Day 9: Welcome Ceremony Day

Today was the first chance the school had to hold a welcome ceremony for me and one of the other student teachers. The first thing in the morning I went to my room in the convent and put on my double-breasted suit for the event. I wrote a few things I knew I wanted to say down on a Post-It note. I thanked everyone for their warm welcome and kind treatment and I praised the school for its great students and teachers. I explained how each day here is full of surprises and new experiences for me and I am thankful for that. Next, I expressed my desire to teach about America and the schools there, stressing that all the teachers need to do is ask me and I will be there to help out. One of the teachers had to translate all of this, but I still think I got my messages across. The second graders performed a dance and then everyone sang a couple beautiful songs. It was really neat watching all of the students sing as I sat on the stage. The first thing I did after the ceremony was run up to my room to change out of my suit; today was a hot and very humid day. Unfortunately, the humidity today is nothing compared to what it will be in a couple of weeks when the rainy season begins.

Yukari, Shimizu Sensei, had planned for me to be with her class this morning, but decided it would be best for me to go with the fourth, fifth and sixth grade students. The upper grades went to the nearby Kyoto Botanical Gardens. I walked with Mr. Yukita and the students for the three or four block journey. Mr. Yukita shared his philosophy regarding the position of the teacher while speaking to the students. The classes here are all about forty students, so it is important to take extra care in making sure you are visible to the students and they can hear what you are saying. I can see his point, but I am struggling with my own beliefs, given the American philosophy which holds that teachers should be moving around the class when speaking. I think both approaches have their advantages, so perhaps a combination of the two methods is the best way.

At the botanical gardens the students had to draw trees and flowers they could see. Then, the students used water-colored paints to finish their masterpieces. I took some pictures as I checked up on students throughout the gardens. I took about thirty minutes to sit with some kids and sketch my own trees. It is good thing they are easily impressed, because I am not the best artist.

I returned to the school to have lunch with Yukari Shimizu's class. Every table wanted me to sit with them, so it was hard to choose. After lunch I joined Mr. Matsura's class for the afternoon. The students will be taking a trip on the subway soon, so we practiced reading and writing phrases common to the subway system. We discussed manners, how people should behave, when using the subway. Mr. Matsura played safety and instructional video about riding subways. All of the material was new to me because we don't really use subways in Wisconsin.

At the end of the school day I returned to Ms. Shimizu's class for final prayer. The students can leave immediately after school or they can stay until 4:00pm. This makes the students who stay the teacher's responsibility. I played tag with the 3rd graders until 4:00pm, and by then I was quite tired.

Tonight was the scheduled night to have dinner with Mr. Yukita and his family. After school we drove to a couple grocery stores to buy the beef, vegetables, and beer for dinner. Mr. Yukita thinks that his house is as thin as a pencil, but it is not a bad place. Their home is smaller than the Hotta's, but more like the homes of typical Japanese people. Mr. Yukita has two daughters and a cute three-year-old son. We cooked the food sukiyaki-style right on the table. I was stuffed after eating the huge steak that Mr. Yukita bought for me. On the way home we stopped to sing a couple songs at a karaoke house. Mr. Yukita's daughters sang a children's song about elephants, which was quite funny. It was nice to check out a karaoke house in Japan, since they are so popular here.

Back at the Hotta's, Junpei, his mother, and I tried some origami from a book I brought with me. I tried to make a swan, but it was much to difficult. Yuko (Mrs. Hotta) made several origami animals purely from memory, proving how much origami is a part of the culture in Japan.

Day 8: Nijo-jo Castle

This morning I awoke at 7:30am, since we don't have school today. Junpei, Mr. Hotta, and I planned to walk to their plot of crops and pick some fresh strawberries for breakfast. Mr. Hotta's shortcut led us through a nearby park. After nearly stepping in a pile of dog poop he turned and said to me, "Careful. Dog's shit." I couldn't help but laugh a little. Anyway, the plot of land they grow on is only about five blocks away from their house. Junpei and I walked up and down the rows of crops, choosing the ripest strawberries to bring back to the house.

The plan for the day was to see the Nijo-jo (castle) and go out for dinner later on. The Nijo-jo is a large complex which has a great deal of significant history to it. When I was studying Japan in my Modern East Asia class we covered Japanese history, some of which I have found out took place at the Nijo Castle! The Nijo Castle was built by the Tokugawa Shoguns, but was never really a permanent residence. Instead, the Castle was used to showcase the power and wealth of the Shogunate to others. The history I learned about surrounded Japan and the resistance of the traditional nation to the impeding ways of the West:
In 1863 Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi came from Edo (Tokyo) to the castle to consult with the emperor, the first such visit in two centuries, an unheard-of action during the previous 260 years. Here he received the emperor Komei's instructions to "expel the barbarians" who were attempting to open Japan to international commerce (Martin & Martin 2002, Kyoto: A Cultural Guide).
The phrase that sparked the memory of my studies was expel the barbarian. The phrase came to be the slogan for those Japanese who wished to continue the tradition of Japan rather than open themselves to the world. It might be boring to some, but it was exciting for me to make the connection.

Most of the interior of the Nijo-jo is large rooms of tatami mats. Unfortunately, they do not allow pictures of the inside of the Castle. In each room there are hand-painted sliding panels, colorful tatami trim, and extravagant gold ornaments decorating the large wooden beam. The paintings were beautiful and unique to each room. For example, in the room where the Shogun kept the weapons, the paintings are of several large hawks perched in trees as they prepare to attack. The panels above those which slide are magnificent hand-carved scenes of nature. The best carving, in my opinion, is of a large peacock and its colorful feathers. The castle has awesome detail wherever you look: the ceiling panels are painted and differ from hallway to hallway, the gold ornaments are all different, and the tatami is lined with fabric of different designs. What surprised me the most was the floor in the hallways. The floors appear to be simple wood planks, but one step upon them and you will notice right away what makes them so special: the boards make the chirping sounds of Japanese Knightingale when stepped upon! They actually designed clamps to hold the floorboards down that would make a footstep sound like the beautiful singing of a knightingale. I was hopping around the floor to hear all the different pitches and it really sound like birds! The rock gardens outside of the castle were simply breathtaking.

