s hall large
auditorium. I even saw teachers, administrators and city officials I had
met during the week. It’s funny when I realize that I stick out noticeably
in the crowd because I’m not Japanese. The musical show was fantastic with
great actors with very talented voices. Spectacular costumes, lighting
effects and professional choreography all added to this performance. It was
only three blocks from the Yamashiros home and at intermission Ryoko and I
walked back to the house to use the bathroom and avoid the long lines!
After the show, we returned home again and had a dinner of king crab and
sushi. I also had more chicken from lunch and a sweet, easy to peel orange
for dessert. After dinner I showered Japanese style, but did not soak in
the tub. Then Ryoko dressed me in a yukata and obi that her deceased mother
had made for her. It is blue with chrysanthemums and a yellow obi. Mr.
Yamashiro took pictures – front and back, standing and sitting – with his
and my cameras. I had hoped to have an opportunity to do exactly this
sometime during the trip.
The Yamashiros were overly kind and generous with gifts for me that included
chopsticks, chopstick holders with tiny origami dolls on them, chopstick
rests, a handcrafted tea cup, a ceramic doll and stand with the date, place
and their name on it, coasters and a cloth item with a monkey on it.
After writing this entry in my journal I went to sleep on the bed on the
floor covered with a soft towel like blanket and floral print comforter in a
net and cotton protective case, and small buckwheat pillow. It was very
quiet here and I listened to music on my new portable CD player as I drifted
off to sleep. Good night!
Sunday, June 27
I slept well, only waking up once during the night and resting until almost
7 a.m. At 8 a.m. I went downstairs where Ryoko was fixing breakfast. Once
again the sun shines. Narikazu joined us. Breakfast included eggs, bacon,
tomatoes, lettuce, yogurt with jam, and coffee.
Narikazu invited me to play the piano. However, I did not know anything
from memory after less than one year of lessons, so I tried to pick out some
simple melodies from their simpler sheet music. I asked Ryoko to play her
koto, a Japanese string instrument similar to a harp in sound. She also
allowed me to strum it.
Next we visited the Abashiri Art Museum next to the civic center where we
saw the performance the night before. Fortunately, an artist was there who
had at least eight paintings on display. Mr. Kafffagashi paints local
landscapes and captures all seasons.
After the museum, we traveled east in the car along the coast of the Okhotsk
Sea and visited the tourist center at a train station with an observation
deck that overlooks the sea and fields of wild flowers. The outline of
mountains across the lake makes the view even more scenic. We also had soft
ice cream. The flavors included ones such as asparagus, green tea, tomato,
and pumpkin and I selected melon. My hosts allowed me to treat, by would
not allow me to pay for anything else all weekend.
Next we headed inland and past miles of fertile farmland for wheat,
potatoes, beets, asparagus and other vegetables. We rode up a mountain
(Mount Tento?) and stopped at an overlook for a scenic view of Lake Abashiri
(Lake Shadow?)
From here we went back to the house for a lunch that included marinated thin
strips of stir-fried steak and corn. Communication remains difficult, but
smiles are plentiful and the three of us are comfortable. Narikazu seems
pleased to learn that my husband is a lawyer on the defense side of civil
suits.
After a five-minute rest, we are off in the car again, this time to see the
lighthouse and park area at Cape Natoro. This is northwest of town and on
the seacoast. Again, wild flowers abound. My favorite view here is of the
sea cliffs, another part of the land that I had hoped to see in person after
seeing pictures. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me, but I do
have a postcard of this site. At this park there is also a very large
statue of an Ainu man looking out to the sea. Ainu are described as a “non-
Yamato people . . . pushed out of Honshu by the Japanese people”
with “lighter skin, more body hair, a heavier brow-ridge and deep-set eyes
which are occasionally gray or blue.” Historically, the Ainu are described
as “descendents of a people who once occupied large parts of the Japanese
islands and were pushed north by invaders from the south” and
possibly “related to Siberian groups such as the Gilyak.” Approximately
24,000 Ainu descendents, most of mixed parentage, live in Hokkaido today,
but “virtually none” of them “can speak or understand the Ainu language”
(Kinoshita and Palevsky, Gateway to Japan, pp. 208, 210-211). I think that
we were riding in Akan National Park on the way to Cape Natoro or at some
point in our travels today. I also believe it was here that in the far
distance across the sea I could see islands off the coast of Siberia.
