June 30 Last day trip to Kamakura

On our last day in Japan, we were given a free day to go where we chose.  Some took long treks to Kyoto, others went up around Mt. Fuji, some stayed around Tokyo to shop and explore. I joined a group heading out for Kamakura, about 1.5 hours by train from Tokyo.  Kamakura is a really laid back coastal town, think Santa Cruz or San Diego but in kanji.  Three of us rented bikes so we could cover more territory, and went to see the sites.  Kamakura is an old capitol during the Shogunate period, and there are many temples to visit.  Plus, it is right on the beach and we took a swim on this side of the pacific (nice warm water).  One of the top sites is a giant bronze cast Buddha (Kamakura Diabutsu) dating back to the 11th century.  We were also hoping to get up to a giant bamboo forest, but ran out of time and had to get the bikes back to the rental shop (got a little lost trying to find it).

It was a really great last day, very relaxing after all the hustle-and-bustle of Tokyo.  Tomorrow the long flight back to Seattle, ready to get home and see family.

Signing off this blog!  Thanks for following along!

June 28, 29 Wrapping up the work

These last two days have been very focused on collaborative planning between the US and Japanese teachers.  The goal of this entire program is to increase the awareness and understanding of Japanese teachers and American teachers to each others cultures and educational practices, and to then use that new understanding to develop cross cultural opportunities to engage our students in learning ESD concepts.  I joined in with a really great group of 7 teachers for my project, 3 Japanese teachers and 4 American teachers, and we are doing our project on comparing attitudes and practices about waste reduction in our schools focused on the reuse-reduce-recycle-refuse concept.  We will also be sharing pictures, videos, and letters in a Google Group between our students on their perspectives and values about their respective cultures.  It was challenging at times to develop this project, in that we only had a short period of time to iron out the details and there were considerable barriers due to language issues, but by the end of it I think everyone felt good about what we had achieved.  I'm really looking forward to moving forward on this with my students next year, I know they will be very interested in this project.

In spite of all the work with this conference, we have managed to have a good bit of fun as well.  We have been out to some nice meals, exploring more of Tokyo in the evenings, and we had a very special final banquet with live music and a very fancy Japanese food buffet.

Tomorrow we have our one "free day", and various small groups are forming around some different destinations.  I think I'm going to join a group taking the 1 hour train ride to a smaller coastal city called Kamakura, which is supposed to have some nice temples.  Some of us might rent bikes for the day so we can cover more ground.  I'll let you know more about what we do and find in my last post.

Much of the last 3 days has been like this...

and this...

My collaborative project group!

Final banquet... yumm!!!!!

Japanese street oddity...

Some of the 13 million people in Tokyo!

June 27 The US-Japan Joint Conference begins in Tokyo

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!

After some back-and-forth discussion, some of us soccer fans decided to pull a near all-nighter and watch the USA vs Germany World Cup match, which meant going to a sports bar from 1-3 am to watch it live. Despite the 0-1 loss, it was a good result for the USA team and we go to the next round.  GO USA!! Tokyo is one of those cities-that-never-sleeps, and a surprising number of people were out eating and socializing even at 3am.  Many exhausted "Salary-Men" (as they are referred to) were dragging themselves home exhausted after a long day and night at their offices.  Some were even sleeping on benches with their briefcases for pillows, which I had heard about but got to see first hand.

Today was the start of a 3 day Joint Conference with the 24 Japanese teachers before we return home.  This is where we develop plans to work on ESD-related curriculum together and "play-forward" this unique experience we've had into a tangible project for our kids.  This first day was mostly introductions, keynote speeches, and some presentations of past projects, so the real hard work starts tomorrow.  It was fun re-uniting with the Japanese Delegation whom we last saw in San Francisco last May.

We all got together for a celebratory meal to roast our shared purpose and swap stories about our experiences.  I made a early exit from all this because of the near zero sleep I had the night before!

June 26 Yamahana Primary school and flight back to Tokyo

After checking out of our hotel (most everyone very exhausted from the Karaoke excesses of the previous night) we visited a final school, which turned out to be my favorite.  This was a tiny rural school about 45 minutes drive from town, and they have a total of 27 kids grades K-9!  Most classes were only 4-5 kids. This was such a sweet school, everyone was so pleasant and relaxed!  They have a very active agriculture focus, and every kid has their own garden plot which they tend to and harvest, learning about growing food and nutrition and natural cycles.  They compost all their scraps, and as in other schools the kids are involved in preparing daily lunches, serving them, and cleaning the school at the end of the day.  A very unusual treat happened at this school.  As it happens, some members of the Tokyo symphony orchestra were in Kushiro for a concert.  They found out that this USA teaching delegation was in town, so they met us at this school and gave a brief concert for the school in their auditorium.  It was a very moving experience for all of us, and the music was gorgeous.

