Fugi-san, Lake Ashi, and Mt. Komagatake

Today was our scheduled free day. This is the only day we are totally in control of our schedule for the entire day. I decided to go to Fugi-san. It was very difficult to decide what to do. I thought and thought about it for days. People were planning all kinds of trips and emailing for the group to come along. There were trips planned to Hiroshima, 4 hours on the bullet train and around 400 yen, Kyoto, two hours on bullet train and around 260 yen, Kamakura, very close and high on my list, stay in Tokyo to explore, not an option I need to see more of Japan.

When the trip to Fugi-san was mentioned I knew right away this was the trip. I really wanted to see Fugi-san and I wanted to travel through the Japanese countryside. I would get to do both.

The bus picked us up at the hotel at 8 a.m. There were about 20 of us that had chosen this trip. This bus was filled with JFMF teachers and other tourists with the same objective. Very interesting because not everyone was from the United States, but we all had the same objective. We got stuck in a traffic jam trying to leave Tokyo. This put us behind schedule and we were unable to stop at the Mt. Fugi visitors center. We did stop at a restaurant where we could see Mt. Fugi and eat our Japanese style box lunch. Then we were off again to head up the mountain.

We were able to travel to the 5th station. It is closed above the 5th station until July and then closes again in October. After hours of driving we finally reached our destination. We had 25 minutes to look at Fugi-san and visit the gift shop. Not much time and I had to go to the restroom. I decided this was the place to finally attemp to us the Japanese style trough toilets. I was surprised it was not that difficult.

On our way back down the mountain the clouds started to clear. We convinced the guide to pull over the bus so we could get out and take pictures. By the time we stopped the clouds had returned. We stood on the side of the road for a while trying to talk the clouds into leaving. Finally it was possible to take a few quick photos of the summit before the clouds covered the snowcapped peaks.

Our next stop was a boat ride across Lake Ashi. This was a refreshing ride with the wind blowing through our hair and a wonderful view of the mountains around us.

Then we went for an aerial tramway ride up the side of Mt. Komagatake. This is the central volcanic cone of the Hakone range and rise 1,327 meters above sea level. The tramway is 1,800 meter long ride that take 7 minutes. The view from the top was unbelievable. We did not get a good view of Mr. Fugi because of the clouds.


The last part of our journey was riding back to Tokyo on the Shinkansen bullet train. The ride was a gentle sway back and forth. When you looked out the window it did not seem like you were traveling at almost 200 km/hr.

Back to the hotel to pack. Tomorrow we leave for Chiba City and Monday we continue on to Katori City. I am leaving 1 bag in Tokyo full of items I have purchased and dirty laundry. I also found out that an earthquake hit 2 hours away from Tokyo that measured 7.1 on the richtor scale at 8:30 this morning. At the time we were on a bus stuck in traffic. I didn't feel a thing.

Peace Education and Kabuki

Today we were allowed to pick what workshop we wanted to attend. I selected "Peace Education" with a focus on the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. This is a topic discussed in my Social Studies classes and felt it would be a very good session to attend. I had no idea a survivor would be speaking with us. This was a very powerful session.

First Tomoko Yanagi spoke about her father's story. He was 14 years old and 5 miles away from the hypocenter in Hiroshima. He survived, but many of his family and friends did not. Yanagi spoke of the 400,000 people who lost their lives within 1 year of the bomb being dropped. She also talked about how the people of Korea saw dropping the bomb on Japan as a good action. The result was ending Japanese occupation of Korea when World War II was over. These were two facts I had never really though about, especially the ending of occupation of Korea after the war.

Next Keijiro Matsushima spoke to the room full of teachers. He was 16 years old then the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He was lucky that day. Students were urged to go back to school on August 1. During the war many students worked in factories instead of going to school. He chose to go back to school. This was just 6 days before the bomb was dropped.

The school was on the edge of Hiroshima. The bomb was dropped on an area of the city that had a large number of factories. Anything 1 to 3 miles from the hypocenter did not survive. He has always considered himself very lucky. Matsushima stated that people are "angry at the A-bomb, not at the people of the United States". This is a very strong statement symbolizing how we must live in peace and to forgive our enemies for the benefit all of people.