Back at the house it is time to pack up and prepare to leave. Thank yous
and other expressions of appreciation are exchanged. The Japanese custom is
to say “see you later” rather than “good-bye.” The Yamashiros invite me to
visit Japan again, and I ask them to visit the USA. We walk the four blocks
back to the hotel and speak with Aiko. Others in the group are returning at
the same time and it is a little sad when the Yamishiros walk away, waving.
This home stay with complete strangers who speak only some English, but
better than I can speak Japanese, has been a wonderful experience for me.
As Mr. Yamashiro explains it, hearts communicate. These are very kind
people.
I stayed in the lobby to exchange stories with others and then some of us
did some local shopping within walking distance. None of us were hungry
because out hosts fed us extremely well.
The entire group met at the hotel to plan our presentation in Tokyo. The
group decided that each one of us will speak, finishing the phrase “In my
Abashiri . . .” Afterwards, some of us went to the Echo Center to use the
Internet for email and then returned to the hotel for dinner. Time to pack –
in the morning suitcases go back to Tokyo and an overnight bag needs to be
ready for the last day and night at the ryokan in Abashiri.
Monday, June 28
After breakfast Sherri and I went to the shopping area a few blocks from the
hotel to purchase gifts for Shinko Tsunoda and Kazuyuki Odajima (city
representatives), Akiko Tanaka (translator) and Aiko Nitta (group
coordinator). We purchased drift ice candy and caramels in boxes with
pictures of cliones and had them beautifully wrapped in baskets at a
florist. The gift shop where we wanted to purchase a keepsake was not open
yet, so we planned to return later in the morning.
The morning agenda included a lengthy discussion with four PTA
representatives from all school levels. Since I am a former PTA activist in
my community, I was pleased to learn that this organization is
international. Also, I found it interesting to hear the parents’
perspective on educational issues since I am a parent myself. Just like in
America, parents want the best possible education for their children and
have concerns about financing higher education.
Between this meeting and lunch at the Abashiri Brewery Restaurant, Sherri
and I hurried back to the gift shop where we selected four glazed bowls and
sets of decorative chopsticks to complete the gifts. Within a few minutes
they were attractively wrapped and we joined the group at the buffet table.
The weather remained sunny and warm with low humidity. We ate at tables on
a deck/patio at the back of the restaurant along the river. At the
conclusion of lunch, Sherri presented the gifts to our hosts, coordinator
and translator.
Next we boarded a charter bus and drove a short distance to a fish
processing plant. Here huge scallops in the shell fresh from the boats are
literally dumped from the truck into large containers on wheels outside.
Inside, middle-aged and older women worked quickly in assembly line fashion
in four rows opening the shells and removing the edible meat which then goes
by conveyor belt down a line and dumps out into containers at the end. A
washing machine for the scallops stands nearby in the next room and one sees
men packaging the product for refrigeration and shipping.
Our next bus ride took us through rural, country areas and farm fields of
beets, potatoes and other vegetables. Out in the middle of this farmland
sits a closed elementary school that was reopened last year as Mathematics
Wonderland. The concept is to teach math by answering the question “why?”
and to utilize structures and manipulatives that explain and demonstrate
concepts. This place is the brainchild of Professor Jin Akiyama who is a
very cool and unique individual in both appearance and personality. In his
opinion, Japanese students have a high level of mathematical ability,
however they loose their intention to study hard at the university level.