Then on to the airport, and with much regret we said goodbye to Kushiro and boarded a plane back to Tokyo, arriving in time to catch a quick dinner in the city and get settled back into city living.  The Joint Conference with the Japanese teaching delegation starts tomorrow.

Some teachers satisfying a much-craved American meal back in Tokyo!

June 25 Kushiro Wetlands Park and Karaoke evening

I got up early to see the Japan World Cup match (5am), and wore my Japan jersey for good luck, but unfortunately they lost.   After a quick breakfast we boarded the bus for an hour-long ride out to see Kushiro-shitsugen National Park, which is the largest wetlands area in Japan.  This vast wetlands covers 104 square miles, and has the Kushiro river meandering through it.  After such busy days of visits to schools and town oficials, we all appreciated the chance to get out into nature and relax a little.  We had a guided walk for about an hour down a very pretty planked trail into the wetlands, and were given a talk on the flora and fauna of the area as well as some history of the original inhabitants thousands of years ago.  It was a sunny mild day, just perfect for a walk.
On the way back we stopped at the "Restaurant of Oz" (we couldn't pass it up with a name like that) for some curry and rice, then back to the hotel.  Yes, we were not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

That evening we all (all 12 teachers and our two Japanese escorts) went out for traditional Japanese-style karaoke.  This is not your sleepy bar stage kind of karaoke!  Here you go to a building where individual rooms are built with bar tables, chairs, and karaoke and screens.  The door is closed and hilarity ensues. The music is loud loud loud!  Food and drinks are brought in non-stop (part of the price), and everyone just got more and more crazy with it.  After three hours we were all exhausted and had butchered many great songs, but it was SOOOO much fun.  We all had a blast!!!!!!!!

Here I am rocking out to Journey!

June 24- more school visits and Taiko lesson!

Today we visited two schools, one junior high school and one high school.  Both schools were fantastic.  The middle school was a new building, out in the more rural area of town, and we were all very impressed by the discipline and friendliness of the students.  We were treated to some lessons on painting kanji and memorizing a series of characters, which we were tested on and I failed miserably (but it was fun)!  In Japanese schools, the students stay in the room and the teachers move.  Also, the students eat lunch together with their teachers and they clean up the school together at the end of the day (generally there are no janitors), including the bathrooms.  The school could not have been more clean!

The high school was also amazing.  We drifted in and out of many classes, watching the teachers work with the kids.  We also spent some time after the school day ended to see the kids in all the after school clubs that are offered.  Student after school clubs are a big deal in most Japanese schools, and we saw many sports, archery, construction, music and others going on.  Finally, we were given an goodbye concert by the school band, which was very moving we all felt.

After returning to the hotel for a short rest, a few of us took a taxi out to watch a drumming lesson with the same Taiko drumming group we saw last night.  They let us try out the drums and also played a number of pieces, and we had the time of our lives for two hours.  It was so loud, powerful, I just loved it.  This was definitely one of the best experiences for me of the entire trip so far.

June 23 Hokkaido University and Dinner with Kushiro Mayor

Mush of today was spent visiting with dignitaries of the city of Kushiro and discussing perspectives on environmental/sustainability education.  Though today was much less exciting than the previous two, it was an important glimpse into the business customs of Japan.  We were given visits with the Kushiro city Mayor and the Superintendent of the regional Board of Education.  Each of these visits involved long speeches of welcome, exchanging of gifts, and the trading of business cards or "meishi", which has many rules to it and is an essential aspect of how business is conducted in Japan.  How you give the card (face up toward the person with both hands), accept the card (take time to read it, comment on some aspect of it, person of lowest position gives the card first), and keep the card (placed carefully in card holder, NEVER in back pocket) is very important, as these cards are considered an extension of the individual.  We were given a lecture on the city's economy and educational system which was informative.

Following this we got on the bus and headed out to Hokkaido University of Education, a teacher training school that specializes in sustainability education (ESD).  First we had lunch with some of the university students, and then were given lectures on their approaches to ESD and some Q & A with the students and professors regarding US/Japanese practices in these areas of study.  It was interesting to exchange ideas and perspectives, and the students were very excited to have us there.

Following this we headed back to the hotel, had an hours rest (I went for a run), and then met again for a reception dinner with the Mayor, Superintendent, other delegates, and some host teachers.  The food was excellent, more speeches/mingling/meishi, and a finale of taiko drumming which was AWESOME!