Why was the bomb so effective? Geography had a hub impact. Hiroshima is surrounded by mountains. This kept the radiation concentrated in the area where the bomb was dropped. However people returned to hiroshima within days of the bombing. A street car ran just 2 days after the bombing in a distant part of the city. Plants were growing again by the next summer. It took 10 years to rebuild the city.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park is located on the site the bomb was dropped. It is to remember the people who have lost their lives on the fateful day, but also to celebrate peace. A virtual tour of the site can be found at http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/ . I highly recommend viewing this site.

Learning about Hiroshima and Nagasaki will change the way you think about war, peace, and nuclear weapons. My thoughts have changed after listening to Keijiro Matsushima and Tomoko Yanagi.

Kabuki

The afternoon was spent learning about traditional Japanese theater called Kabuki presented by Mark Oshima. This type of theater only has adult male performers, even the female parts are played by males. Kabuki dates back to the Edo Period (1603-1868). Live Kabuki theater is still very popular in Japan today. The themes are very complex, often having to do with historical disputes or love suicides. Kabuki theater is not intended for children as some of the topics are a little mature.

We also had a presentation on classical Japanese dance which started in what is considered the Modern Period (1868-present). Much of the modern music took on Western culture. Many music pieces were military marches, melodies and harmonies, or music for entertainment. We were honored with a dance presentation with music from the Modern Period.

The Sumo Hunt!

Today was one of the best days in Japan so far. We started out early, 5 a.m., to look for sumo wrestlers. We had no idea when we left the hotel if we would be successful or not. We started out giving an address to the cab driver. We wanted him to take us to a neighborhood where we thought sumo stables were located. One member of our group of three found the address on the internet. We didn't care if it was acurate or not, it was a place to start.

The cab took us to where he thought the address was. Japanese addresses are very difficult because they do not exactly follow any ordered pattern. We got out of our cab and the hunt began. We wondered around the neighborhoods. It was interesting. We came across a park for dogs to play in. Then we found a park with senior citizens exercising. They invited us to join them with a motion of their hand and a smile. We politely declined with a smile and a wave.

Then we found one! A man dressed in a yukato walking down the street. We knew he must be a wrestler. We followed him for a while, then lost the sumo trail again. Next we decided to go to the Sumo Museum and stadium. The security gaurds did not speak English, so they were of no assistance. Then we ran into an American man who lived in Tokyo. He was very happy to direct us down the street a few blocks. Very weird to be given directions in English. So off we went.

He was exactly right. We found a sumo stable where practice was taking place. We asked a young wrestler if we could come in and watch. He went inside and returned to motion us into the practice room.

It was amazing. We sat perfectly still for 45 minutes. I was mesmerized! Then we had to go because we had a meeting at 9:30 and needed to shower yet. No, I didn't want to leave! This was absolutley awesome. They were young wrestlers and not very big, but still sumo guys anyway. I couldn't resist on our way out of the stable to ask a young wrestler if I could take a picture with him. Who knows maybe some day he will be a champion. One item marked off my "Japan bucket list".

Workshop day.

Today we were scheduled for presentations for both the morning and afternoon. During the morning session the topic was Japan's Economy with Manabu Fukuda, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Secured Capital Japan Co., Ltd., as the guest speaker. He discussed the fact that Japan has a low unemployment rate. However that rate is rising because people are moving around more and people no longer work for the same employer his/her entire life as was once custom. Fukuda stated there us a low immigration rate, the highest immigration is from Korea, China, or Brazil. The population is aging like in the United States, currently 17% of the populaton is over 65. By the year 2050 it is estimated that 35% of the population will be over 65.

Japan is 95% self sufficient in rice production, with most other farm products imported. The country is looking for alternative energy sources. Currently working to use more hydro, thermal, and nuclear power.


In the afternoon the first speaker was Tsutomu Kimura, President, National Institution for Academic Degrees. His focus was on the Japanese educational system and the need for educational reform.

The "Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) determines the subjects studied in elementary and secondary schools. They authorize textbooks and pay 1/3 of teacher salaries for teachers in elementary and lower secondary schools (Jr. High School), these levels are considered compulsory education because all students must attend.