For lunch, the Hotta's and I drove to a noodle shop near the Nishi market in Kyoto. I was looking forward to comparing the ramen noodles which are a staple of any American college student to the ramen in Japanese noodle shops. It goes without saying that the Japanese version was much better. After lunch we had to go to Daimaru, the large department store, to get Junpei's glasses fixed; his glasses got a little bent up when he got hit in the head during a game of dodgeball...poor kid. We then dropped Junpei off at a school where he gets private English lessons. Japanese students are forced to study very hard in order to get into good junior high and high schools. Most kids who attend Notre Dame Elementary have extra lessons and also go to ju ku (cram school).

Junpei's parents and I went home to relax for a while before dinner. Meanwhile, the Hotta's invited me to stay for two more nights! I was scheduled to be staying at my room at school, but the Hotta's wanted me to stay longer. I really love the Hotta family and it will be hard to leave them. For dinner we drove to a nearby restaurant which the Hotta's frequent. It was a cute little place with raised wooden floors so that you could kneel at your table or put your legs underneath. We had some sashimi, tempura, salad, fried noodles, and other delicious foods. I was surprised to learn that "suzuki" is the name of the fish we know as Perch. Our sashimi plate included some Perch, Tuna, Conger, and shrimp.

Day 7: The Sports Festival

Since the beginning of the school year, in April, Notre Dame Elementary has been making preparations for their annual Sports Festival. The students practice several times a week and, as you may have read, the teachers and I set up many tents on the playground. After breakfast, Mrs. Hotta brought Junpei and I to the school. The school grounds were already becoming crowded with family members, students, and photographers. The atmosphere inside was one of great excitement. The students had their TV broadcast, and then all the classes were dismissed to the playground for the festival. Each student had to carry their chair from their homeroom to the tents outside. I took a chair from Junpei's class and sat with them. Each student had previously made their own flag and the teachers had strung them up over the entire width of the playground. It was amazing to see 1000 flags dancing in the wind.

The festivities began with an opening ceremony. The students marched to the band's music and the principal held up the trophies which would be awarded to the teams during the closing ceremony. It was only a matter of minutes before the events began. There were many relay races of different kinds. For example, the different grade levels each started in a different position, whether it be sitting, lying down, or turned around. The second graders performed a dance wearing bells and holding sticks in their hands; they were really funny to watch. Mr. Ayata let me fire the starting guns for an event in which the students stood in lines and pushed large playground balls from one end of the playground to the other.

For the lunch break in the middle of the day I ate with the Hotta family in the courtyard of the school. Every family was sitting on a mat eating a Japanese style picnic. Our bentos contained fruit, rice balls stuffed with salmon, and cold sandwiches. I later found out that the teachers had also prepared me a lunch, but they forgot to tell me about it.

One event that I found particularly interesting is called kibasan. Three kids hold up another student who is wearing a paper samurai hat. The teams are supposed to represent samurai riding horses. The object of the game is to knock off the samurai's hats off of their heads. Inoue Sensei told me that when she was in school they actually were supposed to knock the other teams' samurai off of the horse and on to the ground. The Japanese do not have the culture of suing like we do in America, but knocking students to the ground is still too dangerous.

In the afternoon there were many more races, dances, and gymnastic performances by the students. I fired the starting guns for the preschool and first grade students as they ran fun races of their own. They simply ran straight across the playground, but they seemed to be having fun. I have never seen such young children running as hard as they can, determined to win. I would yell, "Yoi!," meaning ready, and then fire the gun. I am amazed at the complexity of the event and the abilities of the students. The Sports Festival exceeded all of my expectations and I have never such an event in the United States. There were third grade students in the band reading music and playing flutes, children doing aerial maneuvers, and groups of students holding each other up three levels high! Everything about the festival impressed me. After the morning events, my team (red) was in first place, but by the end of the day we were in the second. The awards ceremony was short and sweet.

The families left and the teachers and I cleaned up the grounds a little. We took down the flags and picked up garbage left on the ground. The teachers planned a dinner in the lunchroom. I waited there with Sister Beatrice. I played the piano a little and Sister Beatrice pretended to sing to the songs I was playing. She is such a fun person. Dinner with the teachers was fun. There is a great sense of community amongst the staff here. We had some fish, tofu soup, rice balls, and potatoes. I was surprised to find that we were also given beer to drink. The teachers started giving toasts and the first year teachers had to share their thoughts about the festival. Of course, the microphone was handed to me next. I shared my thoughts about the Sports Festival and commended them for the amazing work they do. Yukari summarized my speech in Japanese for those who do not understand English. After dinner I helped the gym teachers move the soccer nets back onto the playground. They are all very kind and fun to be around.

Mrs. Hotta picked me up at the East gate of the school. Junpei came with too, but he fell asleep in the back seat before they arrived at the school. At home we sat in the living room upstairs and watched some TV. I was also working on some emails and Junpei was drawing. Mrs. Hotta presented me with another gift: a beautiful decorative fan. The Hotta's have given me so much and done a great deal for me. I look forward to giving them the gifts I have for them tomorrow.

Day 6: Sightseeing in Kyoto

My first weekend is already here and it is exciting given all there is to do here in Kyoto. I slept a little later this morning to catch up on some sleep and then I caught up on the episodes of 24 and Lost that I missed this past week (I downloaded them from iTunes). The Hotta family planned a wonderful day of sightseeing in Kyoto. We started with a breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, lettuce, toast, fruit, a hot dog, yogurt, apple juice, milk, and coffee. It was fortunate for me that the neighbors were having a wedding today, allowing for the opportunity to see the bride and the groom in traditional clothing. The bride was wearing a glowing white kimono with many embroidered white doves. The head dressing of the bride was bright white also, and was quite tall. Once the bride left, the groom came outside to talk to us; the tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding is the same here. The groom was wearing a black and white kimono almost identical to the one Mr. Hotta is wearing in his wedding pictures.