June 21-22 Japanese Cranes and Host Family stay

After a 5am last "onsen" at Lake Akan, we packed up and headed for Kushiro City about 1 hour away to meet with our homestay families.  On the way we visited the Lake Akan Eco Museum to learn about their environmental education efforts.  We received a lecture and walked a 1 mile path to the lake.  This area reminded me of Yellowstone, though a much smaller scale, with the odor of sulfur and some hot bubbling mud pots along the trail.  A film crew was using a drone with a go-pro camera mounted to film a PR piece on the area, which was fun to watch.  One interesting feature of this lake are these spherical algae growths called "marrimou" (spelling likely incorrect), very unusual.  The visitor center was beautiful, with the entire floor one giant aerial photograph of the lake and surrounding volcanoes.

The next stop was to the Japanese Crane Reserve, where active efforts are being done to breed captive cranes and return them to the wild to reverse a dwindling population.  These cranes appear in old Japanese folk tales, and are an important symbol of beauty and grace for the Japanese people.  We saw a number of cranes and even a few ungainly chicks.

Finally we arrived at Kushiro City, the main city in the area with a population of about 180,000.  After dropping off our bags at a hotel in town and packing an "overnight bag", we stood about nervously awaiting our homestay families to pick us up (practicing our Japanese welcome phrases).  Families came one by one, and I felt a bit like a pound puppy hoping to be adopted as my American colleagues were taken away. Finally my family came, quick introductions were exchanged, some papers were signed, and off I went.

My host family consisted of Mr. Minoru Takao, a principal at one of the area elementary schools, his wife Chizuru (whose name I think she said means "1000 cranes") who teaches part time at a different elementary school, and their adult son Yuta.  I was immediately put at ease by this family as they were so warm and gracious, entirely genuine and friendly.  I was fortunate that Minoru-san was a former English teacher, so his English was quite good and we were able to muddle through our conversations relatively well.   They live in a tiny apartment where everything is carefully organized.  A wonderful authentic meal was made by Chizuru-san, and she kept bringing out dish after dish of Japanese foods, it was like magic the meal that came out of that tiny kitchen (I suspect she spent much of the day preparing this meal for my visit)!  The rest of this evening was spent eating, chatting about our countries/families/interests/politics/education, and drinking some exceptionally good sake!  The evening ended with a traditional Japanese bath.

The next day (after breakfast and Japanese green tea) was spent seeing the sights of Kushiro City.  We visited a beautiful museum, Buddhist temple, and ate some amazing ramen soup at their favorite "hole in the wall" noodle shop. The men here have been cooking ramen in this same spot for decades.  I was reminded that slurping one's soup is an important custom to express gratitude for the meal, so I tried to slurp as loudly as possible since the food was so great!  Later in the afternoon we were returned to our hotel, goodbye's were said, and we had a couple hours to rest and catch up on business (such as writing these latest blog entries).  Later in the evening the American teachers got together over dinner to share notes about our homestay experiences and swap stories.  Everyone had a great time!

June 20 Travel to Kushiro, Lake Akan and Ainu village

This was a BIG day.  We caught a early flight out of Tokyo and traveled to Kushiro on Hokkaido Island in the far north of Japan.  About a 2.5 hour flight.  The Japan vs Greece World Cup game was just starting, and every Japanese in the airport was glued to the screen as we were boarding (tie 0-0).  From Kushiro airport it was another 1.5 hours by bus to a thermally active area called Lake Akan.  The landscape here is familiar to the Northwest, with hillsides covered in lush trees, cooler temperatures and rain.  Very scenic and rural.
After checking into our hotel and a quick lunch (more fish/rice/miso!), we were wisked away to tour an Ainu village.  The Ainu are the indiginous people of Hokkaido island, and their history mirrors that of the North American indians in that they were driven off their lands by Japanese settlement.  We got to learn about Ainu culture and woodcarving crafts, and saw some Ainu dancing.  It reminded me of the Tlingit/Haida customs of Southeast Alaska in alot of ways from my time in Juneau.
OK, now the "onsen".  Best thing so far!!!  Onsen is traditional Japanese hotsprings, and the hotel we stayed at provides one of the nicest onsen experiences in the country I am told.  Onsen is a very important Japanese custom, a way to release stresses and reconnect for busy city workers.  Kushiro is near some volcanically active areas, so it is fed by hotsprings.  The hotel was amazing, designed to the smallest detail to induce relaxation and ease.  It is a traditional experience, with bamboo mats, tatami beds, and very spare furnishings.  The onsen baths have many customs, so we had to get some training on what to do and what not to do.  Clothing is not allowed, separated areas by gender, so sorry no pictures!  But once inside the onsen area there were an amazing variety of baths of different temperatures, saunas, "mist rooms", falling water massages, and so on.  Some areas inside, other areas outside with picturesque views of the lake.  Soft music plays everywhere, it is all wood and rocks and water, very natural, almost no one talking, just deeply relaxed Japanese (saw no other European/Americans other than we teachers).  I've really never experienced anything like it.  Later that night we had a beautifully presented meal of Japanese foods served by a woman in full kimono, impeccable service and food.  I slept so well this night!  I think this will very likely be the best day of the whole trip.