Educational reform has set a purpose of ensuring the quality of education and efficiency, 100% enrollment in elementary and lower secondary school, 98% attendance in upper secondary school, and zero illiteracy rate. The current problems in the educational system are Japanese children are under stress due to the entrance examination taken at end of lower secondary school to determine which upper secondary school they will attend. The upper secondary school they attend determines whether they will be admitted into a university. There has also been an increase in school violence and bullying. These concerns have prompted the Central Council for Education to determine a need for educational refrom. The basic direction of the reform is to "produce 'creative' individuals and provide more 'diversity' and 'flexiblity' in the educational system; should give children Room to Grow and Zest for Living".

We also listened to speakers representing the Japanese Government. Yuji Tsushima, Diet Member (House of Representatives) and Wakako Hironaka, Diet Member (House of Councillors) spoke about current political issues in Japanese Government. Women make up 8% of the House of Representatives and 18% of the House of Councillors.


The Government has limited financial resources and is considering as to whether the people should pay more taxes to meet the needs of the citizens as the population ages. There major concerns include health care, pension system, and the enviroment. Ysushima stated "we must correct miss-spending before we can look at tax hikes" and that "special groups cause spending to be too high in many local projects". I think he was talking about the United States, not Japan!

The citizens of Japan pay national taxes, as well as taxes at the prefecture and local levels. This is also like in the United States where we pay Federal income tax, State income tax, and local property taxes.


It is amazing how similar the education and government concerns are when comparing to those of the United States. In so many ways our countries are more alike than different



At the end of the day we were given two books written by Kenji Miyazawa titled The Nighhawk Star and The Kenju Park Grove. Miyazawa, 1896-1933, is a well known auther in Japan. Many of his works are in public school textbooks and did not become public until after his death.

Welcome Reception

The Welcome Reception was a Japanese Banquet serving traditional Japanese foods. The food was wonderful, but I was still so nervous after giving my speech I had a hard time eating. I should have enjoyed the food because my speech was over and went very well.

First Davide Satterwhite, Executive Director, The Japan-United States Educational Commission (JUSEC), gave the opening remarks. Next Welcome Remarks were given by Kiso Isao, Director-General for International Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Chair, The Japan-United States Educational Commission. Then Ronald Post, Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs, American Embassy, Tokyo Member, The Japan-United States Educational Commission addressed the group.

Finally it was my turn to present "Greetings by Representative of 160 American Educators, Karen Kelly, Scales Mound High School, Scales Mound, IL". I was very nervous as I approached the stage. I knew I had to use my notes, even though others did not. But I would not be able to remember what I wanted to say, even though I had practice many times before coming to the reception.

"I was asked to speak this evening on behalf of the educators awarded the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund grant. I was humbled to be given such an important task. Then I panicked, how can I express the feelings of 159 people I have never met. When the list serve started, I read email after email, realizing everyone was feeling the same emotions that I felt; humbled overwhelmed with gratitude, and honored. The excitement and anticipation could be felt in every email.

Most of us have never visited Japan, many of us have not traveled overseas, and some of us have yet to see all 50 of our states. And now we are here in Tokyo due to the generosity of the Government and citizens of Japan.

Words cannot truly express our sincere gratitude for providing us this special opportunity. As Consul General in San Francisco stated at Sunday's reception; 'we will feel, taste, and touch Japan'.

Asking us to be a guest in your country has touched each of us personally and we look forward to feeling and tasting all aspects of your country.

After spending a few days with this wonderful group of people I feel comfortable now saying thank you on behalf of the United States Teachers for sharing your country with us. You generosity has provided each of us the opportunity to grow personally and professionally. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your committment to the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund program. Thank you"

After I spoke Ginko Sato, President Emeritus, Japan Association for the Advancement of Working Women, Former Ambassador of Kenya gave a toast. "Kanpai!" Then it was time to eat.

I had a hard time eating because I kept getting interrupted by people thanking me for representing them in the speech. For days after the reception when I met someone new they would say "you were the one that gave the speech at the Welcome Reception". Then state how wonderful it was.

With the end of the reception it was the closing of another perfect day in Japan!

I ended my day by calling home using the Skype web program. It was 9:30 p.m. in Tokyo and 7:30 a.m. in Illinois. It was great to tell everyone at home my speech went well.

Touring Tokyo

Up at 5 a.m. I wrote in my journal and worked on my speech. The Welcome reception is tonight and I have not finished my speech.