We drove into the city and picked up Kie, the daughter of one of Mr. Hotta's friends. Apparently Kie is going to be studying in the United States for one year, so she wanted to meet me and ask me some questions. I am sure the trip will be shocking for her, especially since she is going to school in South Dakota! We went to an area of Kyoto where there are many streets for walking only. The narrow streets of this area are where much of the tradition of Kyoto lives. There are many shops and it is easy to find women dressed as traditional women or geisha, but the Hotta's told me they were not real, but rather a sort of tourist attraction of their own. We walked to the Yasaka Shrine. The Shrine was beautiful, but wasn't one we could enter. The Yasaka Shrine is a tourist attraction and also a destination for those seeking to pray and worship. One of the items for sale were small wooden plates which, for 500 yen, you could write a prayer or wish and hang it near the Shrine. I chose not to buy one of the plates. We also happened to be at the Shrine for a wedding ceremony. It seems like this time of year is very popular for weddings.


The next stop was the Kiyomizudera Temple. This temple was near the highest elevation of the old narrow cobblestone streets. There were large steps of stone leading to the tall red gate guarded by two large statues. Looking back I could see the city of Kyoto, the mountains behind it, and another cluster of tall buildings on the horizon. The tall, white and red Kyoto Tower stood out above the buildings. The Kiyomizudera is considered to be a World Cultural Heritage Site and one of the greatest treasures of human kind. Go there and you will see the magnificence it has to offer any visitor. There are several buildings in the mountainside, but the Temple itself is outstanding. Before you enter, you can rinse your hands with the water running from a dragon's mouth into a bath carved from stone. Junpei washed his hands in the water before we went in. We all removed our shoes and entered the temple. Immediately you could smell the incense and sense to powerful silence in the hall. It was dark, but there was enough light to look at the golden statue and the massive pillars holding up the tall ceiling. Junpei kneeled and rang the gong in front of the statue. The gong is more if a large medal bowl, but I gave it a try. I can see why the ringing of the gong is used for prayers: the loud, constant whirring sound it makes fills your ears and clears your mind of all thoughts. I used to use a similar method when my thoughts would keep me awake at night; by humming I could focus on the noise only and clear my mind of all other thoughts. Then, I could fall asleep peacefully. Sounds silly, but it actually works pretty well. Out the side of the Temple there is a large platform, which was used for ceremonial dances, hanging over the mountainside. When we walked down into the valley,we could see that the deck was supported by a scaffolding made of large timbers and held together with out nails. It is impressive. Junpei's mother, Junpei, and I drank from the Otowanotaki Spring. This spring is supposedly one of the three most pure sources of water in Japan. The name of the Temple, Kiyomizu, literally means, "pure water." I hope to go back to the Kiyomizudera Temple, even during this trip.

The Hotta family, Kie, and I worked our way down through the streets and stopped at a noodle shop for some lunch. I had Japanese noodles and tempura (fried shrimp), which was delicious. I didn't like the soy tea very much, but it was not horrible either. Junpei really wanted some dessert, so we made another stop just down the street. Junpei ordered a huge serving of green tea-flavored shaved ice. He was so eager to eat it that he ended up with brain freeze several times. They all thought it was funny that we call it "brain freeze." The rest of us had some green tea flavored ice cream sundaes, which were tasty. While we continued down the street I tried to soak in all my surroundings: the small shops with Japanese pottery, Junpei stopping to look at every toy, the spectacular view of the city, and the smells of incense, good food, and wood fires filling the mountain air.

The last stop of the day was the Sanjusan Gendo. Unfortunately, the temple doesn't allow people to take pictures inside, but some are available online or in books. The Sanjusan Gendo is a building fourteen meters wide and one-hundred and twenty meters long! "Sanjusan" means 33 in Japanese, referring to the number of large pillars from one end of the building to the other. Inside the building, 1,001 golden Buddha statues stand at the ready. Each of the figures has 42 arms, and is slightly different than the others. They might have a completely different face, or them might appear different only in the folds of their clothing. It looks as if an army of gold men are standing in a stadium-like seating arrangement. All I could do was stare...over 1,000 of them...simply breathtaking. In the center of the building there stands one enormous Buddha. In front of those statues stand a row of 28 crystal-eyed deities. The two on the ends are the most famous, Fujin (god of wind) and Raigin (god of thunder). Fujin and Raigin are often placed at entrances in order to stop evilness and allow virtue to pass. In the center of the building stands one large golden Buddha. People leave gifts there, pray, and burn incense sticks for Buddha. Whatever powers one might believe in, standing before the large Buddha amongst all of those statues will make anyone sense the power there.

We went home for dinner and had temakizushi, which is simply self serve sushi. We rolled our own combinations of tuna, cucumber, avocado, rice, and dipped them in soy sauce and wasabi. After some emails, Mrs. Hotta had a surprise prepared for me. She teaches flower arrangement and tea ceremony, and so she prepared a private tea ceremony for her family and I. I was relieved to have my first tea ceremony be very informal. Mrs. Hotta helped me understand how the ceremony is done and what I need to do. Junpei was our server and, as always, he made us laugh.

Day 5: Friday

First thing this morning we had another all staff meeting in the teachers' office. We started with a prayer and a hymn in Japanese. The sports festival is coming up tomorrow and is a very important event for the students and the parents. There were several concerns addressed at the meeting. First, one of the handicapped students' mother reported that their child was being made fun of and that they wanted the issue addressed. Second, some community members reported that there have been some Notre Dame students misbehaving on the way to school. Lastly, the teachers are concerned with the weather forecast seeing as the sports festival will be held outdoors. If the weather is not favorable, then we will have to postpone the festival until Sunday or Wednesday.

I joined Mr. Yukita's English classes again today. Today we had the third grade classes and also had the help of Karen Sensei. Class began with a prayer and the song of the month. Then we practiced the phrases, "I have (number) + (color) + (object)." The students utilized the computer systems in the classroom and the program developed by Mr. Yukita and Chuck Sensei in order to practice their idioms. The computer systems cost the school about 20,000,000 yen, or about $180,000. It is convenient for the teacher to have the students practicing English individually. Each student has a set of headphones to listen with and a microphone so that they can hear their pronunciations. Mr. Yukita can even administer verbal English tests in which each child works individually and their speech is recorded and saved for evaluation!

