Linking Maine and Japan

On behalf of my family I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday…

Greetings!

Today was my last full day in Tokyo. Tomorrow I pack out in the morning. I will cross the international date line, and my flight is scheduled to leave Tokyo Narita Airport on Thurs., Nov. 1 at 5:55 p.m. It is scheduled to arrive at Chicago O’Hare Airport on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 3:21 p.m. (after at least 10 hours in the air.) It sounds as though I will be travelling backwards in time! For those of you interested in geography and space and time, it should be an interesting exercise to try to imagine this. Then I am to spend more than four hours in Chicago. I will need to go through immigration and customs there, claiming all baggage, then checking it all again. Then on to Portland, hopefully by 10:44 p.m.

Today we had presentations and lectures all day. Some of us managed a relaxing 40-minute water taxi ride up the Sumida River to the Asakusa district of Tokyo. It was fun to see the city from the river. The river eventually empties into Tokyo Bay, and then into the Pacific Ocean.

From Asakusa, we took the subway home to our hotel, because it was quicker. We saw a Subway attendant, who was wearing white gloves. We think he must have been one of the people who has the job of “pushing” people into crowded subway cars during rush hour. We had to stand, but didn’t need to be pushed in — not THAT crowded.

We had a banquet tonight, and our group of 20 teachers got picked to sing a special song, as well as lead the group in singing Auld Lang Syne. We were told that this song is sung at many events in Japan, including graduations. It is also played in many department stores and restaurants when it is just about closing time. Do you know when we sing this song in the U.S.? After the banquet, I walked with five other teachers to Tokyo Tower. I hadn’t yet been up to the observation deck. We rode the elevator half way up, to the main observatory, at 150 meters. Do you know how many feet that would be? The view of the city at night was stunning. Guess what? Today they put up the Christmas Tree beneath the Tokyo Tower.

Well, the next time I write, I should be in the U.S. I will miss Japan, but I look forward to being home in Maine. See you soon!

Greetings from Tokyo!
Tomorrow is my last full day in Japan! Time has gone by so fast. We spent today in meetings discussing Japanese education and learning about Art Education here. I learned a few fun paper projects I will share when I get home. After meetings, I went out to dinner with a few teachers to Ginza, a ritzy shopping area that includes a 4 story art supply store (Itoya). It is a little bit like Times Square, Rodeo Drive, and 5th Avenue all rolled into one. Lots of designer clothing stores (such as Chanel). Very high tech, very glitzy. Also saw a store devoted to Hello Kitty. Wally met some Hello Kitties dressed in Kimonos.
I took one photo of tall buildings lit with advertisements, many in English. Can you notice the old fashioned Big Ben type clock in the upper right, then a digital clock on the upper left? Wally also saw a Halloween display, much of it in English.

Yesterday, Wally met a Calligraphy Master and a boy in a school uniform. Thought you might like to see those pictures, too. I have lots of packing to arrange, so I’d better sign off. Tomorrow we hear presentations from each of the 10 groups of teachers about their city and prefecture visits.

Happy October 31st. When I come home, remind me to share my host family’s telling of the “Rabbit on the Moon.”

See you soon.

Hooray Red Sox!  Wow!

I have been away from internet access for 3 days.  So many things to share.  I spent wonderful two days with my kind and generous host family.  The man is a junior high school principal, the woman is a former teacher.  The couple took me to their “Holiday Home” on Awaji Island.  We rode on the longest suspension bridge in the world, 3.91 km.  Can you figure out how long that is in miles?  The bridge links mainland Hyogo prefecture to Awaji Shima, the largest island in the Seto Inland Sea after Shikoku.  I stayed on the south west side of the island.  Our house was on the top of a mountain overlooking the sea and the bridge.  There were 15 huge windmills for generating electricity on the top of the mountain near the house.

On Sunday we went for a boat ride to see the famous Uzushio whirlpools in the Naruto channel of the sea.  The Naruto whirlpools are produced by one of the strongest swift currents in the world.  The channel between Ooge Island and Awaji Island is very narrow.  The swift current is caused by a difference in water levels between the Seto Inland Sea and the Kii channel.  This is caused by the two different tides meeting, with a maximum difference of 1.5 meters.  I read that the speed of the current here is the fasted in Japan and the third fastest in the world.  The slow part of the current slides next to the fast current.  It was pretty scary, but very exciting to ride out in the currents and whirlpools.

We also went to a toy factory (good story here!) and a bunraku puppet theatre.  I am so lucky that my host family took me to so many exciting things in Japan.