He is a member of the National Curriculum Committee and is working to reform
Japan’s educational system. The professor believes students need to enjoy,
learn hands on, and understand why things are rather than simply
memorizing. He quoted a W. Blake poem, “a cistern contains, a fountain
overflows,” and explained that he wants students’ ideas to overflow. He
stated that students need to experience math through all five senses to make
it interesting. He does not agree with the lecture/listening approach to
teaching that is currently prevalent in Japan. This facility is very unique
in Japan and Mr. Akiyama is internationally known in his field.
After a stop for ice cream we arrived at the Abashiri Koso for our luxurious
ryokan stay. The hotel looks out onto Lake Abashiri and the surrounding
mountains. Bani, Nancy and I room together in a traditional Japanese style
room. Shoes come off inside the entrance to the room and guests take one
step up to the rest of the room which is covered in tatami mats. A low dark
lacquered table with four floor level seats and a tea set fill the middle of
the room, and western style chairs are positioned at the large, floor-to-
ceiling windows overlooking the lake at the far side of the room. At night,
the low table and chairs are moved away and bed mattresses are placed on the
floor.
We changed into the yukatas provided by the hotel in the room and went to
the onsen on the second floor. One side is for women, the other for men.
The setup is very similar to the other one I visited. Like before, I
preferred the outdoor pool with the fresh air. Nudity among a single sex
group in this setting is considered normal, natural and acceptable in the
Japanese culture. New experience for me! I think this probably results in
a healthier sense of body image for members of a society. The onsen allows
a natural hot spring bathing experience in several indoor and outdoor pools
that one showers and cleans before entering and where no one wears a bathing
suit. Small towels are provided for modesty. That’s the way it is done.
In fact, soaking in the pools is very relaxing.
As a guest in this hotel, it is perfectly acceptable to walk around the
lobby, gift shop, etc. wearing a yukata. Traditionally, the Japanese people
do not wear undergarments with the yukata, but it is a very modest garment
in how it covers the body. In addition, Japanese culture dictates that we
wear our yukatas to a private banquet room for dinner.
After freshening up in the room, we went to the group banquet and sat on
floor pillows at individual, low tray tables that had no space between
them. The tables formed lines down both long sides of the room and across
one end to form a u-shape. The meal was a feast and my favorite part was
the king crab. Melissa gave me hers and I thought I’d died and gone to
heaven! The view of the lake and mountains out the large windows added to
the ambience. Each tray held a small hibachi style grill to cook one’s
food. I tried cold saki and liked it. The meal lasted for close to two
hours. At the beginning Sue Asari, a beautiful, graceful and hospitable
Japanese woman dressed in a formal kimono, addressed the group. Her
husband’s family owns this hotel. At the end of the dinner, we took group
photos in our yukatas. This was a great and fitting way to spend our last
night as a group in Abashiri.
After spending some time in the room after dinner, Nancy and I returned to
the onsen for an evening soak under the night sky. Later we visited the gift
shop where I purchased two hand-held fans. Around midnight I pulled up my
comforter and fell to sleep in a very comfortable bed on the floor.
Tuesday, June 29
After leaving the ryokan, we flew out of Memambetsu Airport in Abashiri to
return to Tokyo at Haneda Airport, which is much closer to the city than is
Narita Airport. After dropping our bags at the hotel, a group of us took
two cabs to Ueno Park to visit the Tokyo National Museum on our free
afternoon. Tokyo is noticeably warmer and more humid now than Abashiri
felt. I slowly walk through two floors of the main museum building (Honkan)
viewing 24 exhibition galleries which provide an overview of Japanese art
history. Exhibits include ceramics, decorative arts (jewelry), textiles
(exquisite kimonos and NOH costumes), arms (swords), armor, sculpture (old
and modern), tea ceremony items, articles from Buddhist temples and Shinto
shrines, calligraphy, wood block carvings prints, etc. This museum has an
excellent gift shop where I purchased various gifts and souvenirs as well as
a book about haiku poetry in English. Due to the limited time, I was unable
to visit the other buildings.
