Japanese Farewell

As I write this entry, I am safely back at home in the United States after 24 hours of traveling. The date line thing got me again. This time, I left on Thursday and after a whole day of traveling arrived back home on Thursday.

I wanted to leave you with this last image of Japan. There is an old tradition in Japan that everyone waves when departing.

If you have any doubt about the warmth of the Japanese people, look closely at this picture. As we pulled away in our bus, most of the staff of the hotel took time away from their busy schedules to wish us a safe farewell. (Forgive the bluriness of the picture. The bus was moving.)

I hope that some of you will get the chance to experience this warmth for your self one day by visiting Japan.

Final Reflections and a Final Thank You

My last three weeks in Japan have been a wonderful, memorable experience, but tomorrow I must return to the United States. Before leaving, I wanted to share a few final thoughts.

First, I have gained a true admiration for both the Japanese people and their culture. We have been treated with a great deal of kindness and respect wherever we went, either in our groups or alone. Like many Americans, I assumed the Japanese would be reserved and a bit aloof, but I found them to be warm and welcoming.

For me, the people have been the best part of Japan, but I am also extremely impressed by the culture.

As I’ve said before, the emphasis in Japan is on the community, not the individual. That leads to a climate where people look out for one another and where people are careful to not infringe on the rights of others or to disturb the social harmony. Also, it’s hard to not be impressed by a country where art and spirituality infuse all aspects of daily existence. Beauty and soulfulness are a way of life in Japan.

Finally, I have been impressed by the work ethic of the Japanese. I have never seen a place where people pay such close attention to detail. In an earlier post, I mentioned a study that found that the bullet train on average arrives within six seconds of the posted arrival times. Things just always seem to get done here and get done well.

Like any country, Japan has its share of challenges, but I come away with a lot of respect for what I saw and experienced.

As I pack my bags for tomorrow’s flight, I thought it would be a good time to thank several individuals.

First, and foremost, I’d like to thank the government of Japan. The government picked up the entire cost of the trip, and we were kept comfortable at every turn. I’m overwhelmed by the government’s generosity.

Second, I’d like to thank the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program, which accepted me into this prestigious program. As many of you know, I love to travel, but the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program gave me an immersion experience I could never have had on my own. I will be forever grateful.

Third, I’d like to thank my principal, Alan Long, who encouraged me and supported me throughout this experience. If it were not for him allowing me to bring some of the school’s computer equipment, this blog would not have been possible.

Finally, I’d like to thank all of you for reading my blog. Seeing your comments made the work all worthwhile.

It’s getting late, so I'll close with this. The other day, I read that only about 20% of people in the United States own a passport. That’s ashamed because there are such fascinating cultures out there waiting to be explored.

If you even have the slightest thought about traveling internationally, do it. It is such an enriching experience. I’ve been fortunate to have traveled to many countries, and I’ve never regretted a second, even during some of the difficult times when I found myself lost in the middle of nowhere with no way to communicate. Actually, those were some of the times I remember the most.

Japan is a great destination. If it’s not to your liking, go anywhere. Life’s too short to not enjoy an adventure every once in awhile.

Fish, Fish Everywhere

Fish is the heart of the Japanese diet. If it swims, you'll probably find it served on some Japanese table. This morning, I climbed out of bed early and visited the place where all that fish changes hands in Tokyo.


Tsukji is one of the largest fish markets in the world. Each day, more than 2,800 tons of marine products pass through here. About 450 kinds of fish are sold at the market.














The stars of the market are these guys - tuna.



Each morning, a tuna auction is held at 5 a.m.



The workers inspecting the fish are well paid to pick out the best tuna. That's crucial, because a large tuna can bring in thousands of dollars. In 2001, a record price of $173,600 was paid for a 444-lb bluefin tuna. It was sold in this very market.

You might wonder why all these tuna are frozen. The answer is that tuna swim in warm water and their body temperature is above the temperature of the water. After they are caught, the fish need to be cooled quickly to prevent histamines from building up, which would harm the taste and quality of the fish.

After cooling, the tuna are flash frozen and stay that way until they arrive at the market.

Most commercial tuna fishing boats are normally days from the nearest port, so the fish would spoil if it were not frozen.

After the auction, the tuna is cut up and redistributed. Much of the tuna will end up as sushi, a Japanese favorite.


I was amazed at the variety of fish in the market.













It's enough to make you want to grab an early lunch.


I've been enjoying your e-mails and posts. I hope you've been enjoying my blog.

Visit to a Traditional Japanese Inn

We have been well taken care of at all of the hotels we’ve stayed in during our trip, but my experience last night at a traditional Japanese inn topped the list.