Mrs. Grumbling

Yesterday we saw the Earthquake museum on Awaji Island. Part of the museum has been built right over some actual destruction from the earthquake. It contains some trees, earth and fences that shifted in the 1995 earthquake here. Some of the museum had models of a wrecked kitchen and also a ruined road with rubble all around. We sat in an earthquake simulation room, and felt the shaking and aftershock as it would have felt in that earthquake. So much damage, and so scary!

Today we rode back to Tokyo on the Shinkasen (Bullet) train. We got to see Mt. Fuji again as we passed by. At first it was very beautiful, then it was entirely covered in it’s very own weather pattern of clouds, that surrounded Mt. Fuji like a shawl and completely obscured it from us, even though there were few clouds elsewhere in the sky. Very strange to see this powerful mountain have it’s own unique weather. In the last picture of Mt. Fuji shrouded in clouds, you can see rice stalks drying in the fields. They will be used to make tatami mats or crafts, even though the rice itself has already been harvested.

It continues to be very exciting to see the beautiful country of Japan. The people here are so kind and welcoming! Lots more to tell when I see you next.

Mrs. Grumbling

Hello from Himeji, Japan!

Today our group of 20 teachers visited a public Himeji High School. The students were extremely friendly, and the staff were most gracious in allowing us to visit any classroom we wished. They scheduled a few special opportunities for us, while we were there.

It was very neat to see the students bow to their teachers at the beginning and end of class. Everyone takes off their shoes at the entry way to the building. Each students has a cubby for shoes as they change into slippers for most of their school day. They change back to shoes for gym class and if they need to go outdoors to a gym or practice. Since students sweep the floors and otherwise work to keep the school clean, they are careful to take good care of the facilities.

I got to visit a sewing class. It contained both girls and boys. But only girls took the cooking class. We made sweet potato “boats.” I hope to try the recipe when I get back to Maine! mmmmm!

We visited the English communication class. They switched effortlessly from discussion to computer images, from workbook to audio tapes. Most student carry their pencils and pens in cloth pencil cases. I saw several that had English language items. I took a picture of a pencil case with “Elmer”. They also love Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, and especially Hello Kitty.

I also saw some judo and kendo classes, as well as the folk music club. Very cool, very engaged students. I got to help make a sweet potato dish, and learned to write the word “wind” in calligraphy.

One fun thing I saw today was the school club baseball team. It was practicing indoors because it was raining. The students were batting using a pile of “shuttlecocks,” the badminton “birdie.” Cool idea!

Mrs. Aportia’s class encouraged me to talk about my pillow. They got me thinking, and I investigated. I learned my pillow is filled with buckwheat hulls. This is supposed to be very healthy for muscle pain and stiff necks. I remember hearing that a woman in South Berwick was making buckwheat pillows several years ago.

I need to pack out of my hotel by 9 a.m. tomorrow. I move on to 2 days with my host family, then a day and a night at a “hot springs resort” called a ryokan. So I’ll take lots of pictures, but may not be posting until I get back to Tokyo.

Sayonara

Mrs. Grumbling

Konbonwa,

Good evening! (Morning to you). It is amazing to look at the moon and realize that we share the same moon, half way around the world.

I learned in a restaurant that the Red Sox won today! Most Japanese know the Boston Red Sox and the Green Monster, because of Daisuke Matsusaka and Okajima. I’ll have to go online to learn about the game. Several teachers with me are big Red Sox fans. The game was on in the morning here. I was in meetings with teachers in the middle school at the time — no chance to get to a TV or computer.

Today we visited a middle school in Himeji. The children wear uniforms to school. You should be able to see the uniforms in the photos I attach. I ate lunch with an 8th grade class. Unlike the elementary students, who all eat school lunch together in their classrooms, the middle schoolers bring lunch in bento boxes from home. The food is in separate little compartments, and the children bring their own chopsticks. I gave each of the students in my lunch classroom an Artist Trading Card from Maine. They loved our Maine leaf prints!

After school today we got to visit several after-school clubs, that children take part in every day until at least 5:00. I visited the sumo wrestling club (the school has won some awards), the kendo club (Japanese fencing with old fashioned armor and bamboo poles), and the tea ceremony club. There were more girls than boys in the kendo club, which surprised me. The children also have ping pong and baseball and soccer. I can’t wait to tell you all about the things we learned today in this school. Their school, like yesterday’s elementary school, has a large swimming pool. It is one of the teachers’ jobs to teach swimming. That must only be in summertime, though. Yes, they go to school in the summer.

Wally met a big porcelain cat when we went out to dinner. We see these cats everywhere, I believe they mean “good luck.” I will be away this weekend, staying with my host family. I probably won’t be able to write or email for a few days. They we stay in a ryokkan, a traditional hot springs resort. We already know there is no internet access there. So the pictures from today and tomorrow will be all for a while. I get home in about one week. I wonder if there are still autumn leaves on the trees? The trees haven’t really started to peak much here, this far south. I am really enjoying Japan, and wish there was more time for everything, But I am thinking of everyone in Maine.