Next some of us took the subway to the Ginza area. This is the top-of-the-
line shopping district with many designer shops and flagship department
stores. Just for fun we visited the famous Mikimoto store for pearl
jewelry. Next door to it we stumbled across Yamamona, a seven-story music
store where I bought a pop CD/DVD of an all female instrumental group. The
instruments include the koto. The only English on the jacket
reads “Shining Energy.” I do not know if that is the name of the group or
the title of the CD. (After returning home I did some Internet research to
learn more. This CD, titled “Shining Energy” and released June 7, 2004, is
by a Chinese group named “12 Girls Band” that is very popular in Japan, Hong
Kong and Singapore. They have other CD’s as well. Their concert in Japan
earlier this year sold out in eight minutes. The group gives a new twist to
old songs as well as performs traditional Chinese music with modern pop,
rock and jazz presentations, according to one website. These musicians are
described as beautiful, talented and tough businesswomen who launched their
fame overseas. Japan “rocketed” them to fame. Soon they hope to break into
to US market with a tour.) Next we found an English pub style restaurant
for dinner where we saw and English speaking man sitting at the bar who
looked like the real version of a “lost in translation” businessman and then
walked around Ginza at night viewing all the huge tv/video screens
displaying adds and cartoon-like characters way up high on tall buildings.
Ginza reminds me of Times Square and Fifth Avenue, with its tall buildings,
great lights and crowds, but at the same time is quieter, friendlier and
cleaner. In one of the larger department stores, sales clerks were lined up
at the counter ready to assist customers. Along the busy main streets there
are pedestrian walkways that go down side streets with even more shops and
restaurants. We went in the lobby of the Sony Building, where one can see
the latest technological gadgets, but the exhibits were already closed for
the day. I was very glad to see this unique area of Tokyo.
We took the subway back to our hotel area and I stopped at Kinko’s to check
email before calling it a night.
Wednesday, June 30
It’s back to lectures this morning. I chose Art Education with Chiriro
Tada, Chief Director of the Art Education Institute and Toy Museum. Mr.
Tada explained his own international educational background. He is Japanese
and as instructed by his father, he studied in the then USSR, whereas his
sister studied in the USA.
Mr. Tada bluntly stated that he wanted to discuss what we did not see on our
school visits in Japan. Violence by children is one topic of concern. He
stated that his society is becoming desensitized to terrible things, and
soon forgets them. The problem is that society has not found the root cause
of this negative behavior.
Tada cited an article in today’s newspaper reporting about a study to be
started on 10,000 0-5 year olds’ habits based on their exposure to
television and electronic games versus no use of them. This study will run
for 10 years. Researchers want to determine what is the impact of things
such as the Internet and cell phones.
Tada cited a science test used 20 years ago in which the answer to all four
simple questions was “water.” Most students scored 100%. One day as
student made one mistake. She answered that when snow melts, it becomes
spring. The teacher gave her extra credit after pondering this answer and
told the class what a good answer it was. The problem is that due to exams
in Japanese system, this creative answer would not be considered a good one
because there is no room for original thinking.
Tada stated that Japan emphasizes knowledge over sensibility. He mentioned
Jerome Bruner’s Process of Education that greatly influenced Japanese
education. Now Rachel Carson’s Sense of Wonder is very popular in Japan.
He believes that perhaps this shows a trend towards sensibility.
Tada sees a crisis in art education at this time. The threat to art and
music education is that it will be eliminated in the future. It probably
will be cut in half and combined versus totally being eliminated; or it may
be offered, one or the other, as an elective based on each school’s choice.
Tada was critical of how children spend time and cited the lack of
communication among children. He views media forces as taking away direct
communication among children, stating that a child spends 2,000 hours a year
watching or playing television, videos, computer games and/or cartoons.
More time is devoted to these activities than to art and music education.
The result is that children enjoy being alone while only responding to a
machine. It used to be that children played with one another. Now children
only play with one person a t a time. When he was young, children played in
groups.
Tada sees an importance to children playing with homemade toys. He
instructed us as we made a simple magic toy out of paper that dates back 350
years. (I made it, have it, can use it, but still do not understand how it
works!) He would like to see children make more things with their hands
and communicate in groups.
