Mrs. Banas' Trip to Japan - June 2006

Tsunami changed everything in country’s northeast

2011-12-26T21:06:00.000-05:00

Once-settled land is now vacant, unemployment is rampant, and few businesses are open

Vancouver SunDecember 25, 2011

Anaerial photo taken this week shows a Kyotoku-maru fishing trawler inKesennuma, Miyagi prefecture. The vessel was swept ashore by the March11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Photograph by: Issei Kato, Reuters, Reuters

RIKUZENTAKATA,JAPAN - No place on earth was better prepared for something like the9.0-magnitude earthquake and monster tsunami that struck northeastJapan in March, and few could match the organization and resourcesdeployed in its aftermath.

Yet even now, months after thedisaster and at a time when most of the world, even most of Japan, hasmoved on to new concerns, it’s almost impossible to overestimate theimpact on life here. Everything changed — from the land itself, whichhas sunk or washed away in many of the prime areas where people used tolive and work, to the day-to-day lives of tens of thousands who lostnot only their homes and livelihoods, but also the friends, loved onesand networks of connections that make life worth living.

Here, inone of the places closest to the epicentre of the quake, though farenough from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear reactor to be out of rangeof the fallout, only the suburbs remain — a ring of pleasant,well-spaced homes on the lower reaches of the hills surrounding thecoastal plain where the heart of this little city of 23,000 used tobeat.

This land, settled for centuries, now looks raw and newand, at least from some angles, deceptively unblemished. Wellorganized, well equipped work crews have methodically stacked what’sleft of the endless sea of rubble left by waves into scores ofscattered piles, each sprawling over a few city lots and towering asmuch as 30 metres against the sky.

Cleanup crews have sorted mostof the rubble by type to facilitate recycling. Only splintered wood isfound in some piles, smashed concrete in others, or tires salvaged fromthe twisted remains of thousands of wrecked vehicles — plus the dozenor more orderly “parking lots” with row after row of bent and twistedcars and trucks and buses.

The land itself has been bulldozedflat and clean. It looks like a huge fallow field — except for all thewell-paved roads, edged by concrete curbs, that carve the nowfeatureless landscape into what used to be city blocks that were linedwith close-ranked homes and bustling shops.
But all this cleanup,necessary as it might be, is really just superficial sanitization thatcan’t erase the horrid reminders of that day.

Shoma Okamotostands by one of those now-pointless curbs that border a paved roadthat meanders through the featureless landscape. He’s in what used tobe his front yard, pointing across the street to where the family homeand shop of his boyhood friend — now dead — used to be, and then to theempty space next door to where an entire neighbour family, the Itos,died in the disaster.

Okamoto is lucky — his was one of justthree families in the 80-family neighbourhood that didn’t lose anyone.He and his adult sister had both left the family home and were livingon their own in other cities. And his mother, father and grandmotherall escaped, although with little but their lives.

Now he hasgiven up his career in Tokyo — he worked in construction and interiordesign — to return to his boyhood home and run a newly minted NGO, SaveTakata, that tries to help survivors cope.
That the survivors need help is clear, but the way forward isn’t always so obvious.

Thisis Japan — rich, organized and disciplined — and there’s none of thechaos and squalor that lingers months or years after big naturaldisasters in many parts of the world. Here, as in cities and towns upand down the coast, almost every displaced citizen has been moved fromtemporary shelters — some as basic as school gymnasiums pressed intoservice and some comfortable resort hotels — and into temporary houseswhich, although tiny and basic, are solid, neat, clean and equippedwith standard amenities.

But unemployment is rampant, especiallyamong those with skills ill-suited to the all-encompassing cleanuptasks. People lost not only their homes but also their cars, bothgenerally not insured, and the trains that once took commuters to workin places a little further inland no longer run. Businesses that werewiped out are just starting to reopen, many in premises as crude as aconstruction trailer. People are in shock at their losses and thepsychological difficulty is compounded by boredom and depression.

SoOkamoto’s little group, all with deep local roots, has carved out foritself a niche role helping to coordinate the efforts of dozens ofnon-profit agencies that have come to help, and looking for things itcan do — everything from provision of water filters to replacingwedding rings that were lost in the flood — that will help people gettheir lives back on track.

The next big step lies with theelected councils in affected cities and the national government, whichwill play a huge role in funding the expected 20-trillion-yen($266-billion) cost of reconstruction.

They must approve plans, mostly now in the final stages of being hammered out with residents, for new permanent homes.

MegamiKito, one of a small cadre of civil servants seconded to the newreconstruction secretariat, says the objective is to keep formerneighbourhoods together, although many community members died in thedisaster and others have already left the region and found new homes.

“Inmost of the municipalities, we’re waiting for the urban planning —where the houses will be built, where the stations will be built, wherewe’ll situate the industry,” she said.

She said some businessesmay be able to return to some areas that were flooded by the tsunami,“but most people are going to want to live on higher ground.

“Soto accommodate everybody, we’ll probably have to cut down somemountains. Make it flat, then move everybody to higher ground. Andthat’s going to be difficult from the point of view of budget.”

InSendai, a city of a million-plus people on the edge of the disasterarea, about 8,100 households were affected (some by landslides in thenearby mountains) and 704 were killed, although the heart of the citywas untouched.

