Saturday, Oct 25, Cultural Museum

Konnichiwa students,

When I left you on Friday, it was because I was going to have some cultural experiences in Minamisoma.

The day began with our group learning out more about the Minamisoma Festival, I mentioned earlier, by watching a video at the Minamisoma Cultural Museum.

We then were introduced to some artistic cultural handicrafts. During the first activity we made magatama beads from a soft stone. Comma-shaped magatama beads were found in ancient burial mounds excavated in Minamisoma. However, people did not start wearing these beads until the Buddhist religion was established in Japan in the 7Th century. The wearing of these beads symbolized power; they also were used as a protective charm. In ancient cultures, the medicine man, or shaman wore a stone that conveyed power to their community. These comma-shaped ancient beads have not been found anywhere but Japan, so perhaps early Japanese shamans wore them.

The second artistic endeavor we completed was painting wooden postcards using water-colors in a delicate fashion. These postcards can only be sent through domestic mail in Japan, otherwise, I would have sent one to the school!

Thirdly, we were participants in the Tea ceremony, which deserves another entry to itself because I think it is a very important ceremony.

And, lastly, we met our host family for the evening and next day, and went with them to their homes. It was a FULL day.

Back to Tokyo and the Samurai

Konbanwa students,

Hai, once again we have much to relate since my last entry. Where shall I start? My group and I have left Minamisoma, but since Minamisoma has much to do with Japanese samurai history, let's return to that topic.

I also have a contest with this entry.
Abby K. won the Breakfast food identification, congratulations to her!

Samurai means "to serve", and that they did. They were people of noble rank who swore allegiance to a Daiymo, or lord. It was their duty to protect him and his land. In turn, they received land of their own as payment. In order to protect their lord, they chose to become master warriors, perfecting their skill in archery, swordsmanship, and horseback riding. They were the Japanese counterpart of the Medieval knight protecting and serving the feudal lord of the castle. Samurai were regarded as top in the hierarchy of Japan. When Japan entered a period of peace lasting 250 years, the samurai no longer maintained their warrior skills, but became bureaucrats (people who serve in the government), artists, or teachers. In 1868 Japan's feudal era ended and the samurai class was abolished.

Here is an examples of samurai dress and armor displayed at the Tokyo National Museum. You will need to study it to be able to compete in the contest.

To win the contest, you must name a movie character that wears a costume derived from samurai gear. Hint: the movie has nothing to do with Japanese or samurai culture other than influencing the costume designer.

Thermal power and tatami mats

Hai, Hai,

It is 12:32 am Minamisoma time, now Saturday Oct 25. Friday we visited a tatami mat workshop and a large thermal power plant which supplies 18% of Japan's energy. It rained hard today, and the ocean was very turbulent; we were able to visit it for a few minutes since the power plant is very close to the ocean. It has it's own port where ships deliver coal, and it needs the water to cool the water it is returning to the ocean after heating it up. The power plant sits on 378 acres of ground, 16 of which have been reclaimed from the ocean. It was very interesting,and I have much more to say, but I might have to save some of the information for a presentation when I get back to Kentucky. I still have to pack tonight. Tomorrow we meet our host family and will stay with them Saturday, and then we will leave Sunday afternoon for a Japanese style inn called a ryokan (pronounced row-can). We were told that there would be no Internet access for those 2 days.
So, don't think that I've forgotten you, I will blog on Monday when we get back to Tokyo.

Minamisoma Festival

Ohayo gozaimasu students,

Former samurai culture is a big part of Minamisoma's heritage. For over a 1000 years this area of Fukushima prefecture has been used as a military training ground for samurai warriors. When the samurai first started training here under the direction of a Daimyo, or feudal lord, they captured wild horses to use. The Festival which takes place every July is one of the most popular festivals in Japan, much like the Kentucky Derby. During the festival, men whose ancestors were samurai here during the feudal period participate in events that recall their past history. Perhaps you are familiar with the Civil War reenactment that takes place in Perryville, I think, every June; it is very similar to that activity. Participants must research the attire they will use, the weapons, the tack for their horses, and the manners the samurai used. Originally, the samurai would capture wild horses to use in the training exercises, then the samurai would release them to return to the wild. Today, the participants release wild horses that they have captured also, but the horses that they use in the festival activities are their own horses and go back home with them.
More about the samurai tomorrow.