Tada notes that 100 years ago there was a shift away from traditional
Japanese arts towards western ways.
Japan has an increasing concern over the decreasing birth rate. This is one
of the factors putting the national pension system into jeopardy. The
existence of fewer workers will put the economy into jeopardy. Vacant
classrooms in elementary schools will mean closed schools, fewer teachers
and less club activities.
Tada also mentioned his concern over the impact of virtual reality. He
stated that children are lacking in experiences of touching and experiencing
real things and of creating with their hands and fingers. He cites an
example of a carrot in a bag. Children know the color, taste and shape, but
cannot describe the texture or touch of a carrot.
Tada manages a toy museum where he works with children 0-6 years old. They
are very able to play. They are happy and derive joy form something as
simple as a leaf or rock. They have the ability to create their own
happiness and joy. As he views things, the problem is we make it too
complicated in the things we offer children. Parents take children on a
camping trip, but they play computer games. Children are developing a need
for a gadget in order to have fun and are lacking the ability to entertain
themselves on their own. The difference between toys as things one buys
versus things one makes is another problem according to Tada.
The government wants to encourage larger families to bring up the
birthrate. So far, this has not been successful. Fewer are selecting
public education due to concern for better education and the new policy of
five-day school week. Private schools are still open on Saturdays. Tokyo
University is the most prestigious one, but it is expensive and very
difficult for parents to afford. In some cases, parental frustration leads
to child abuse.
I must say that I found Mr. Tada’s views and lecture very interesting and
informative and I agree with numerous points he made, although it was not
what I expected from the title when I signed up to attend.
Before the morning session, I quickly explored to beautiful garden at the
hotel across the street where I discovered a chapel. The American chaplain
and his Japanese wife gave me the address of a nearby Catholic Church, Saint
Ignatius. I have not noticed a Christian church anywhere in my travels in
Japan so far. Consequently, I set out during the lunch break to find St.
Ignatius along with Dan and Lizette, who happens to teach at a Jesuit school
with the same name in San Francisco. It rained, we went the wrong way, and
Lizette had to return to eat with her friends. I spotted a man on the
street who appeared to be a native English speaker and asked him for
directions. He spoke with a British accent and fortunately we only had one
or two blocks to go. We arrived during the noon Mass and took seats in the
back of the church. A mentally ill woman near me told me to go away, so we
moved to the other side and she calmed down. The Mass was in Japanese and
the priest appeared to be Hispanic. Afterwards, we spoke to a woman who is
a German professor at the adjacent Sophia University. Unfortunately, the
Pauline Sisters’ bookstore next to the church was closed this day.
This was a day when I simply ate a granola bar and took some snacks and a
soda into the next lecture rather than spending time, which was quickly
running out, eating a leisurely lunch.
I selected to attend the secondary schools language presentation by Shimako
Nakamura, an English teacher at Sapporo Asahigaoka High School, for my
afternoon session. Mrs. Jones narrated this session and each American
teacher asked the speaker a specific question. The speaker’s English was
excellent and she explained that she learned it by supplementing school with
listening to English spoken radio broadcasts for three years and attending a
Mormon Church English class once a week. She has also had numerous
opportunities to study and teach abroad. She suggested that students listen
to English daily and enjoy doing so. She explained that students are less
willing to speak or try English if they are afraid or unwilling to risk
making a mistake. She also told us that English literature is not taught on
the high school level as a separate course, but some literature is
incorporated in authorized textbooks, through stories, poems, lyrics and
newspaper articles.