Today was even more fun than Wednesday because I was able to be more involved. I led the students in the prayer, the song, and through the "I have _ _ _" statements. Mr. Yukita makes the Powerpoints fun and includes characters like Cookie Monster and Elmo. I made my best Elmo voice while conversing with Karen Sensei in front of the class, "I have three brown dogs." The kids love it, and I have fun too. Mr. Yukita helps me along and gives me pointers during class. One suggestion he made was to stand still in front of the class. In my experience in the United States, moving is usually a good thing for a teacher to do. It is thought to be important to be in close proximity with the students and move around the classroom. At the same time, it probably can be a distraction from the content of the lesson and disrupt the focus of the students. I was probably just moving out of slight nervousness, and I can see Mr. Yukita's point.

Lunch today was pork stroganoff, rice, and vegetables. I ate with Junpei and then waited in the lunch room for some fifth graders to come and interview me. One of the fifth grade classes is have a party for me next week and they also must have an assignment they are working on. The questions were mostly about my impressions of Japan. For example, they asked me what suprised me the most about Japan. I told them that the small size of the cars suprised me. I am excited to see what that fifth grade class has planned.

The students were released from school early today to allow the teachers time to prepare for the sports festival. I helped some students practice in the gym and then picked up rocks from the outdoor track. I also loaded up some huge playground balls and went to a nearby gas station with Mr. Ayata so that we could blow them up with air. Mr Yukita stole me for a few minutes so that he could show me American news on the school's satellite TV. The last part of the day we had another staff meeting. The teachers were seriously discussing the weather forecast and the preparation for the sports festival. The consensus was to postpone the festival until Sunday. They presented me with my own Notre Dame T-shirt to wear for the festival, and I will be happy to wear it.

Mr. Yukita dropped me off at the Hotta Family's house and dinner was almost ready. We had lettuce, fried sweet potatoes, fried pumpkin, fried tofu, and some sort of potatoes with meat in them. Junpei requested my presence on the second floor so that we could play so computer games. Mrs. Hotta and her mother shared pictures with me and then I went to sleep.

Day 4: Yuri Gakuin

The students had off of school today while the teachers and I went to Yuri Gakuin (Lily School) in Osaka. I am happy to be included as part of the staff at Notre Dame and be able to experience the lives they lead. I had a quick breakfast because I had to wake up even earlier than usual in order to catch the subway to Osaka. Mr. Yukita picked me up at 6:40am and we went to Notre Dame so that I could change into more formal clothing. It turned out that the key Sr. Beatrice gave me for my room is actually for the school entrance. I knew I should have made sure I had the correct key before locking the room, but I guess we do not always listen to that little voice in our heads. Mr. Yukita was kind enough to find the correct key for me and we were soon on our way.

The subway ride was a first for me, and an interesting one at that. At first the subway was not crowded, but soon all the seats were full and the standing room as well. It was strange to observe the morning routine of those Mr. Yukita informed me were typical Japanese people. The passenger cars were rocking slightly and the people said nothing. Everyone's eyes were closed trying to catch up on lost sleep as they all held on to the overhead handles. The Japanese are very hard working people: up early, home late. Even the teachers at Notre Dame stay until nine, ten, or eleven o'clock at night! Clearly the fast-paced, modern world doesn't come without a price.

The Lily School for girls is not as large as Notre Dame Elementary, but its facilities are still impressive. Mr. Yukita and I first attended an open English lesson to a class of sixth grade girls. The phrase focused on during the lesson was, "Do you have any ___?" The young girls asked us several questions in this format and recorded our responses on their worksheet. The students then played a simple game of Go Fish and were not allowed to slip back into speaking Japanese. The game is actually a great way to practice questions and responses; Specifically, "Do you have any sixes?," "Yes, I do. Here you are," etc. I enjoyed the lesson and the appearance of the classroom. I am sure my professors would be happy to know that they even had a sight word wall, which is very important in a class of young students studying language.

After the open English lesson, there was an opening assembly. The speeches and teacher awards were all presented in Japanese, so it was boring for me at first. When the students finally came out, they performed several worship songs. The awesome part was that the songs, like Oh, Maria, were renditions taken from the movie Sister Act! The students were clapping, singing, and dancing. There were even two students dressed as nuns dancing around on stage! It was awesome.

One of the part-time English teachers, Chuck, and I attended a discussion of the open session class. The questions seemed to surround the types of materials that the observed teacher uses and how the program at Lily School works. Like the United States, much of the teaching in Japan is in preparation for standardized tests the students are required to take. The teacher explained that it is a challenge to design lessons which are beneficial for the range of ability levels present in the classroom, which is true for teachers everywhere. Chuck and I went to lunch together and sat in the schools large open courtyard with our bentos (Japanese lunch boxes). The lunch was half rice, but also included: tea, peas, three types of tofu, a chicken meatball, a potato ball, soy beans, a sweet bean-stuffed rice cake wrapped with a leaf, and several other mysterious Japanese items. It was not bad. Chuck left me alone for a while and the teacher across from me said, "Ryan Sensei," and then proceeded to ask me several questions which I could not understand. I think he wanted to know how long at I had been teaching at Notre Dame Elementary, but he was probably more confused when I replied, "one week." I also met several other Americans who are teaching in Japan. They have all been here at least a year, though. They were quite curious to know things about America, like what a gallon of gas costs.

The last session we attended was led by the author of the TESL book Super Kids, Aleda Krause. She is an American who has a great passion for teaching Japanese children English. She was fun to listen to and get some teaching tips from. Mrs. Krause showed us several techniques she likes to use and also some games for practicing English. I sat in the very front row, so Mrs. Krause grabbed me for one of her demonstrations. The game was designed to practice phrases like, "She wants to ____," and, "Does she want to ____?" We stood back-to-back with a picture of an activity in our hands. The object is simply to take turns asking the question until someone guesses correctly. I enjoyed being part of a presentation at a teachers convention.

