Chiba Prefecture Sawara Senior High School

This has been my favorite school visit day. We started the day as we did at the other schools with formal greetings and a tour of the building. The building is very large with 360 students per level, which meant class sizes of 40 students. The high school is for students in levels 1, 2, and 3. This would be the same as grades 10, 11, and 12 in the United States. High school is not compulsory. There are two types of high schools in Japan. Students can attend a vocational high school to learn job skills or they can attend a university prep high school. The students do not select which school they attend. Acceptance is determined by an entrance examination taken at the end of Jr. High.

We were allowed to visit any classrooms we wanted. I selected an English class. The teacher was writing sentences in English on the board and talking about subject verb agreement in Japanese to the students. She would read the sentences to the students, but the students did not try to read the sentences out loud. This makes me wonder if they teach more written English than speaking English. It explains why people often know what we are saying in English, but do not always know how to answer us in English.

The next activity was for each United States teacher to go to his/her assigned classroom. We each would read questions for a game show type activity called “How much do you know about America?” Two students acted as hosts to the game show. It was so much fun. I did a little teaching at the same time because the questions were all Social Studies related. Some example questions were; What is the capital of the U.S.A.?, When is Independence Day?, When did the U.S.A. declare the Independence?, What is the longest river in the U.S.A.?. There were 15 questions worth two points each. All the teams scored either 19 or 20 points. I thought that was pretty good for level 1 students (10th graders).

Students were very respectful and stopped talking anytime I said something. They seemed to really want to hear what I had to say when I explained the answers to the questions. They were very impressed when I said I lived near the Mississippi River. A student asked me if I had ever taken a boat on the river. When I replied “yes” I got a response from the class of “wow”.

The students gave me a card with Waldo drawn on it. I was later told by our interpreter that Waldo is very popular with Jr. High and High School kids. I found that interesting because it is younger students in the United States that are attracted to Waldo books in the United States.

Lunch time was the best part of the day. The students quickly organized lunch. The girls put desks together in the middle of the room and escorted me to my chair. The boys formed small groups around the outside of the room. Again the girls are more friendly and the boys somewhat shy. The girls chattered during lunch. Sharing food and drinks with each other. I was surprised how many students had cans of cold coffee. I have had some of the vending machine coffee and it is very good.

During lunch we talked about cell phones, clothes, shoes, and other “girlie” topics. Many girls were texting on their phones. I asked about texting during school. They said “tapping” was ok at lunch, but never during class and then giggled. I am sure they try to sneak in a message during class just like students in the U.S. I gave each student a meishi (business card). The girls were excited and thanked me very politely. It is a very big deal to get a meishi from someone. The boys tried not to act so excited. They thanked me politely and quickly put them in their wallets.

After lunch we took group pictures. The girls were excited, but would not let the boys be in the same picture. One girl had a picture taken with her cell phone. Within minutes every girl in the class had a copy of the picture on her cell phone.

I asked the boys to take a picture. They agreed, but very reluctantly. Then when posing for the picture they acted really silly. I am surprised by the shyness of the male teenagers. I don’t see U.S. teenage males to be this shy.

We were given more time to observe in the afternoon. Again it was amazing how students started cleaning with brooms and clothes after lunch time was over. Now how do they get high school students to do that?

We had time in the afternoon to talk with high school teachers. They told us it was in the school rules that students could not have jobs during the school semester. If a family had financial difficulties they student could get special permission to work. They also offered night classes for students who had to have jobs or for students with unacceptable grades in the day time class.

They told us about 96% of Jr. High students do attend high school. This is very high considering that high school is not compulsory. Tuition for Sawara High School is 8000 to 9000 yen per month ($80 -$90). The high school is supported by the Prefecture, while the elementary and jr. high are considered city level schools.

The biggest problem the teachers face in regards to behavior is “social networking” using cell phones and internet. They know bullying takes place, but they are unable to catch the students. Wow! I again am amazed at how teens can be so similar when they are an ocean apart.

From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. we watched club activities. The students participated in sports, music, traditional arts, even dance, just to name a few. The options seemed endless. I chose to watch a teacher and student perform traditional Hawaiian dances. Then the student performed a dance she choreographed herself. The last club I attended was students performing a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. It was so nice to see traditional customs be taught in the school system.

The day had ended and it was time to board the bus. We all chattered about the school visit and our adventure tomorrow, the home stay. We are all nervous, excited, and a little anxious. But first we must pack. Our large suitcase will go back to Tokyo on a truck. We will only be taking a carry on for the next 3 days. Packing will be a challenge.