I journeyed out on my own after the session to find the fresh flowers for
the Abashiri group presentation on Thursday. This turned out to be a
pleasant task. I was not satisfied with the first florist because it was
very busy and had less of a selection of more natural looking flowers, so I
decided to walk around until I found what I wanted. During this process I
passed the entrance to Hiye Shrine or Sanno Hie Jinja, tucked right between
office buildings on a busy street, and decided to explore it. The entrance
gates were brightly painted red and went up many steps through a wooded
path. I quietly walked around the grounds observing the various structures
and watched monks setting up musical equipment in the main building of
worship. After leaving, I resumed my search for flowers and found a small
shop with a large selection of various flowers in buckets of water. I
selected five different types including yellow sunflowers, orange lilies as
well as blue, pink and purple flowers. The plan is that as each of us tells
one thing about Abashiri at the group presentation before the other 180
teachers, we will place a flower in a vase on a table on the stage
platform. As our presentation proceeds, we will create a bouquet. Anyway,
I had great fun choosing these flowers and trying to communicate with the
young Japanese woman at the flower shop. When I arrived back at the hotel,
housekeeping provided me with a large crystal vase to use in my room and at
the presentation the next day.
This was the last evening without a scheduled event and a group of us went
out to dinner. I was outvoted (not everyone is as fond of Japanese food as
I am) and we went to an Italian restaurant. I was pleased because we had
the table that was right at the entrance and it was open to the sidewalk
like a porch or patio with a railing. It was good for people watching. In
addition, I had salmon, which is wonderful in Japan. After dinner, I did
some walking on my own, trying to retrace some of the streets that I
explored with the gentleman from the US Embassy at the beginning of the
trip. More than one person had told me that it would be very safe to walk
by myself in Tokyo at night, and this proved to be very true.
Thursday, July 1
Today is the last day of scheduled events, and I did not write in my journal
or take notes as usual, but am recreating this day from memories one month
later. I think this was due in part to my being a little sad that this
adventure was coming to an end, and also wanting to fit as much into the
last day as possible.
The entire group of 200 teachers spent the day enjoying each group’s 15-
minute presentation on its visit to a different prefecture. These
presentations were very creative and expressed the personality of the
groups. Some were more serious in nature, while others took on a more
humorous approach. They were all informative and it became obvious that
each group experienced wonderful things. The Abashiri group was the last
to present, and the only one after lunch, so we felt the pressure was on to
wrap things up and to hold the audience’s attention after a delicious buffet
that surprisingly featured American cuisine. Some of the officials and
coordinators from different prefectures were present as guests today and we
were all pleased that Kazuyuki Odajima from the planning and coordination
office in Abashiri has joined us for lunch and to see our presentation. He
will also attend this evening’s sayonara banquet. Our group returned to the
ballroom early after lunch to rehearse before the afternoon session began.
When the actual presentation began, we were lined up along the outside walls
of the large ballroom. Each of us held one flower. Rob Hyman’s digital
photo presentation ran on a large screen and Nancy Steffl’s CD of Ainu music
played in the background. One at a time, each of us walked to the
microphone on the stage, shared our 30-second thought about the trip to
Abashiri, placed our flower in the vase on a table in the center of the
stage, and took our place. I spoke about the Yamashiro’s taking me to see
The Wizard of Oz and how I knew the story but not the language, they knew
the language but not the story, yet in they end, we all understood and
enjoyed it together. I ended by saying, “There’s no place like Abashiri.”
Lastly, the entire group read the last thought in unison around the
centerpiece of beautiful flowers in the vase. To conclude, we asked Mr.
Odajima to join us and I had the honor of presenting him with the flowers as
a token of our appreciation. Our presentation took on a very personal and
dignified tone that literally brought tears to some of the spectators’
eyes. I was pleased to hear Mrs. Jones describe it as beautiful.
After this event, I had to take care of some business. Seattle Pacific
University offers graduate level credits for the participants of the FMF
program. Throughout the events in Tokyo, we received stamps in our program
book at the end of sessions. Please note that staff members monitored the
doors at all times to assure that we were on time and only stepped out when
necessary for a few moments to take care of needs such as using the
restroom. To qualify to receive graduate credits, one must attend every
session and remember to obtain the stamps before leaving each event. I
succeeded in doing this and registered for the two courses. One requires
that I submit a copy of my follow-on plan to the university, the other
requires a copy of my final report to FMF due in six months that will
document the completion of the activities I have agreed to complete at
school in the coming year. This is a good opportunity because it does not
require any more work than is already required by FMF.