Hiro, one of the gym teachers, came to get me and tell me that we were leaving. I knew he and a few other teachers were planning to take me out after the convention. Mino, Hiro, Yukari, Mr. Ayata and I all went to a sushi bar in Osaka. We started with some beer and four pieces of fresh sushi, two Sea Bream and two Abalone. I had tried Sea Bream before, and it is really good, but the Abalone was a new experience. Abalone is a shellfish and it didn't have much taste to it, just a tough texture. When I finished those there were new types already being prepared by the chef in front of us. During the meal I had all of these types of sushi: Sea Bream, Abalone, Salmon Roe (eggs), Tuna, Conger/Sea Eel, raw Scallops, some type of shrimp, salmon, and crab brains. Not only did I try many new foods, but I simply ate a lot. Honestly, most of the sushi was really good. The freshness was unbeatable. I would advise against the salmon roe and the crab brains; those are things we just shouldn't be eating. I had a great time.

The Hotta's were waiting for me when we returned to school, and I went home with them. I had almost forgotten that Mrs. Hotta's parents were coming today to visit. I went with her father and tried to help as he planted some Morning Glory plants in pots. It seems like the people here are more in touch with the land and consider it more a part of their lives than typical Americans. Every city block in this area has at least one plot of land reserved for cultivating tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, or other crops. Obviously the soil on this volcanic archipelago is richer, but Americans could still learn some things from this example. Every time Americans eat crops which are not grown locally, their "footprint" on the Earth increases. Simply put, local is better in my opinion. The fresh vegetables here make every meal delicious and healthy. Tonight's dinner was yakiniku, basically meaning "beef roast." The whole family sat at the table cooking vegetables and thin slices of beef on a large roaster in the center of the table. It reminded me a lot of my family when we used to prepare vegetables and meats and cooking them fondue style at the dinner table. Mrs. Hotta's parents don't speak any English, but they are very nice people.

Day 3: Good Classes

When the children arrive at school in the morning, they are allowed to go to the gym and play dodgeball. It is interesting that the students are often left alone unsupervised; they seem to behave well enough so as not to require the presence of any teachers. Sometimes it is hard for me to find a teacher that I am looking for because they are not in their classroom. If only that were the case in every school. I decided to join the students in the game, but quickly found the rules are a little different than what I am used to. For example, if you get hit with a ball, then you simply move to the other team. It was hard not to think of Billy Madison as I was throwing the balls at the kids. A lot of them voluntarily let me hit them because they wanted to be on my team.

Today we also had our first all staff meeting in the teachers' office. Most of the teachers share one large office with many desks in it. The meeting was in Japanese, but Yukita Sensei helped me understand the topics of discussion: sports festival schedule, and itinerary for tomorrows West Japan Private School Teachers Convention at Yuri Gakuin (Lily School). After the meeting I sat in the studio and watched as the students produced the show once again. The upcoming sports festival is a big deal here and the school is making a lot of time for the students to practice. I visited with each sports team as they cheered on their teammates during the practice relay race. The students also practiced the centipede race called mukade, which means "one hundred legs." I taught Yukira and Hiro, two fellow teachers, that the prefix centi- means one-hundred. They use the term centimeter, but they were fascinated with the connection. I am happy anytime I can help the teachers out or teach them something, seeing as they are teaching me so much.

I joined the first grade class once again. They were practicing hirigana (one of the writing systems), so I practiced mine as well. The students always seem to be engaged in the lessons here; Notre Dame has great teachers! During the hirigana practice the teacher watched as the students made the strokes of each symbol in the air. They counted the strokes as they made them in the air, "Ichi, ni, san!" Once the students know the stroke pattern and the teacher has shown both good examples and bad, then the students trace the symbols in their workbooks and practice making their own. When students learn to write in America, they are given note sheets with lines on them: a solid line on the top and bottom, and a dotted line across the center. The lines help students write neatly and distinguish between capital letters and lowercase letters. In Japan, they do not have capital and lowercase letters, but they do use guides for the students to use. The teachers provide notebooks with squares on them, and each square is divided into four quadrants so the students can form the symbols properly. Kitamura Sensei wrote several phrases on the TV screen for the students to copy in their own notebooks, incorporating both previously known and newly learned symbols. The students then put their books away, stood at their desks, bowed, and politely thanked the teacher for her lesson and for the next lesson to come. The students are very respectful and appreciative, but it is important to note that this is a private school; from my discussions with Yukari and Hiro it seems that schools in Japan are similar to those in the US in that the private school children are better behaved than those in public schools. Nonetheless, the Japanese are more respectful and polite people.

The next lesson was a math lesson that I was very happy to have been a part of. Like in the United States, the children use manipulatives to practice numbers and counting. The students each have their own set of small blocks they use for math. The teacher placed her blocks under the camera so that each student could copy what she was doing. Here is an example of the procedure: the teacher took 3 blocks and said "Ni wa ichi to ichi ni wakarararu," or something to that effect. This phrase basically says that two separates into one and one. Then the teacher adds one block and uses the same format: "San wa ichi to ni ni wakarararu," meaning that three separates into one and two. The students took over and said each phrase according to the teacher's blocks on the TV screen. The student might just think they are learning their numbers, but the teacher is giving them the tools and understanding they will need for learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The lesson was fun, engaging, and effective. The TV is always given the students a clear visual representation of the divisions as well.

I always look forward to going to Junpei's class at noon, just before lunch. Mr. Ayata, his teacher, says that Junpei is always asking where I am and telling everyone that he is going home with me after school. When I go to Mr. Ayata's class, the students yell, "Ryan Sensei," and hang all over me. They try to make me sit in an open desk, but they are so incredibly small that would be difficult. For lunch today we had potatoes and bacon, corn soup, bread and jam, and milk.

I helped with Mr. Yukita's classes again today, which were with the third grade students. We had some time to discuss a few aspects of the Notre Dame English program. Yukita Sensei explained to me the difficulty of teaching English to the older students as a result of the high expectations put on them. The sixth grade students go to ju ku (cram school) in order to prepare for the testing that will determine what junior high they will be able to attend. The students devote so much time and effort to their ju ku studies that they no longer care to learn English. The moral of the story is that the lessons need to be fun in order to get the older students interested.

