Linking Maine and Japan

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?