Katori City Sawara Junior High School

Today we arrived at the Junior High at 9:00 a.m. Students were already in the classrooms. We were warmly welcomed by the Principal and Vice Principal of the school. We were given a quick tour of the building and then invited to visit any classrooms we wished to. Junior High is set up in 3 levels. Levels 1, 2, and 3 would be the same as grades 7, 8, and 9 in the United States.

The classes were structured much like those in the United States. Students were expected to take notes and/or follow along in textbooks. The main difference was that students stayed in the same classroom all day and the teacher moved from room to room. There was a 10 minute break between each class. I am sure this was for the teacher to have time to move to the next classroom. This did allow the students time to socialize.

The students again were very excited to see us. They easily approached us to introduce themselves and ask us our names. “Hello, my name is ____. What is your name?” This was repeated over and over throughout the hallways. Another favorite phrase was “lovin’ it” from McDonald’s commercials. I stopped by a room where level 3 boys were playing a board game called “shogi”. It was much like our chess. I asked if I could watch and they quickly tried to teach me how to play. They patiently explained how each piece could me. I watch intently, but needed more than 10 minutes to learn the game. They really seemed to enjoy teaching me. I wanted to find them at lunch time to continue the game, but couldn’t find them.

While watching “shogi”, a boy asked me if I knew Obama. I told him yes, he was from my home state of Illinois. He told me I should vote for Obama. He would be a great president. There was not enough time to talk about what he knew about our presidential race, but obviously if he knew who a candidate was he must know something about it.

I found the girls to be more talkative and easily approached us. The boys were more shy and reserved, but you could tell they wanted to talk with us. They were very friendly if we approached them first. All students are taught English starting in level 6. Older students were much more comfortable approaching us. Level 6 students were very self conscious trying to use English.

Lunch was in the classrooms with the students. I ate with a level 1 class (7th grade). Again students served lunch from containers in the front of the classroom. Lunch was very good. We had noodle soup with vegetables and two cooked quail eggs, breaded squid (it looked like a fish stick), seaweed with nuts, rice, Japanese omelet (like our omelet, but cold and cut in squares) and seaweed papers to make sushi type wraps. A boy in my group was very giggly and asked me many questions in Japanese and then would tell me to say “yes”. Quickly a girl in the group would say “no, no”. I am not sure what he was asking me. But he was obviously trying to play a joke on me. I thought it was very funny.

After lunch students had some free time. Then they cleaned the school like at the elementary. I was amazed Jr. High students didn’t refuse. They quickly got brooms and clothes and started cleaning. Again I don’t think United States students would cooperate. After cleaning was completed some students helped prepare for a music program while others read books in the classroom. The students reading reminded me of United States students spending more time looking at the clock and out the door than reading.

At 2 p.m. it was time for the music program. Everyone went to the gym where parents had already gathered. The students performed many different choral selections, all directed by students. It was beautiful. Many of the songs were in English; one the songs was John Denver’s song West Virginia. It was amazing to watch all three levels perform together. We were told the music clubs have won many awards and competitions. I could understand why. It was like listening to a professional choir.

At the end of the day we watched club activities. I watched kendo for a while. Students had long sticks that they swung at their partner. It seemed to resemble sword fighting. It was so aggressive, but still controlled. Amazing!

I also watched some soccer and baseball. Then I went over to the area where girls were bumping volleyballs around. Two girls came over to talk. I asked if I could play. We enjoyed 20 minutes of bumping in a circle until my arms were bruised and I was exhausted. I really enjoyed myself. It had been years since I had bumped a volleyball around. I found I really missed it.

At 5 p.m. it was time to go. The students were done with club activities. Now they would go to cram school. This is a study session to prepare them for the examination they must take to determine which high school they could attend. They do not get to choose, it is determined by their test scores. Some high schools are vocational and others are college prep. High school is not mandatory. Elementary and Jr. High are compulsory.

Dinner tonight was revolving sushi. The sushi travels around a track and you select the plates of food you want to eat. The bill is calculated by the number and color of your plates. This is a great way to select your food; you get to see it before you decide if that is what you want to eat. As a group this seems to be our favorite type of restaurant, next to yakatori (chicken on a stick).

Katori City Shinshima Elementary School

We were ready and on the bus by 6:50 a.m. Today was the first day of school visits. Everyone was very excited. We came to explore Japan, but we had really come to visit schools. It took 40 minutes to travel to the elementary school. Upon our arrival the Principal, Vice Principal, and School Board Member were there to greet us. They seemed as excited as we were.