An overnight stay at a ryokan is something normally just enjoyed by the wealthy, since it can run up to $600 a night. Our ryokan was called Yuzunosato Shosenkaku.

Guests stay in rooms whose floors are made of rice straw mats.

The only other object in my room was a table, where an employee presented us with a special fruit-flavored tea upon arrival. Here’s a shot looking out of the room. You can see the familiar Japanese sliding doors, which are made of wood and paper.

After tea, I climbed into an onsen (hot springs bath). Several pieces of locally-grown fruit, yuzu, which look like tangerines, were floating in the water, giving the water a fragrant, citrus smell. Nice touch.

The bath was in preparation for the special, ceremonial dinner that we were about to enjoy.

Diners eat in kimonos and sit on the floor at a table, which is just a couple of feet off the ground.

The multi-course dinner was terrific. Most of the courses contained some type of fish. Here’s a look at some of the things we ate.

One of my favorite dishes was a piece of yuzu, stuffed with shrimp and corn.

The most interesting dish was a fish on a stick. If you look closely, you can see his little head.

After dinner, we slept on futon-type mattresses, which had been laid out for us. They were very comfortable.

The ryokan was nestled next to a roaring river, providing a soothing sound to go to sleep by.

The ryokan was located in Ome City, an area known for hiking, rock climbing and kayaking.

The quaint town reminded me of some of the villages in the mountains of Switzerland. I could easily have spent several days in Ome alone.

It’s not often that I’m able to enjoy such luxury. It’s an experience I won’t soon forget.

The final stop on our tour of Japan is a return to Tokyo, where we’ll stay for the next three days before leaving on Thursday for the United States.

I’ll keep you posted.

Overnight Stay With a Japanese Family

It’s rare to get the opportunity to stay with a Japanese family. Typically, the Japanese don’t even have one another over for dinner, since they prefer to socialize out, but this weekend I was able to spend the night with the Kubo family.

Yuko, Hideaki and their three children, Keiichi, Haruna and Shingo, welcomed me into their home in Tama and treated me as if I was a member of the family.

After seeing Keiichi play soccer, we enjoyed some sushi – home style.

Next, I got to see Yuko and her daughter, Haruna, practice for an annual Shinto ceremony.

The ritual is held in autumn to thank the gods for a successful harvest.

I even had a chance to try the drums…

but I don’t think I’ll be quitting my day job.

I could not have asked for more kindness and better food. It was a real treat.

On a regular basis, the Kubo family hosts exchange students and other visitors from around the world. When I asked Yuko why, she said that she had experienced a lot of kindness traveling overseas and wanted to return the favor. Also, she said she wanted her children to experience as much about other cultures as possible. What a refreshing attitude.

On Sunday, I finished my visit by seeing some traditional Japanese dancing.

That’s it from Tama. Our next destination is to a traditional Japanese inn, which is called a ryokan. There’s no internet, so I’ll update you in a day or two.

The Height of Self-Discipline

Throughout my trip, I have been describing some of the similarities and differences that I've found between schools in the United States and schools in Japan. Today, I, once again, saw something amazing at the Hijirigaoka school that I've never seen in the United States.

Hijirigaoka is a private junior high/senior high school in Tama, but I've seen this same amazing thing happen at all of the schools I've visited. In the picture above, the girls are running their own basketball practice without adult supervision and without adults having to push them.

On the other end of the gym, these junior high boys are doing the same thing.

Normally, the boys have a coach, but he was busy today, so the kids ran their own practice. One of the kids took over, and they worked as hard as if they were trying to make the team.

Two questions come to mind. One, how can kids be trusted to be alone in Japan without adult supervision, and how can kids be so disciplined that they will work hard, even without adults hovering over them.

I'm no psychologist, but I think the answer might involve the notion of self versus the group in Japan. In the United States, there is a lot of emphasis placed on the individual, but in Japan, the group is seen as more important, and it is frowned upon to let the group down.

If a player doesn't give his best effort at basketball practice, it hurts the team. From an early age, Japanese children learn to work together for the good of the team, classroom and society.

That might also explain why Japanese teachers at the elementary, junior and high school level can leave the room for several minutes without chaos breaking out. Japanese kids do a great job of policing themselves for the good of the whole.

However, I think it goes deeper than that. Before I left, I read a book about Japan written by a United States newspaper reporter who spent several years working in Japan. Like any country, Japan has its share of crime, but the crime rate is much lower than the crime rate in Europe and America. In fact, Japan is seen as one of the safest countries in the world.

The author of the book said it isn't that the Japanese legal system is overly harsh, which keeps the population in line. Instead, the author said the philosophy in Japan is people will be virtuous if you encourage them to do so. The teachers we spoke to said they don't think twice about leaving their children alone in the room because they expect the kids to act appropriately, and they normally do.

I'm not sure if this would ever work in the United States because educators always face the fear of litigation. That's one of the main reasons why we can't ever leave our kids alone, but it is an interesting question to ponder. What if, as a society, we also expected one another to be virtuous. Would we respond? Hmmmmmm!

I digress.


Today, we had a chance to look at our first private school in Tama. Elementary and junior high are free in Japan, but there's a fee for high school, since high school is not compulsory in Japan, although most students attend and graduate from high school. In Tama, a public high school costs about $1,800 a year. We were told Hijirigaoka runs about $7,000-8,000 a year.

What's different at private schools in Japan? The teachers say there are more class offerings, better discipline.....













and more extracurricular activities.



There's one another difference between high schools in Japan and the United States. Normally, students must bring their own lunch.

This is not meant as a criticism, but the one thing that has surprised me about Japanese schools is the lack of technology. All of the schools we visited have a computer lab, however, I did not see computers in individual rooms. I believe our schools in the United States, by and large, have a lot more technology.

In my school, Southeast Whitfield High School, each teacher has a laptop computer, and most rooms have projectors and other devices like slates or "Smart Boards." Part of this is due to state and county efforts, but my principal has also made a big effort to put more technology into the hands of teachers. This blog would not have been possible without our school's equipment.

Many of my fellow teachers on this trip also said they were struck by the lack of technology in Japanese schools, although that has certainly not stopped Japan from having one of the best school systems in the world.

I hope you'll keep reading my blog and sharing your comments.

A Visit to Elementary School

It's hard to define what makes a school successful. You just know it is. When I walked into Higashiterakata Municipal Elementary School in Tama, I knew I was in the presence of excellence.

There was the customary musical welcome......


....and then we toured several classes on our own.

Like all schools in Japan, Higashiterakata puts a heavy emphasis on math and science. When I asked several kids what was their favorite subject, they said either math or science. Of course, subjects like history and Japanese are also an important part of the curriculum, although I wasn't very successful today with my Japanese, despite my fourth grade tutors.



The public elementary school looked like many of our elementary schools in the United States. Here fifth graders are working on power point presentations.




But, once again, I found some differences between this Japanese elementary school and elementary schools in the United States.

For years, schools across Japan have been teaching foreign languages, especially English, at the elementary level, but there are no national laws requiring it. That will soon change.

By 2011, all fifth and sixth graders will be required to take a certain number of hours of a foreign language each term.

In this picture, a second grade class is working on their numbers in English. The teachers in our group also practiced introductions with the kids.



When I asked the principal of the school why Japan was so concerned about foreign languages, he simply said, "We want to nurture the ability of our students to live in a global environment." Unfortunately, foreign languages are not taught at many elementary schools in the United States, and in some states where foreign languages were taught, they have been cut due to budgetary restraints.

Another difference I saw in this school was the emphasis on the arts. As I've said before, art is considered to be an essential part of the educational experience.





Today, I found kids making wooden baskets, playing instruments,








and singing. I was told this is a common site, at all grade levels.







At the same time, another difference with Japanese elementary schools is that students often are involved in agriculture. At this school, students grow many things, including rice. Teachers say the activity teaches kids to respect the earth, to have a sense of where food comes from and to learn a valuable skill.


I was surprised to find a rice field on the play ground.

Finally, as with all students at all grade levels, kids are expected to take turns serving lunch in their classrooms each day and be involved in cleaning up the school each day before going home.















After school, we had the opportunity to talk with some of the parents. They said that one of the main reasons that they felt that the school was successful was because of the involvement of most of the parents in the school and the involvement of the community.

The parents said they also felt that their kids benefited from physical activities like P.E. and growing food. The Japanese are big believers in the importance of addressing all the needs of a person, both physical and mental. I get the sense that the Japanese have a much more holistic view of learning.


But, the parents also echoed many of the concerns of parents in the United States. First, the parents said they believed that the scholastic level of their children had declined because of relaxed standards. At the same time, the parents said that they believed too much of an emphasis was being put on kids passing standardized tests, instead of kids just learning for the sake of learning. Finally, the parents said they felt their kids weren't getting enough homework.



It was a great day of learning for me, but I have no idea how elementary teachers have enough energy to get through the day. I definitely have much more of an appreciation for what elementary school teachers do. I'm beat. Good night.