June 19 Visiting Tokyo schools

Today we visited two schools in the Tokyo prefecture area.  Getting to the schools was an adventure in itself, and it was amazing to drive for 1 hour and see the city just go on and on and on.  The first school was a middle/high school called Shotoku Gakuen, a private school within the urban Tokyo corridor.  In Japan families must choose between public and private schools, both of which the students must test into so they are both very competitive (more so for the public schools, as they are more affordable so many more families apply for the coveted spots in the better schools).  After being given an introduction to the school by the principal, we were assigned to classrooms in small groups to talk with the kids and share our home schools/cities and what and how we teach.  I was with a classroom of 15 year olds, and they were very polite and curious about American culture (music, food, etc).  It was fun to talk to them, although their English was pretty difficult to understand so we had to "talk" through many gestures and drawings!  I was asked to give a short speech of gratitude, and received a picture of a Japanese shogun who is connected to the school in some way I couldn't quite pick-up.

The second school was a public elementary school called Inagi Daini in a more suburban area, much greener and scenic.  These kids were beyond cute.  When we got there each student gave us a welcome card they drew on and held our hand as they walked us into the gym where they sang to us and recited a poem.  We toured the school's garden area, where they grow and tend to grapes and learn about the environment.  We were also treated to a ceremonial tea service hosted by the 6th graders who are learning this important cultural element.  This was a very enjoyable visit and they kids were just amazing... so friendly and eager to talk with us despite their limited English.  You could tell they were really exicited about our visit!

After the long ride home, we met up with some Japanese teachers and went out for some Okinawan food.  I'm not sure what half of the stuff I ate was, but my taste buds are still tingling with all the flavors.

Tomorrow we board a plane and the group splits up into two, half of us heading to Kushiro in the northern Hokkaido Island, the other half to Hashimoto City in the central part of Japan (I'm with the Kushiro group).

June 18 Getting to know Tokyo

I started the day with a "typical" Japanese breakfast which included rice, salmon, miso soup, pickled vegetables, and some fresh fruits (fruit is VERY expensive in Japan).  No eggs, bacon, and pastry to be had, and I didn't miss it at all!  People eat so healthy here, and it shows!  The first half of the day was spent in lectures where we learned some of the basics of the Japanese educational system and it's approaches to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD from here on out).  Later in the day we got to take a city bus tour of Tokyo, which is a vast urban jungle of 13 million people, one of the most densely built cities in the world.  The tour featured visits to the Emperor's Palace (could only see from the outside gate) and a large Buddhist temple in the heart of the city.  Before going in people must wash their hands in a ceremonial fountain and pass incense across their bodies to purify themselves for the temple.  Afterward a group of us stayed on and explored the area around the temple at night.  We caught the subway back to the hotel, and even at 10 pm it was so packed you could barely move (I'm told that the Tokyo subway moves more people per day than any other transit system in the world)!

Tomorrow we spend the day touring a few different schools (their academic year starts in April, so they are in session) to observe and learn how they teach ESD curricula.  I'm really looking forward to this first of many school tours over the course of the next two weeks.

June 16-17 Seattle to Tokyo

June 16/17th  Day 1- Seattle to Tokyo

After a long 11 hour flight from Seattle, followed by a 2 hour bus from Narita airport to Tokyo, I have arrived exhausted but thrilled to be here.  With a 16-hours-ahead-of-the-west-coast time difference, I got into Tokyo at about 5:30 pm local time, which was time enough to do some walking around the city and getting a bowl of udon  noodles with some of the other American teachers.  Vending machines are everywhere for all sorts of things!  It is warm and humid here but not unpleasantly so.  One of the teachers and I got our second wind and did some more sightseeing, getting totally turned around in the underground subway/shopping areas (there are "layers" to this city, with a whole network of subterranean tunnels filled with shops and restaurants).  We wandered about for a good hour before finally getting our bearings and making it back to the hotel.  I've been up for nearly 24 hours now, so I'm going to get a good night's sleep.  Tomorrow we start "orientation".  Here are a few pics.

A videoclip of a street view: