This summer I participated in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund program. The program is sponsored by the Japanese government and takes 200 teachers from the United States to Japan to learn about their culture and education system. There were teachers from every state in the country, including 3 from Utah. While in Japan we stayed in Tokyo for one week before splitting into smaller groups and going to cities throughout the country of Japan. I went with a group of 20 to Ogi, in Saga Prefecture (a prefecture is similar to a state). Saga is on the Island of Kyushu, just south of the main island of Japan. While in Ogi, we visited local schools and museums and even spent two days and a night with a Japanese host family. After the stay in Ogi, we returned to Tokyo for three days so we could share experiences with the other teachers that went to different places. The experience was incredible! The Japanese people were extremely kind and hospitable. This blog will give you a small peak into my experience in Japan.

Day 1: San Francisco

Getting off the plane in San Francisco was quite the experience. I was soon surrounded by people from all over the United States that I didn’t know. We all had name tags and quickly became friends as we talked about where we came from and the experience ahead. We spent one day in San Francisco, learning about basic customs and meeting the people that would be part of our smaller groups.

Day 2: Arrival in Japan.

The flight to Japan was nine hours long and it took us across the international date line. The weather was hot and very humid. We drove for an hour and a half on bus to get to our hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The bus ride provided us with the first view of the metropolis of Tokyo, which is home to 8.5 million people, making it one of the world’s most populated places.

After arriving at our hotel, I, along with three others went to dinner with a local Japanese student. He showed us how to eat noodles (slurping is encouraged) and explained different items on the menu. In Japan, there is no tipping.

Day 3: Tokyo Orientation, Education Speaker, Sightseeing

Our day started with an orientation on the city of Tokyo. We received a brief introduction to the subway and train system. The location of the hotel is right by Shinjuku Station, which is considered to be the busiest train station in the world, serving 3.22 million people per day. We were also given precautions as to earthquake safety, personal safety and places in the city to avoid after dark.

After our orientation we had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Tsutomu Kimura, President of the National Institute for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, give a speech on Educational reform in Japan. Some interesting facts about the Japanese educational system: there is nearly a 0% illiteracy rate in all of Japan; 50% of people get some form of higher education; the Japanese education system is a national system, unlike that of the United States; and there is an increasing push for emphasizing creativity, diversity, and flexibility.

After Dr. Kimura’s speech, we hit the buses for a trip to the national Diet, which is the equivalent to our Capital Building. For information regarding the Japanese government, visit: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2136.html

After the visit to the Diet, we stopped by the Asakusa Shrine. The shrine is Shinto and dates back to the year 628. There are a lot of cool buildings and plenty of people there to worship or just to see an important part of Japanese religious history.

The day ended with a fancy opening reception/banquet. I found out that instead of saying “Cheers!” when making a toast, the Japanese say “Kompai!” I also found out that raw fish really doesn’t taste that bad.

Day 4: Japanese Economy and Government

Japan is well known for its auto and electronic industry. Though these industries anchor the economy, there are other areas in which it is growing. Professor Takahiro Miyao of the International University of Japan spoke to us on the problems and progress of the Japanese economy. Like the United States, Japan is a capitalist country. This means that most business and industry are privately owned by people, not the government.

Yuji Tsushima, a member of the Japanese House of Representatives, and Wakako Hironaka, a member of the House of Councillors spoke to us about the Japanese government. The two are members of opposing parties, much like the Republicans and the Democrats, but the were very gracious and civil when speaking to us about issues that Japan deals with today. One such issue is that of the constitution. Japan is still under the constitution that was set up by the United States after the war. There is a strong movement with about half of the population in support of drafting a new constitution written by the Japanese. After the government presentation, we were treated with some traditional Japanese theater called Kyogen. Kyogen plays are usually short and funny. The actors speak slowly and vary the tones of their voices.

For dinner I ate some delicious noodles called udon. They are similar to what you might find in homemade chicken-noodle soup – thick and chewy. Udon noodles are served in broth and may have a little bit of meat or vegetables. They are served hot or cold. (typically hot in the winter and cold in the summer).

After dinner I went to the top of the North tower of the Tokyo City Hall, the tallest building in Tokyo. The view provided a panorama of the entire city, which stretches far in every direction. On a clear day Mt. Fuji can be seen in the distance. Unfortunately it was a little overcast and I didn’t get to see it.

Day 5:

Today I rose early (4:30 AM) with three other and went to the Tokyo Fish Market, also known as the Tsukiji market in Japan. The market is located on the bay and there are thousands of vendors packed into a small area. Visitors have to be very careful to watch where they are going, as speeding forklifts, hand drawn carts, and sharp machetes are at every turn. At the market there is every type of sea animal you could imagine, plus thousands more you can’t. At 5:30 we saw the tuna auction. Hundreds of large tunas that have been caught and quick-frozen are laid out on the floor of a large room. The buyers walk around investigating the meat of the tuna near the tail, where a slice has been cut to expose the meat. Buyers rub and smell and sometimes even taste the meat in effort to find the best. The highest quality has a good color and lots of fat. The largest of the fish will sell for up to $20,000 each.

Check out the market at:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/galleries/tokyo/

http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3iAU9vIaAV4

Upon return from the fish market I had a traditional Japanese breakfast. It consisted of rice, cooked salmon, vegetables with lotus root, and miso soup (made from soy bean paste, seaweed, and tofu).

After breakfast I attended a seminar entitled “Peace Education.” There were three presenters who spoke and then took questions. Tomoke Yanage, a second generation atomic bomb survivor whose dad was one mile from ground zero, spoke first. Half of the people at one mile from ground zero died instantly. Many of the other half had health problems for the remainder of their lives and were shunned because they were “contaminated.” Koji Ikeda, a 90-year-old man that survived the Hiroshima bomb. When the bomb hit, his wife was outside and her face and body were severely burned. Ikeda described what he saw as “a new sun shone over Hiroshima that burned everybody.” Migiwas Ishitani spoke on behalf of her father, a survivor of the Nagasaki bomb, who passed away 9 years ago. She began by saying “On behalf of my father I would like to sincerely apologize to you for anything the Japanese may have done during the war.” This apology was something her father always did before speaking with Americans about the war. After the war was over, her father did everything he could to promote peace.

Today there are many opinions about whether or not the atomic bombs should have been dropped. After listening to these people speak and talking to other Japanese, I have come to an understanding that this debate is no longer important. Preventing it from happening again is. Japan is a country of people who have participated in and received the atrocities of war. This has taught a great lesson of the importance of peace. After lunch we experienced another form of Japanese theater called Kabuki. Kabuki includes dancing, music, and song.

Dinner was tempura, which is battered and deep-fried vegetables and meat.

After dinner a group of us hopped on a train and headed out to a Japanese Major League baseball game. We were going to see the Hanshin Tigers vs. the Seibu Lions at the Lions’ home field. Japanese baseball is the same as our baseball as far as the game goes, but very different as far as the crowd goes. We could hear the “thump, thump, thump” of the drums inside the stadium when we got off the train. At the entrance, Tigers fans went to the right, and Lions fans to the left. The stadium was equally divided between the two. The fans were very polite to each other. When one team was at bat, its fans would cheer and the opposing team’s fans would be quiet. There were individual cheers for each team and even each player. The outfield section was full of the most devoted fans. In this section the drum players would lead the entire stadium in cheering their team on. The possibility of hearing the crack of the bat was non-existent. It was constant noise. The Lions pulled out a close one, hitting in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Day 6: Free Day!

Today was the one day we could do whatever we wanted. I chose to go down to Kamakura, a surfing town about an hour south of Tokyo where I walked the beach, saw Mt. Fuji in the distance, and visited several old shrines. Kamakura is well known for its giant Buddha sculpture. I left around noon so I could make it back to Tokyo in time to go to some art museums. I went to the Tokyo National Museum and the Tokyo Museum of Western Art.

Day 7: Off to Ogi, Saga

We broke off into our smaller groups of 20, said goodbye to the others, and headed in different directions. Some groups hopped on buses, some on bullet trains, and some, like my group, on airplanes. By the end of the day, teachers from the United States were in 10 different cities, including Aomari, Okara, Tome, and Matsumoto, which is Salt Lake City’s sister city. We were the furthest south out of all of the groups when we arrived in the Saga prefecture. The plane ride took us right by Mt. Fuji, offering an excellent view at the majestic volcano. We landed in Fukuoka and drove about an hour and a half through tree-covered hills and open countryside. Rice patties were being prepared for planting in every direction. The weather was warmer and even more humid than Tokyo.

Our hotel is in Saga, the capitol of Saga Prefecture. Saga is on an open plain between the mountains and ocean. It has a history of 3,000 years. Saga played an important role in opening Japan to world trade. Ogi is a smaller town about 20 minutes north, nestled against lush green hills. Ogi is our host city, but we are staying in Saga because there are no hotels in Ogi. After arriving, we set out to find a place to eat. Saga is much smaller than Tokyo. I would compare it to Provo or Ogden. By 6:00 most businesses are closing. We found a little hole in the wall restaurant that looked really tasty. Unfortunately, the waitresses had no idea what we were saying and we ended up with food we didn’t order. Luckily it was still pretty darn good.

Day 8: Saga University

This morning we met with staff and students at Saga University. After the war, the Japanese government decided to open at least one university in every prefecture in the country. Saga University was opened in 1949. Just as every university in Japan, an entrance exam must be taken by all those who want to be accepted. In our discussion, there was much talk about the entrance exams. This is a hot topic in the Japanese education system because exams are also taken to get into high school. It is known as “exam hell” because there is so much pressure to pass. Students have become very good at taking tests, but lack creativity and individuality. At this point in time, there is no good answer on what to do about the stresses of the exam system.

After our visit to the university, we headed to Ogi to meet mayor Shuji Eriguchi and the city council. Mayor Eriguchi is currently running for the House of Representatives and pictures of him can be found on streets throughout the prefecture. He told us briefly about Ogi. The town has 47,000 people and its major industry is agriculture and the cultivation of seaweed. His administrative theme for Ogi is slowing down and enjoying life, with an emphasis on sport and leisure. Because of this emphasis, there is a low degree of stress in Ogi. At the reception with the mayor we had our first taste of Yokan, a sweet that is produced here. It is made from sweet bean past and seaweed gelatin. On our way back to Saga, we stopped by the bay and witnessed the habitat of the mudskipper. Mudskippers are amphibious little creatures that hop around the mud in effort to find a mate. Pictures of the things are all over Ogi and Saga. They are even on man-hole covers and tiles in the sidewalk.