I was off to breakfast by 7 only to spill my orange juice all over the front of me. I had my tray filled with plates of food and thought I could balance the juice glass too. A waiter came to my rescue and was apologetic as if it was his fault. He quickly took my tray, gave me a napkin to wipe off my shirt, and found me a seat. The poor man looked embarassed for me. I was embarassed enough, I didn't need him feeling embarassed too. There was so much more sincerity from the Japanese waiter then there would be from one in the United States. My first experience with the hospitality of the Japanese people.

Today we toured Tokyo by bus. We drove past the Imperial Palace grounds, the House of Councillors building, and the Japanese Congressional Library. The library has 4 floors above ground and 8 floors below ground. Very amazing. I don't know why so many floors below ground, the guide did not explain why.

We toured the Diet Building. This is like our Capital Building in Washington D.C. The government is set up much like that of ours and very much like Great Britain. They have a bicameral legislation. The House of Representatives is the lower house and selects the Prime Minister. The House of Councillors is the upper house and functions much like our Senate. The Prime Minister's office is the Executive Branch of government. This branch is like the Executive Branch in the U.S., but we have a President leading the branch. The Emporer is a traditional figurehead, much like Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain.

Next we went to the Asakusa for a traditional Japanese lunch. Then we were given free time to shop in the Asakusa shopping district and time to visit Asakusa Shrine. I purchased a utsukinshii (beautiful) kimono and a few others things. Then went to the shrine. This is my first visit to a shrine and I didn't know what to expect.

I stopped to allow smoke to blow on me to heal my pains, then I selected a fortune from of drawer for 200 yen. It was a good fortune so I didn't need to tie it on the line to rid myself of bad luck. Next I went into the shrine. It was very peaceful, even though it was very crowded.

At 2 p.m. we had to leave to return to the hotel. We had a presentation from 3 until 4 p.m. on Kyogen given by Don Kenny. Kyogan is a 600 year old traditional Japanese Theater with a plot centering on basic human situations. Kenny was very interesting and has translated over 200 classic plays into English.

Tokyo, Japan. Yes, I am really here!!!

As I lay in bed this morning at 5 a.m. in San Francisco I still think...is this really true...and I really going to Japan...TODAY? I answer YES, get out of bed, today is the day. What are you waiting for? Adventure awaits you!

I am up, showered, breakfast, and ready to go before 7:30 a.m. This gives me a few minutes in the lobby to catch up.

We leave by bus at 8:30 a.m. Check in at the airport quick and easy. My luggage now weighs 51.4 pounds and I did not add anything to the suitcase. The lady does not charge me extra, just warns be to not make very many purchases. I thank her with a smile. She has no idea I will be bringing home a second 50 pound bag of purchases. One suitcase on the way there and two allowed on the way home. I sure I will have no problem filling the second bag.

Our flight was delayed twice. We left the San Francisco at 1:35 p.m. (3:35 p.m. CST). We were so excited when the plane took off. The group is traveling on two airplanes. The pilot announced that we were on the plane. It made us feel very special.

During the flight I slept, ate, read, wrote in my journal, met people and watched the movie "The Bucket List". A group of us decided to develop our own "Japan Bucket List".

I chatted with a woman from Japan who had been living in the states for 15 years. She had married an American man. She was going home to take care of her sick mother. She talked about how it was her job to care for her mother. She didn't seem sad at all, just matter of fact. We talked about kids and Japanese customs. She was so willing to share with us.

The lady next to me sneezed. Our knew Japanese friend told us that one sneeze ment someone was talking about you. Two sneezes ment someone was talking bad about you and three sneezes ment someone loves you. A very funny Japanese belief.

She also told us "Japanese students work hard to find ways to not work hard". She was talking about her own son. We agreed that United States students are very much like Japanese teens.

Time went quickly and we arrived at Narita Airport. Off the plane, gather luggage, and quickly to customs. In customs we had to have our fingerprints taken electronically, no ink, then our picture taken. Everything went smoothly. Then next task was to find our buses. This was easy. People were waiting for us to direct us through the airport, across the parking lot, and to the correct bus. It was unbelievable how efficiently 160 people can be moved from place to place.

