Calendar for FMF October, 2002 Visit of Japan

Shintara Tanaka, a Japanese college student, and some Fulbright Memorial Fund teachers. We ate soba noodles with tempura. We found out that in restaurants you do not need to tip for the service. Japanese also hand back your change for each meal in one lump sum. If you count your change this infers you do not trust the merchant. The Japanese are very conscientious, hardworking and trustworthy people.

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Oct. 9

The next morning we were welcomed by FMF helpers. We then listened to an orientation given by Sam Sheppard, the executive director of the Japan- US Education Commission.

Sightseeing of Tokyo was interesting. Street scenes are similar to America’s city streets.

The National Diet Building has over 1000 visitors at a time.

We were there with many junior high classes who were on class trips.

We next went to Asakusa Market to shop and to see shrines and a temple. We ate a typical Japanese meal here too.

We saw a kyogen performance.

During the wonderful welcome reception there was a buffet of so many foods. Former Japanese Fulbright scholars were there to greet us. Special Japanese music was playing.

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Oct. 10

Some of us woke up before the sun rose and headed by taxi to the Tsujiki Fish Market, one of the largest fish markets in the world. Fish is a staple of the Japanese diet since Japan is a series of islands. Many Japanese work in the fish business. Thousands of workers were everywhere.

Different kinds of fish were around.

Frozen tuna arrived in trucks.

Tails of tuna are removed and placed in their mouths.

Buyers inspect the fish. The tunas were numbered, weighed and marked with a rate. At 5:30 AM interested buyers lined up near where an auctioneer rang a bell. Buyers raised their hands to bid on the fish.

I ate dinner with a Japanese couple, parents of my son’s college friend, Shiori.

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Oct. 11

A woman took a long time to get ready to perform Kabuki. Kabuki is a special sophisticated theatre found only in Japan.

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Oct. 12

I got to choose where I went on my free weekend. I first took a train to Kamakura, a local village south of Tokyo. This village served as the capital of Japan for 150 years beginning in 1192. I saw the enormous daibutsu, the Great Buddha statue in Kamakura.

You can get to the many temples of Kamakura by a rickshaw, a cart a man pulls you in.

You can walk up pathways to temples like this one.

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Oct. 13

I always had wanted to see Mt. Fuji so I took a charter tour bus here. Mt. Fuji, a symbol of Japan and Japan’s tallest peak of over 10,000 feet, is a mountain that stands alone.

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Oct. 14

I went to Toyama. This is where the newest Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry is from. I had the chance to go to a science museum, pottery museum and print museum. At the City Folk Art Craft Village I made these ceramic dolls.

The best part of this day was participating in a cultural activity that is 800 years old called the tea ceremony.

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Oct. 15

We met the superintendent and mayor of Toyama City. As the communications coordinator representing the 20 American teachers, I then gave a speech about how appreciative we were about being in Toyama. I presented the mayor with a NJ flag.

Twenty minutes from the Town Hall are the Botanical Gardens.

Kindergarten students were there on class trips.

At the University of Toyama we met the dean, president and some graduate students.

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Oct. 16

We spent an entire day observing a high school day.

We watched students in their activities and in their classrooms.

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Oct. 17

At a junior high we saw many different classrooms.

We even had the opportunity to see a very organized fire drill.

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Oct. 18

My best school experience was in an elementary school. These children are just like American children in many ways.

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Oct. 19

I was truly welcomed into a Japanese family’s home. I had the best weekend living with my host family.

We did typical family activities like reading together and playing card games.

We viewed sites in Toyama. We viewed an art museum as well as a Buddha statue. With my host family we visited the Zuiryuji Temple built 360 years ago. We saw many different statues.

Eating at McDonalds for lunch was fun.

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Oct. 20

In the morning we practiced calligraphy.

We visited one of the oldest homes in Toyama.

When we visited the Sea of Japan it was quite windy.

We ate lunch at an Italian restaurant.

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Oct. 21

There are many industries. The Toyama 20 visited a local industry called Pharmacy Koukandou.

We visited a ryokan (pronounced yoi- kon), a traditional Japanese –style inn.

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Oct. 22

I got off at this subway station to shop in Tokyo.

Disney’s theme parks in Chiba prefecture are Disneyland Tokyo and Disney Sea. Disney Sea opened in 2001. It was inspired by myths, legends and lore of the sea. A few of us spent an enjoyable evening at Disney Sea.

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Oct. 23

I went up the Tokyo Tower at night with another FMFer and a university student.

In the 1800’s, Yukichi Fukuzawa, the father of Japanese education, began Keio University. It has beautiful archways. This is Justin, an American exchange student, studying at Keio University.

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Oct. 24

Skits about the different prefectures teachers visited were presented.

We ended our Japanese experience with tears warmed by kind hearts!

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Oct. 25

I took a plane from Tokyo to San Francisco. Then I took another plane from San Francisco to New Jersey. When I got home I really didn’t realize what day it was since I hadn’t slept in a long time. I did show my souvenirs before I went to sleep to dream about my three week Japanese adventure.

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