A Tale of Two Breakfasts

Moshi, Moshi students,

This will be short. It is a contest. The first student to correctly match the desciption of a food item in the Japanese breakfast to the list on this entry will win a little gift from Japan when I return.

Look at the pictures closely. I know you can tell which is the the American breakfast even though there are some atypical items included. The other, of course, is Japanese. Here are the items (yes, I know 2 are covered---you will have to guess from the list as to what they could be):
1. miso soup
2. grilled fish
3. honeydew melon
4. pickled plum
5. green tea
6. taro pudding
7. mixed vegetable with mushrooms
8. salad
9. potato salad

Use the location to give me the answers. For example, the covered dish on the right has eggplant in it.

Now guess which one I ate.

gud-do rak! (good luck)

Haramachi Elementary

Hai, Hai,

Thank you for your comments! It is so nice to know y'all are reading my blog! I'm having a great time, but I am tired! And, I do miss you. I especially missed you today when we went to Haramachi Elementary School.

There are 347 students in this school in grades 1 through 6. They are called "Hibarikko" after the Japanese lark, called Hibariin Japanese, which is a very "lively" bird; the are hoping to become a lively child like the Hibari. School is from 8am to 4pm., 203 days a year. They are responsible for cleaning the school and serving their lunch, and cleaning the plates after lunch. They do not have a cafeteria, but eat in their classroom. They have 30 minutes of recess after lunch and two 10 minute breaks to run outside in the morning and in the afternoon. Here are some photos I think you will enjoy. We were asked not to put any up that would show their faces on the Internet, but I will show them to you when I get back to school.

They do not have a librarian, they know the term, but they don't have a clue as to what a school librarian, or library media specialist, which is the new correct title, should do. In fact, one of the Board of Education members asked me in yesterday's meeting how a library functions in a United States school. I think you will be surprised when you see the pictures of their library, and be glad that yours is different than it is. Books are checked out by students who are on the library committee; they do not have a computer for checkout, but write the book title and the student's name on a sheet of paper. The bigger of the two library rooms is about the size of two of our classrooms put together. The room with the short bookcases is the size of one of our regular classrooms. The only encyclopedia set they had on the shelves was copyrighted in 1980.

October 20, 2008: Meeting and Greeting

Konbanwa students!

It is 9:30 p.m. here and it is Oct.22nd. I've been having technical difficulties in accessing the Internet, but the technical support guy and our group translator were finally able to solve the problem. So I will try to do catch-up on the next few blogs.
Let's go back to Monday Oct20Th...
We left our hotel in Fukushima City headed for Fukushima University. It is the only University in Fukushima Prefecture! It would be as if I said that there was only the University of Louisville in Kentucky. I know that probably made some of the University of Kentucky fans angry, but think of what it would be like to have only one university in our state from which to choose for college.

We learned how they trained students wanting to become teachers. By the time you, as a student, would get to the university level you would have already decided that being a teacher was really, really, really what you wanted to do, because there is no changing of your college plan once you begin. So all Japanese teachers begin their teaching career in their early twenties with no opportunity to really make sure that is what they want to do. The Japanese believe that teachers are like "Holy Men"; that is the termed that they used, because they believe that being a teacher is a calling, just like being called to be a preacher. That is the reason that teachers receive a lot of respect in Japanese society.

After leaving the University, we traveled to Minamisoma, and a welcoming introduction by the mayor, school superintendent and Board of Education members

Fukushima City is 180 miles north of Tokyo, and Minamisoma is a little bit closer than that, because it is directly above Tokyo, and about a 2 hr. walk to the Pacific Ocean. It has a temperate climate, and all of Fukushima is known as Japan's fruit paradise for the quality of fruit that is produced here. They are known for the especially for passion fruit, tomatoes, apples, and persimmons.

After our meeting with the major we went on a tour of the city. It is also known all over Japan for its Fire festival held in July. More about that later.
Pictures: Departing Fukushima University with the President and English teacher(who teaches the English language) saying good-bye, an official and the Welcoming sign, with the mayor,and the superintendent of schools behind and next to Mareiko, our translator/interpreter. Our group picture was taken with the officials and we will be in both daily newspapers tomorrow.