Konbonwa,

Mrs. Grumbling

Hello USA!

Today our group of 20 American teachers visited Josai Elementary School. The children were very excited to see us, and in free moments asked us for “autographs.” We felt like rock stars!

We got to watch their Children’s Marching Band (grades 3-6) after school classes let out. If you’ve ever seen a high school or college marching band, you get the idea. There were 50-60 band members and 7 flag squad members. Anyone can join – - there are no auditions. This year’s program is based on “The Sound of Music.” The music was fabulous and the drills were amazing. The children practice their instruments daily, both before classes begin and after school lets out.

We also heard the 91 5th graders, rehearse for a concert coming up in a few weeks. Their performance includes Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue!” The instruments were unexpected: 8-10 keyboards, 14 recorders, a dozen accordions, more than a dozen harmonica keyboards (is this the right name?) and a dozen or so xylophones or vibrophones. It sounded quite orchestral!

Children wearing masks pick up the lunch in large pots. They deliver lunch to their own classrooms. I ate lunch with a 5th grade classroom. For lunch today we had rice, milk, miso soup: tofu, carrot, onion, leek, wakame seaweed and miso (bean paste). We also had what they call “cooked food” – cuttlefish and taro (or satoimo, very similar to potato). It was very yummy, and all children ate it with gusto!

When lunch was over everyone pushed desks to one side, grabbed brooms and cloths, and began sweeping the room and cleaning up after lunch. By this time the teacher had left the room, and the kids did this on their own.

One class made fancifully decorated little clay cakes for an art project. It looked fun, and reminded me of the artwork of Wayne Thiebauld. Maybe we’ll try it when I get back! The second grade class was studying 8 times 5. In reading class, children went up to the front of the room to give readings, act out the story, or quiz their classmates about the plot. This was lots of fun. This school also has built a natural setting between two building wings, including a pond. The children enjoy nature, according to the principal. They also have growing areas around the school, including over a concrete catwalk on the 2nd floor that connects two buildings. Students walk under these hanging vegetables everyday. It is amazing that nobody has picked them or tugged them down! After school let out, a few of us took a taxi to try to find an antique shop. We learned the taxi doors open automatically and close automatically. Our taxi was a Toyota model, about the size as a Camry, that I don\’t believe we have in the U.S. Pretty cool.

Tomorrow we visit a junior high school. Good luck, 4th graders, on your preparation for your upcoming performance! I’m glad I’ll be back in Maine to see your performance!

Go Red Sox!

Good day to you all (it is night time here, but morning to you),

Today our group of 20 teachers met the mayor of Himeji, this wonderful Castle town. He gave me his business card. The card had a beautiful photo of the castle, and had his contact information in English, Japanese and braille. I thought that was pretty amazing. We met the city’s superintendent of schools and spent the afternoon talking with parents of children who attend schools here.

We learned that the Japanese schools are experiencing a growing number of “refusals,” of children refusing to go to school. The parents we met told us their children wear uniforms to school. I’ll try to get some photos of school uniforms. We visit an elementary school tomorrow. I can’t wait! Tomorrow I hope to have lots of information about the elementary school we will be visiting.

Tonight after our day of meetings I went with two other teachers on the Shinkasen Nozomi bullet train to Kyoto. This is the old capitol of Japan. We wanted to go to the old district to see some really old areas of Japan. Some of the buildings and streets and alley ways looked like scenes from recent movies about old Japan. Wally saw some huge Diakon radishes and also met some young women in kimonos. Can you find out how fast the Shinkasen train runs? I don’t think the US has any trains that go that fast.

Congratulations to Red Sox nation! I wonder if I will be able to find the game on TV?

This afternoon Wally and I saw the famous Himeji Castle. It is absolutely beautiful. The castle is a Japan National Treasure, and is considered a World Heritage site by the United Nations. The castle is about 500 years old, and was home to a series of rulers and shogun. Their samurai warriors were in some ways like the medieval knights of Europe that we know about. Because of the beautiful wooden floors, when you go to climb up the top 5 stories of the main tower, you switch from shoes to slippers, to help protect the wood. The Castle is really awesome, and I took a lot of photos for you to see. The castle is very high, and from the tower you can see very far in all directions to the city and the hills beyond Himeji.

I have learned a Japanese children’s game, which you may recognize. Remind me to teach it to you when I am back with you at M. L. Day.

Sayonara,
Mrs. Grumbling