After a prayer, we said hello and asked how the students were doing. Then, we sang another song in English. The phrase for the day was, "I have (number) (color) (object)." For example, "I have three yellow bananas." The game was played by simply looking at the picture on the board and making the correct sentence. One important thing we emphasized today was the s sound at the end of plural nouns. Plurals are difficult for the Japanese because they do not have such a system. We would often here students say phrases like, "I have four red apple." Despite that obstacle, the third graders are speaking English sentences that are quite complex; in a public school they wouldn't really learn this level of English until junior high. Lastly, I helped the students practice their A to Z Idioms before playing a game with them.

After school, Mrs. Hotta took Junpei and I to the market in Kyoto. We made one stop before that at an eight floor shopping mall; Junpei had to buy Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire. The market street was amazing. When we first stepped onto the narrow pedestrian street, I realized that I could not even see the end of the shops in the distance! There must be around one mile of shops! We stopped for some tofu ice cream, which is healthy and as good as regular ice cream, before shopping. Most of the stores sell fresh fish, octopus, tofu, and vegetables, but there were some other types of shops as well. Yuko, Mrs. Hotta, wanted me to pick something to eat, but I just like looking at everything. Eventually we picked up some sushi, which I later learned was conger, a type of sea eel. The eel was smoked, so it wasn't exactly raw.

Junpei really wanted to watch Harry Potter, or as he calls it "Harry Hotta." I began watching the movie, but ended up talking with his parents for about an hour. I showed them the program called Google Earth, in which you can look at satellite images of Earth. We zoomed in to Kyoto and found their house! We also marked the Kinkakuji Temple and Notre Dame Elementary School. The Hottas gave me several gifts which I like very much. We talked a lot about other temples and festivals in Kyoto that we might have a chance to see. They are great people and I will miss not being at their house. They are so kind and Junpei is a lot of fun. I better get some sleep, since tomorrow will be a long day at the teacher's conference in Osaka.

Day 2: First Rainy Day

Today was my first rainy day, but it started with another great breakfast with the Hotta family. The breakfasts are not that different from those in America: eggs, bread, yogurt, sausages (which are more like hot dogs), coffee, milk, orange juice, etc. We didn't have the TV show yesterday, so I was a part of it today. I introduced myself, told everyone how excited I am to be here and that I hope to meet them all soon. I was a bit nervous, but maybe it was just the heat and humidity getting to me. I am impressed at the students ability to use technology. Americans recognize the Japanese as very advanced in their technologies, and they start using them at a young age. The students sit at the control desk and produce the show, moving from live video to picture slide shows with voice-overs. I prepared a map of the United States by tracing Wisconsin and marking Green Bay with an arrow labeled "Koko desu," meaning here. I am sure I will be on the TV again soon.

Sister Beatrice wanted to get my input as far as what I would like to do. I will be helping with the English classes daily, but I told her I would also like to learn with the first graders and work my way up. Since I am new to Japan, it is a good idea to start with the most basic things. Therefore, I joined the first grade class in Room 3. This class, like the others, had forty students under the supervision of one teacher, Kitamura Sensei. The first thing I noticed was that there are no types of learning centers around the classroom. Instead, the students are seated in straight rows facing forward. Suprisingly, all of the children seem to be attentive. It seems like the students are more focused in this school than in those I have experienced in America. I think that the uniform requirement eliminates a lot of distractions for the students and allows them to focus on other things.

The students gave their first presentations of the year, sort of like "show and tell" in America. The students placed their notebooks or reports on the overhead (which is basically a camera) and their materials appeared on the large flatscreen TV. Most of the students shared something that they had found outside, like the leaves of a tree, for example. Next, the first graders went to the library for some free reading time, referred to as Silent Sustained Reading in the United States. Once in the library, the students collectively thank the librarian for the use of the books and bow. They thank the librarian again before going back to their classroom. I observed the students and thought about first grade in the US; we don't usually have SSR for students at that age! We typically have some sort of guided reading which helps the students and provides necessary feedback for the teacher. This really amazed me! One thing I noticed about the library itself is the shelving system. The students carry colored cards about the size of a book, which have their name and ID number on them. When they remove a book from the shelf they place their card in its place. This allows the students to replace the book or take it with them and the librarian will know who has it - what a simple and efficient way to do it!

After returning from the library, it was time for manners class. I was especially excited to learn some Japanese manners myself! We all walked to the large tatami room, took off our shoes and formed lines on each side of the room. The teacher demonstrated the proper way to kneel and the proper way to stand up. We all knelt down and then Kitamura Sensei taught us different bows we should know how to do depending on who you are bowing to. By this time, my American legs were in pain from kneeling like the Japanese. I did my best to continue with the lesson in giving and receiving things, such as tea, while kneeling on the tatami floor. Although it was somewhat painful, I am glad to have been a part of the manners class.

I went to Junnpei's class, Room 5, at noon so we could go to lunch. Today we had Chinese food: rice, corn soup, a kind of stir fry, and some fruit-flavored tofu. In was a good lunch and the students cleaned up all the dishes again. They help each other a lot without ever being asked and they even fold their milk cartons and bundle them together for disposal!

Since I plan to be a part of the English classes, I attended the English teachers' meeting after lunch. Mr. Yukita seems to be the head of the department and he is very helpful to me. The meeting was with teachers I have met for the most part: Afrela, Kimi, Chuck, Miko, and Mr. Yukita. We discussed the plan for this Thursday, which is a day off from school for a teachers convention in Osaka. I am looking forward to going to the convention and comparing it to those I have experienced in the US. I will be attending the English seminars, and it will be nice to understand everything they say. We also discussed my role as a teacher in the English program. I will be assisting with the after school clubs and Returnee/Advanced English classes. Also, I will be helping a lot for every English class while Yukita Sensei travels to Wisconsin for a visit. My schedule is beginning to fill up and I will be able to help more and more, especially with the advanced English students.