The students were to arrive any minute, so we went to the front gate to wait. The Principal and a crossing guard helped the students cross the street to the school gate. The crossing guard was an 80 year old man who volunteered to help the children get to school safely. The children were very funny when they walked through the gate. They looked at us shyly and then took off running toward the school. I am sure it was a little intimidating to see 16 teachers from the United States greeting them.

After all the children arrived, we went to the Home Ec. Room for an orientation to the school. We were told to walk in and out of classrooms freely to observe any program we were interested in. Then we were off to explore the classrooms. It was amazing; they looked just like classrooms in the United States. The only difference was that instruction was in Japanese. Students were excited to see us and snuck a smile with a quick wave. The teachers appeared nervous. I couldn’t blame them, having teachers from another country sitting in the back of my room would make me a little nervous.

The students all wore uniforms of blue shorts, white t-shirt, slip on tennis shoes, and a matching blue jacket. This was very casual, but everyone still looked the same. The only form of personal expression was the color of the students’ socks.

The elementary was divided into levels 1-6. The levels would match our grades 1-6. Kindergarten is not compulsory and is not part of the elementary program. The lower levels were more casual while the older students had more structured classrooms. The students appeared to be taught similar subjects as in U.S.

One class that was different was Calligraphy Class taught to the level 6 students. At the end of the day we were each given a sample of the students’ work. The Principal taught the class. He has studied calligraphy for many years and is considered a master calligrapher. He made us each a card that said “love” and “friends” in kanji characters. There are two forms of writing in Japan, the Japanese alphabet and kanji characters.

I observed level 1 and 2 students working in a vegetable garden as part of their science curriculum. The students would serve the vegetables for lunch when they are ready to harvest. There was also a building with rabbits in the back of the school yard. I was told they were part of the science curriculum in the school. The students enjoyed the garden work. A couple of boys slipped out of view of the teacher to throw dirt at each other. “Boys will be boys”, even in Japan!

Teachers taught all classes, even music and P.E. This did not give the teachers a break from the students all day because they ate lunch with the students too. I ate lunch with level 6 students. The boys at my table were very funny. We were going around the circle introducing ourselves. The sensei (teacher) started then the boy next to him introduced himself as the sensei and the next boy did the same thing with a giggle. The teacher laughed and had to introduce them because they would not give their real names. It was very funny and reminded me of the humor of our 6th grade boys.

Students served lunch from the front of the classroom. The lunch was prepared at another location and brought to the school by delivery truck. Lunch conversation was simple; what sports teams did I like, did I play sports, did I have children. The students did not know very much English and neither did the teacher. The students tried very hard by looking up phrases they had written down in a notebook.

After lunch the students went to recess for a short time. Then they came in and started cleaning the school. Some students were sweeping while others cleaned with clothes. It was amazing. The students worked along, singing with the songs playing over the PA, without any arguments about cleaning. How would that go over at our schools?

In the afternoon the younger students went back to their classrooms and the older students went to the gym to practice playing a traditional flute as a large group. Some men from the community made the flutes for the students and taught the students how to play. It was so enjoyable to listen to them and the students were working so hard.

The younger students left school around 2 p.m. the older students stayed to finish classes. They were released from classes at 3 p.m. to participate in club activities until 5 p.m. Then they would leave for the day. The teachers told us they would stay and work sometimes until 8 p.m. I am sure they had papers to grade and lesson plans to write. They were working over a 12 hour day. That would never be accepted in the United States.

We left at 5 p.m. with many smiles and waves. It had been an interesting day with many more similarities than differences.

Day 2 in Sawara

After talking with the parents in the morning, we were able to tour more of Sawara in the afternoon. First we walked through the Inoh Tadataka Museum. Tadataka (1745-1818) developed a complete map of Japan by surveying on foot using Western scientific methods. This was the first accurate map of Japan. He was considered to be one of the greatest men from Sawara. The city became known at the "Town of the Map". We saw the original map he put together. It was so closely accurate when compared to a satellite view of the country. Amazing for a man to use simple tools, yet be able to complete a map so accurately.

After visiting the museum, we had some time to shop and walk along the canal. Jr. High students were on a field trip to draw and paint. They were so excited to say "hello". It was really fun to see them. Little did we know they were the same students we would be visiting on Thursday.

We also visited Katori Shrine. I enjoyed visiting the shrine because our guide and intrepretor explained many things to us. The first thing they explained was to clean hour hands before entering the shrine. It is important to wash the right hand, then the left hand, then the handle of the ladel. Then they explained the purpose of the rope circle in front of the shrine was to rid yourself of evil. It was very important to walk through turn to the right and walk through again turning to the left. Then finally walk straight through to the shrine.

We were also taught how to pray. You made your donation by tossing coins in to a special area then prayed. When you were done praying you clapped twice. It was so interesting to be taught the Shinto method of prayer.