The bus ride was interesting. We traveled by city group. I will be part of the group called Katori. That is our host city next week. Finally I get to meet my 16 travel companions. What a suburashi (wonderful) group of people. Everyone is friendly and very interesting. It will be great to get to know everyone.

The ride to Grand Prince Hotel in Akasaka took 1 1/2 hours. We crossed Tokyo Bay. Drove past Tokyo Disney. It looks much like Disney in U.S. We see rice paddies tucked in between houses and in low lying areas. Japan grows 100% of the rice consumed in the country.

There are many factory buildings with apartment buildings nearby. The balconies of the apartment buildings have clothes hanging to dry. Factory buildings are very clean. We drive past the Mitsubishi factory. It is very large and like all the others very clean and modern looking on the outside.

We see Tokyo Tower used for radio and tv signals. It looks like the Eiffel Tower. We also drove past large towers for incinerating garbage. The heat formed is used to heat sports complexes with swimming pools. Japan recycles 100% of their garbage. The U.S. should take some lessons.

We arrived at the hotel at 5:55 p.m. This gives us 1 hour to check in and get ready for dinner. I think we will be kept on a very tight schedule for the next couple of weeks.

I am in room 2814. This is on the 28th floor. The rooms are similar, yet different, from United States hotel rooms. When you enter there is a long hallway before you are actually in the room. My room has two single beds, a sofa that curves around two walls with windows above, and a desk.

The bathroom is two rooms. The first room has a sink and mirror. The second room has a toilet equipped with a heated seat and bidet option, along with a tub/shower. I notice a drain in the floor of this room. I am sure it is for people who wish to take a traditional Japanese bath. This means you wash completely outside the tub and then get in the tub to relax. It is very important to not get any soap into the tub.

At 7 p.m. I leave my couch with a beautiful view of Tokyo to go to dinner with a gentleman who was a Fulgright Scholar in the 1970's. He was very helpful in the restuarant with ordering food and enjoyed talking about the United States. He had studied for 3 years in the U.S. and then taught Japanese Culture for 3 more years before returning to Tokyo. He recently retired from a career Economics, but was a little brief about what he actually did. He has never been back to the states.

Dinner: raw octapus cut in small pieces dipped in soy sauce, chicken rolled in sea weed, breaded and fried then dipped in barbeque sause, fried noodles, sushi with rare beef, fried rice, broiled squid dipped in soy sauce and red wine

Everything was very good. I was amazed. I don't think I will have problems finding thing to eat that I like.

The evening ended quickly. But I am starting to get tired. The loss of sleep is catching up me. Tomorrow is another day of adventure in the "land of the rising sun".

Today - Off to San Francisco

Up early, leave at 2:45 a.m., only a few hours of sleep. Oh well, I will catch up on the plane.

We arrived at Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport at 5 a.m. with plenty of time to check in and then get a cup of coffee. My suitcase was 2 1/2 pounds over weight. I took out two pairs of shoes and stuffed them in my already overpacked carry on. I hate to leave shoes behind. What if a pair gets wet or my feet get a blister? What if a pair falls apart? I understand finding a pair of women's 9 1/2 shoes is difficult in Japan.

Plane leaves on time. Good bye is hard, yet I am ready for my adventure to begin. Flight to Chicago quick. A little boy sitting next to me chatters the entire flight. He can't believe I am going to Japan. I tell him I can't believe it either. His response to me "lady, your name is on the ticket".

I found the gate in Chicago with no problem. There are already a bunch of people gathered with their name tags on and signs saying they are headed to Japan with the JFMF program. People are chatting and becoming friends and we haven't even left the states yet.

The flight to San Francisco was uneventful. We landed and easily found the JFMF staff to take us by bus to the hotel. We had orientation this afternoon and a dinner reception at the Official Residence of Japanese Consul General Yasumasa Hagamine this evening. This was our first official Japanese function and my first time eating Japanese food. I think I am going to like sushi!

Tomorrow I must be ready at 8:00 a.m. to depart for San Francisco International Airport for my flight to Tokyo that leaves at 11:25 a.m. I still have not found time to catch up on lost sleep. The flight to Tokyo is 9 hours. That should give me some extra sleep time. I have a feeling I will not catch up on my sleep until I get home.

Wow! This is really happening. I am really with a group of 160 teachers traveling together to spend 19 days in Japan.