Mr. Yukita team-teaches the fourth graders with an American from Chicago, Chuck. Chuck seems like a nice guy and is a very creative English teacher. The classes start with Chuck saying, "Hello, how are you?" The students reply, "Fine, thank you. How are you?" Chuck replies, "I am fine, thank you. How are you Ryan Sensei?" Of course I answer, "I am fine thank you." Chuck Sensei and Yukita Sensei use Powerpoint in creative ways for teaching the students. Today they learned to describe what people like or dislike. Chuck made a Powerpoint with pictures of students for a game called Who am I? The student's picture is covered with picture of foods or activities and the children have to make a sentence like, "He likes to play soccer" in order for the soccer ball to disappear and reveal more of the student's face.

I was able to review the V, PH, and F sounding words with the students. The pictures were on the board and the students repeated after me. We then sang the song of the month, which happened to be Doe-Ray-Me from the Sound of Music. Yukita Sensei made me lead the class in the song, which was funny because it is hard for me to sing loudly, but it was fun. I spoke to Mr. Yukita after class and he told me that the English department doesn't try to teach reading and writing English as much as conversational English. He calls it communicative English.

After school, I went with the Hotta family to the Kinkaku Temple (Rokuon-ji). Kin means gold in Japanese, and the temple is covered with gold foil and is quite a sight to see. The water and gardens around the temple are spectacular. It was a rainy day for a temple visit, but I think it added to the mystique of the temple. Mrs. Hotta had to stop at the bakery, so I went with her. I really didn't know what everything was, but it smelled good. I also made my first purchase in Japan: a coke at a convenience store. At home, Junnpei and I played with some legos before dinner. For dinner we had an excellent dish called Okonomi Yaki. It was really good! We also had wine, miso soup, fresh tomatoes, bread, cream cheese and chips, and beer. After a shower I had some time to write emails until Junnpei brought out some more things to build with. We went to bed at about 9:30pm.

My First Day

After writing my first entry, I started to get my clothes together for the day. Mr. Hotta's mother was sitting at the tablet of the deceased in the next room. Everyday she kneels, rings a bell, prays, and offers beer, sake, and food for their ancestors. It is a very admirable custom. For breakfast we had eggs, bacon, lettuce, toast, and fresh strawberries picked in the garden down the road. Junnpei makes for great entertainment during our meals. Mrs. Hotta took a picture of Junnpei and I as we left the house for school; I was wearing a suit and Junnpei had his school uniform on.

The drive to school is short, but we cross the Kamo Gawa (Kamo River) on our way. We can also see mountains to the east, including Mt. Hiei. Mr. Hotta drove us by the Kamigamo Shrine, which is the oldest Shinto shrine in the city, and told me it is the most famous shrine. At school Junnpei ran off to class and Sister Beatrice took me to the playground. The school is having a large sports festival on Saturday and they are practicing during first period. I was introduced by Sister Beatrice and then handed the microphone, which was nothing more than a pen. I gave my introductory speech in English first, and then Japanese. I watched the students practice their marches and then run some relays. One relay is called the "centipede race," in which the students are in a line and they have their legs tied together.

I had some time to unpack in my room before going to lunch with Junnpei. I went to his room, room 5, and all of the students started hanging on me, staring at me, and asking me questions which I could not really understand. About ten students all pulled me to an open desk and had me sit. Keep in mind that the desks are for second graders...very small. We lined up and went to the lunch room, Marion Hall. At Notre Dame, the students serve each other their meals. Junnpei is only in second grade but he knows how to show me around and take care of me. Lunch consisted of rice, salad, and fried fish.

Classrooms are about the same size as those in US schools, but they cram about forty students into each one! The only visible technology in the classrooms are large flatscreen TV's above the chalkboards. I helped Junnpei and the other students clean the classroom after lunch. It is interesting how the teachers leave the students in the classrooms alone for significant periods of time. The students fool around a little but are well-behaved for the most part. Each student does his or her duties, whether it be sweeping, clearing desks, hanging backpacks, or feeding the fish. The students are very responsible and take initiative to make their classroom better.

I sat in on several English classes, one of which is team-taught by Miko Sensei and Afrela Sensei. I was happy to see that they use music to teach. Afrela Sensei played the guitar while the students sang about the days of the week and about body parts. The students were very engaged in the activities, usually standing at their desks and moving their bodies. They sing songs and use gestures to show parts of the songs. I tried to follow as best I could. The students pray several times a day, but they prayed to Jesus in English, which I could understand. The teachers prepared a recall game to assess the students knowledge and pronuncation of our body parts. If the students struggled, then the teachers would sing part of the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes to remind them. The activities were fun and engaging, but I wonder how effective teaching 42 students English in one classroom only twice a week can be.

I stopped in Yukita Sensei's English class for a while also. They are studying distances in meters and kilometers. I read the terms on the TV while the students repeated after me. The TV is a large touch screen and Mr. Yukita had prepared a powerpoint, which included a fun game at the end. The students had to try and answer questions like, "How far is it from Notre Dame Elementary to Kamo River?" Each group of students gave their answer and I chose 2km. The correct answer was 2km, so Mr. Yukita gave groups points on the board. I am sure I will be spending more time in Mr. Yukita's class.

After school I was going to go home with Junnpei, but Sister Beatrice arranged a later ride for me so that I could help the teachers set up large tents on the playground for the sports festival. I learned a lot today about the school, teachers, and students. The tent experience showed me how hard Japanese teachers work. They teach, clean, teach clubs after school, and do other tasks as well.

The Hottas picked me up around 5:30 and gave me a book about Kyoto. I was very pleased to have some information about the cities attractions, but almost too tired to even open it. I have been fighting the jet lag as best I can, but it is taking its toll. For dinner we had a type of meatloaf wrapped with cabbage, cucumbers and soybean dip, tofu with scallions, ginger, and soy sauce, salad, and bread. Mrs. Hotta is a great cook and takes good care of me.

Junnpei showed me a photo album of him, and I enjoyed it. Since I enjoyed it, Junnpei brought a stack of other photo albums. I also shared my own photos with Junnpei and his mother. I gladly went to bed at 9:00pm on my mat in the tatami room.