They also could read the fortunes we purchased. My fortune told me it was a good time in my life and many good things would be happening. I think my fortune was very accurate. I was standing in front of shrine in Japan. How much better could life get?

Our last stop of the day was the Suigo Sawara Municipal Aquatic Botanical Garden. It was the time of year for the iris festival. The garden was full of iris beds in full bloom. The smell was wonderful and the lagoon made it such a peaceful place. We even got to see some women working in the gardens dressed in traditional clothing.

We stayed at the garden for an hour and then returned to the hotel. We would need to be ready to leave the hotel at 6:50 a.m. tomorrow for our elementary school visit. We decided to have a quick dinner at a yakatori stand. What is yakatori? Chicken pieces on a stick and broiled then dipped in a sauce. Some sticks had chicken meat, some giblets, and others just skin. I chose chicken meat, I think! I couldn't read the labels because they were in Japanese and the owner of the stand did not speak English. They were very good and cheap, around 150 yen each ($1.50). However you had to eat 4 or 5 of them to fill up.

After a quick dinner, we wondered around a supermarket. This market was very large. It could be compared to a Super Walmart; food, clothes, crafts, anything you could think of. We purchased some snack foods for later and returned to the hotel for the evening.

Again another fine day in the "land of the rising sun".

Discussion with parents

We started the day talking with parents from Katori City. The schools we are visiting are all part of the consolidated city of Katori. The key parts of the discussion were that education reform is in progress and they are working toward smaller class sizes.

The parents felt there has been in increase in discipline problems, especially with bullying. The biggest problem they have is with "cyber bullying". The parents asked if the United States was experiencing similar problems and how were we handling it. We confirmed that internet and cell phones are used for bullying and we too have a difficult time with this problem.

The parents felt that Japanese parents have become too lenient, parents want their children to love them so parents do not scold or punish. They have the impression that American parents are very strict. We discuss this topic at great lengths.

They have similar situations in schools such as budgets being cut and the need for PTA to help fund many programs, such as after school clubs. They also talk about children coming to school without homework done because some parents work long hours and cannot check on whether homework has been completed. We agree this is also a problem in the United States.

We found that our children are very much the same. After school they like to play video games, surf the internet, talk on cell phones, and participate in sports or clubs. The big difference between countries is that Jr. High students attend "cram school" after school. The purpose of this extra tutoring session is to prepare them for the examination they must take to determine which high school they can attend.

The parents talked about the stress of the entrance exam. They feel this is harming their children, but they do not know what to do about it. Students are so over worked and tired during Jr. High. Parents think this makes their children very sad. I would think the pressure would be huge on students ages 12 through 15.

The last thing we talked about was how important it is to keep art, music, and other traditional teachings in the schools. The parents believed it is important for students to not forget about Japan and the unique traditions of the country. The other important thing is for communication between teachers and parents to be improved for the benefit of the student.

Again I am amazed at how the United States and Japan are so similar. We have similar concerns as parents and have the same hopes and dreams for our children.

Touring Sawara

The afternoon was spent touring sites in Sawara. This is a small town with buildings that date back to the 1700s. It was amazing to see the old buildings and to think about what the town was like 200 years ago. The town was built along the Ono-gawa canal that conneted to the Tone-gawa river. It was a port town that traded with Edo, now Tokyo. There are many buildings in Sawara that were built with the same building styles of Edo.

The first stop was the Toukun Shuzo Sake Brewery. The brewery reminded me of the winery tours in the states. There were very large holding tanks were the sake fermented. When you first walked in the brewery there was a very strong smell of fermenting rice. We were told the most important part of the process is to use artesian water that was very clear and fresh. The length of time of fermentation determines the proof of the finished alcohol.


The next tour was of a paper mache` mask and doll maker, Miuraya, Sawara-Hariko Handicraft. This man is the third generation of his family to make tradictional masks and dolls. During the zodiac year of the rabbit his doll was selected as the mascot. It was also printed on postage stamps. He was very proud to bring fame to Sawara through his work. He did not talk about his own fame. He made a statement that was very powerful..."because I do gentle and warm hearted work I am happy". I think we can all take lessons from this man who lives a very simple, yet fulfilling life.

After getting sweet potato ice cream,it was time to board the bus for our hotel. Yes, sweet potato ice cream! It was soft serve, a soft purple color, and very good.


We arrived at Kashima 40 minutes later. This would be our home until Saturday. The hotel is very nice, but the food expensive in the restuarant. After checking in, we head out looking for a place to eat dinner. We found a restaurant that had plastic models of food that we all thought we would like.