Next I stopped at the hotel gift shop to make some final purchases
for friends and family. After that, Dan, Bill and I set out on foot for a
few final sightseeing stops in Tokyo on a hot, sunny, humid afternoon.
First we walked to Hiye Shrine for a more complete look around and visit to
the one-room museum. Next we returned to St. Ignatius and the Pauline
Sisters’ bookstore where I made more purchases. Only approximately 3% of
the Japanese population is Christian, and I have found it difficult to find
Christian religious handcrafts or artwork that depict Japanese figures, but
I did find a few items here including bookmarks, medals and cards. I had
hoped to bring back a crèche, but could not find one. Lastly, we visited
the garden at the hotel across the street. Bill is very knowledgeable about
Japanese gardens.
I had about 45 minutes back at the hotel to shower and change for
the Sayonara Buffet Banquet which included many Japanese foods that I have
come to enjoy, especially tempura. The program began with remarks by David
Satterwhite, Executive Director of The Japan-United States Educational
Commission (JUSEC) and the introduction of local organizers. One of the FMF
participants spoke on behalf of the 200 American teachers and a toast was
offered before eating. Two long rows of tables along the side walls and a
rectangle of tables in the middle of the room all offered different food
selections. This was my last chance and so I ate heartily! The evening
also included a fascinating demonstration of aikido, a martial art. One of
the FMF staff members, a descendant of a ninja and master of this form,
participated. The evening concluded with the entire group singing the FMF
theme song, “Eagle Flies to Rising Sun.”
For the very last evening in Tokyo, many of us from the Abashiri
group went to a nearby karaoke establishment after the banquet with Mr.
Odajima. This fun activity represented one last time for us to be together
as a group in Japan.
Friday, July 2
Goodbyes and hugs were exchanged today as we put out our luggage,
checked out of the hotel, and departed at various times by chartered buses
for the airport and return flights to our U.S. destinations. Whereas
participants were ready to return home to friends and family, many of us
also were sad to see our time in Japan come to an end. Despite the full
schedule and using my time wisely, there is so much more I’d like to
experience here.
I had an hour after one group of friends departed before my bus would leave,
so I walked out of the hotel to a nearby small counter-style tempura eatery
for one last meal in Tokyo since my flight did not depart Narita Airport
until 4:35 p.m. I noticed one other FMF participant doing the same thing
in this very small restaurant. The waitress politely offered me a menu in
English and I ordered the vegetable tempura bowl that came with a variety of
vegetables on top of a bowl of rice and a dipping sauce. Of course, I used
chopsticks.
Back at the hotel, it was soon time to board the bus. As each group
departed, many members of the hotel staff lined up outside at the entrance
to wave to us as the bus drove away. We stopped at a rest stop on the way
to the airport to insure that the truck with our luggage would arrive at the
airport before us, and once again I saw something totally unexpected that
greatly impressed me and was very typical of the Japanese way. I was
reluctant to use the restroom at this highway rest stop with many buses and
trucks, but decided I should since it would be a long process to check-in at
the airport. Not only was the restroom incredibly clean, I mean sparkling,
but over each sink was a small shelf with a little vase of fresh flowers!
Unbelievable.
After arriving at the airport, I checked in, visited the duty-free shop,
talked to other participants, and eventually boarded the plane that took me
to Chicago where I connected to my final flight home to Alexandria, Virginia.
This last day presented a bittersweet atmosphere with the
combination of wonderful experiences over the three-week adventure, new
friendships with both American and Japanese people, and the reality that the
trip itself must come to an end even though it will live on through follow-
on plan activities and future communications. The knowledge I have gained
and the memories from this experience will always be with me, that’s the
beauty of it. I have grown professionally and personally and am most
thankful for this opportunity that thousands of other teachers have had and
will continue to benefit from for many years to come.
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