Welcome Dinner

While we drove to Kyoto, they told me what the schedule was for Sunday night. The original plan was to stop at the school and drop off my bags, but my late arrival forced us to go straight to dinner. The host families were waiting so I changed into my suit in the car on the side of the road. It was funny, but I wanted to make a good first impression. I looked much better with a suit on than with my traveling clothes.

The restaurant was very nice and they told me we would be eating Western food. When I entered the basement all of the families and their children were clapping and cheering. All I could do was bow in appreciation for the warm welcome. Ever since they picked me up at the airport I could feel the excitement in the air. Before dinner, Sister Beatrice asked me to say a few words. Luckily I was prepared for this and gladly stepped forward, opened my notebook, and introduced myself in Japanese. They were all surprised to see that I had notes prepared and was willing to try my hand at Japanese. I then met each family individually, but the names will take some work for me to remember.

Dinner was not entirely Western, seeing as we started with sashimi tuna and sea breem, which is only served for very special occasions. The tuna was good and the sea breeze was even better. Overall, the fish was much better than what I have tried in America. The most interesting meat was the sea urchin, which had a strong, bitter taste to it. The meal was very long and included several courses: sashimi, salad, pasta, pizza, steak, and dessert.

The host families introduced themselves and the children did as well. They tried to speak mostly in English and I was very grateful. The host family for the first week, the Hotta's, do not speak English more than a few words. I thanked everyone for their kindness and went home with the Hotta family. The Hotta child, Junnpei, is very cute and enjoys my company. The Hotta's house is exactly what I have pictured a traditional Japanese family's to be like. I will be sleeping in the tatami room next to the Japanese garden. I cannot wait to see the garden in the daylight.

I tried to make some phone calls to let everyone know I arrived safely, but it was challenging. Mrs. Hotta made some calls and I was able to leave one message for Dr. Delano. I then sat down to write in this blog, but I realized I was much too tired. Junnpei brought his laptop computer and sat next to me playing math games. He is so cute. I went to bed around 10:00 pm so that Junnpei would get some sleep also. It was a great and exhausting day for me.

Well, here I lie on the tatami mats at 5:40am. I cannot sleep anymore and I am waiting for Junnpei to run into my room at 6:00am. The sun is beginning to shine through the window blinds and I can hear Mr. and Mrs. Hotta are already awake. Today I will be on the school's television program! Oh boy! I will also be speaking to the whole school on the playground. Surely it will be another long, but exciting day. Now it is time to eat breakfast, take a shower, and check out that Japanese garden!

My Trip

Just my luck, my first flight was delayed about 40 minutes. Couple that fact with the knowledge that my connecting flight in Dallas was scheduled to leave an hour after my arrival, then we have a a problem. Upon touchdown in Dallas, I had my bags in hand and was ready to run for my connecting flight; things were not looking promising. Luckily, an airport employee was aware of my situation and had a bus ready on the runway. One other traveler, a man visiting some friends in the JET program, and I got an express trip around the terminals right to the door of our airplane. Once on the plane, I wrote a couple short speeches in Japanese and then tried to sleep.

The flight was really long and it was a relief to land at Kansai airport. My heart was pounding with excitement. Customs gave me a little bit of trouble, but they accepted the emails from Sister Beatrice as evidence of my invitation. I was met with three smiles and a large arrangement of flowers put together by my first host mother, Mrs. Hotta.

I am tired now but I will write more about my trip tomorrow.

Host Families

Sister Beatrice, the principal of Notre Dame Elementary, recently sent me a tentative schedule for my homestays in Kyoto. There are seven families and each has two or three children. It will be neat to live with other families and immerse myself in the ways of the Japanese.

May 21-28 Mrs. Hotta
June 1-7 Mrs. Nakasaku
June 8-18 Mrs. Pieczulewski
June 21-28 Mrs. Shinya
July 2-9 Mrs. Arai
July 14-16 Mrs. Kato
July 22-24 Mrs. Otsuki

Japan Website

I have recently posted the webpage I created about student teaching in Japan. The webpage link is in the right column of this page or simply go to http://portfolios.snc.edu/harkrp/HarkinsJapan. The site includes information about Notre Dame Elementary, the culture and people of Japan, and me. Once I return from Japan, I will add a page about my experiences and post some pictures.

My Objectives for Japan

During my placement in Japan I hope to teach the children as much as possible about the United States and about Wisconsin. I look forward to working in the English classes and creating fun activities for the students to learn. I am prepared to teach some mathematics as well, and hope to apply my recently gained knowledge of Japanese numbers in a math classroom. I want to start working right when I arrive in Japan; the situation will be challenging, but I love opportunities which require me to perform outside of my comfort zone. If I never push myself beyond my comfort zone, then I will never develop as a teacher and a person. I look forward to sharing some of America with the school and showing them that we are good people with our own unique culture.
As much as I hope to teach the students of Notre Dame Elementary, I am sure that they will be teaching me a great deal. I am looking to open my eyes and heart to other cultures and lifestyles so as to improve my cultural sensitivity. During my placement, I hope to continually make comparisons between Japanese schools and the American schools I am more familiar with. Japan is a very modern country and it's people's work ethic fascinates me. I want to see what drives the Japanese people and what the schools do to prepare the children, especially in math and science.

Greetings

Congratulations on going aboard to student teach in Japan.
I look forward to hearing about your experiences in the classroom.
Please list your objectives for student teaching in Japan.

Almost Time

The days are flying by faster than ever and soon I will be on a plane to Japan! I am very excited to have such an amazing opportunity. My trip to Japan will surely be a challenge for me given the culture and language differences. Nonetheless, the experience will be awesome and I am confident I will learn a lot about Japanese culture and schools. For now, I need to enjoy graduation with my friends and prepare for the next chapter of life.
The picture to the right is of Sister Beatrice and I this past summer. We met for the first time and I quickly realized what a great and fun person she is. We talked a lot about the school and it too sounds incredible. I cannot wait to be in Kyoto.