We were seated at two tables because our group was large. The waiter did not speak any English, but tried very hard to help us with our food selections. After eating a wonderful meal with my new "best friends" it was time to return "home" to get some sleep. The hardest part of the restuarant experience is that you cannot tip wait staff that has gone above and beyond to make your dining experience wonderful. No tipping is a costum in Japan. In fact tipping is considered rude because what you have already paid for the service covers the staff. A very hard rule for Americans to follow.


Another full day exploring life in Japan.

Chiba University

This morning we visited Chiba University in Chiba City. This university has strong programs in medicine, engineering, agriculture, and teacher preperation. The faculty described the educational programs at the school and then there was a question and answer session.

There was a discussion about changing values in society. The Japanese have always believed that the sun and nature are watching so it is important to not due anything bad. Today this is not so easily believed by young people and causing values of right and wrong to change. As a result moral education was added to teaching guidelines when they were revised in March, 2008. These guidelines will be reviewed again in 10 years.

The second part of the Chiba University visit was to talk with college students. This was my favorite part. I chatted with two young women about college, food, and what they wanted to do when they graduated. A young man joined our group. He is planning to be a high school English teacher when he finishes at the university.

He asked me when we teach students to write his or her opinions, when do we teach creative writing? I explained that is taught very early in elementary school. He told me Japanese students are not taught to write creatively, they do not write their opinions, only factual information. He feels there is a problem with people being able to express his or her opinion. This is very interesting. I responded that American students have too many opinions and have a difficult time writing essays containing factual information. He though that was very funny.

We were only given an hour to meet with the college students and the time passed quickly. Before we new it, it was time to go.

Travel Day. And what a travel day it was!

Today we traveled to Chiba City, which is across Tokyo Bay from Tokyo.

I started the day by going for a walk with Elise, a member of our group. We had a very refreshing walk. In the process we found a quiet neighborhood with some really nice supermarkets. Exploring supermarkets would become one of our favorite past times. It is amazing the different foods and products you can find. We decided to purchase sushi and drinks for the bus ride. It would be a picnic on wheels, while we did some sightseeing on our way to Chiba City.

When we arrived back at the hotel the Akasaka Shrine was having a festival in the hotal parking lot. The festival consisted of a parade with people in traditional costumes carrying an object that appeared to look like an alter. Not being familar with the costums I cannot explain the festival very well. It was very interesting to watch and makes me want to learn more.

We boarded the bus at noon, as scheduled, and were off. A little while later we were enjoying our picnic and chatting when all of a sudden the bus swerved and stopped. I looked up and our guide was flying forward, down the steps, and hit her face off the dash.

What had happened? There was all kinds of chatter and then we realized we had hit a car while coming through the intersection. We looked out the back window and could see the car crashed into a gaurdrail. The bus had hit the car, the car had spun around and hit a truck, then the car spun again and hit the gaurdrail. The driver and passenger were helped out of the car by some men. At the same time, I went up and checked on our guide. She said she was fine, obviously shaken, then immediately started making phone calls. She is one very tough lady.

When we looked out the window we could see men sweeping the street with small brooms. Even a monk stopped to help clean the glass off the street. I was surprised cars continued to move through the intersection, no one stopped traffic.

The EMS arrived very quickly. They checked on the people in the car, then checked on us in the bus. They had a card that stated in English "does it hurt here" and then they would point to body locations on the pictures. It was a very good way to communicate. You could tell they had delt with foriegn patients before. They were very professional. I was amazed how small the ambulance was. The EMTs had a backpack on that looked to contain medical supplies. That would be very handy.

Luckily no one was seriously hurt. We were taken to our hotel by taxi. Then went about our trip as if it was just another day.

We went out to dinner in a large group. We decided to go to a sushi restuarant. The shushi traveled in front of the counter on a track. You picked the plate you wanted. When you were finished the wait staff calculated your bill be adding up how many plates you have. There are so many costums that are based on the honor system. I always wonder if it would work in the U.S. this way.

The interesting part of this sushi trip was eating whale. Yes, it was whale! The meet was very dark and marbled much like beef. It had a very firm texture and did not taste like fish. Very interesting to the palette.

The last interesting experience for the day was wandering around a shopping area. We stopped to listen to some young street musicians and watch teenage girls giggle at them. We purchased there CD for 500 yen ($5). The girls insisted we wait and have the two guys sign it. The guys were very flattered when they signed our CDs and handed them back we gave them each a business card (maishi). The looked at us in surprise and said "sensai?" (teacher?). It made me miss teenagers from the states.

Another day of adventure. What will tomorrow bring?