Ironically, after the initial shock, the disasterhas sparked something of a boom. Industries like tourism, especiallyinternational tourism, are down sharply, but retail trade is way up aspeople from the devastated coastal towns come to Sendai for bothday-to-day necessities and materials to rebuild.

In the city ofHigashi Matushima, a city of just 43,000 where 70 per cent of the homeswere destroyed or damaged, the intention is to ensure that the newcommunity is not only safer, but also more efficient and better inother ways than the one that was lost.

Morio Furuyam, manager ofthe city’s recovery policy department, said they’re developing anEcotown strategy in one subdivision where temporary housing has beenerected. So far it features mainly innovative conservation measures,but a permanent settlement to be built will include a community-widesmart grid, and options for generating its own electricity and sellingthe surplus.

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Tsunami+changed+everything+country+northeast+Once+settled+land+vacant+unemployment+rampant/5910172/story.html

2011-12-03T22:28:00.001-05:00

Video of a town that was located just north of Kesennuma.

2011-06-24T20:28:00.000-04:00

To read and see pictures of the time I spent Japan, click on the archives you are interested in (as in all blogs, you start at the bottom and work your way up):

6/18/06-6/25/06: Tokyo tour, Kyoto, Kesennuma
6/25/06-7/02/06: Kesennuma, Tokyo

Here is an interactive "slider" from CNN showing the devastation in Japan. The second slide and the last slide are of Kesennuma.

This is a panoramic photo from msnbc.com. It was made on March 15, and shows the devastating damage done by the huge earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, a fishing town facing the Pacific Ocean in northeastern Japan. (Sankei Shimbun / MSN Japan)

AOL News, 3/27/11: Stunning Video Shows Japan Tsunami Ravage Kesennuma (New video shot right from the port of Kesennuma as the tsunami hit.)

France 24 - Japan: Kesennuma, a town in ruins, 4/1/11 - 16 minute video (in English) taken by a French news crew in Kesennuma - from a few hours after the quake to a few days after

The latest information from Kesennuma is coming from Tim Jones - a JFMF Master Teacher Program participant who went there in June to bring money and see what he could do to help. You can see what he found here.

Here are links to the most recent articles about Kesennuma:

AP, 6/17/2011: Ships tossed ashore by Japan tsunami get rescued

MSNBC.com, 6/13/2011: Back in the swing: Tsunami kids' jazz band again making joyful noise

Washington Post, 6/11/11: Japan: After the quake and three months after the quake

MSNBC, 6/2/11: World Blog - Looking for signs of rebirth on Japan's battered coast (ongoing blog that will focus on Kesennuma and Minamisanriku).

DailyIndia, 5/28/11: Japan detects high radiation in seabed near Fukushima nuke plant (up north to Kesennuma)

Hawaii Reporter, 5/27/11: Project HOPE medical volunteers embark on humanitarian mission to Japan's northeastern region

Daily Youmiuri Online, 5/27/11: Miyagi areas devising restoration plans

CBS News, 5/17/11: Japan may be world's biggest ship graveyard

Asahi.com, 5/3/11: Dire labor situation adding to woes of tsunami survivors

Kuwait Times, 5/1/11: Japan tsunami-hit children receive Kuwait's relief aid

Daily Yomiuri Online, 4/30/2011: Quake-hit railway lines in reconstruction limbo

NPR.org, 4/30/2011: One Big Obstacle To Japan's Recovery? Trash

Bloomberg Businessweek, 4/28/2011: A Grim Future for Japan's Fisheries

AP, 4/23/2011: Careful search for mementos slows Japan rebuilding

AP, 4/21/2011: Students return to school in Japan's disaster zone.

Kyodo News, 4/18/2011: Market reopens in Kesennuma

CNN.com video from Oshima Island, 4/2/11: Riding the tsunami. Video on the only boat to survive the tsunami - captain rode it out to sea.

Seattle Pi, 4/11/11: Debris, challenges pile up in Japan 1 month later (many recent pictures of Kesennuma are here

Reuters.com, 4/9/11: Japan's beloved cherry blossoms help dispel some disaster gloom.

The Mainichi Daily News, 4/6/11: Residents on disaster-hit Oshima thank U.S. military for relief work

Daily Yomiuri Online, 4/6/11: Kesennuma retailers strive to rebuild No. 1 dream

MSNBC.com/NYT, 3/31/2011: Crises, economy test Japan's young

The Washington Times, 3/30/2011: Japan's survivors scavenge for hope

The Washington Times, 3/29/2011: While Japan frets over nuclear fears, garbage piles up in cities

Marines.mil, 3/27/2011: Isolated Island receives food, water, power with 31st MEU PHIBRON11 visit (article about Oshima Island - the island that sits near Kesennuma's harbor)

Today News/Today.com, 3/26/2011: To rebuild or not? Japan's tsunami coast wonders

The Economist, 3/25/2011: Disaster in Japan: Come back in ten years' time

The Mainichi Daily News, 3/25/2011: Students at tsunami-hit school receive graduation certificates stained with mud, saltwater

International Business Times, 3/24/2011: Amidst unspeakable horror, volunteerism flourishes in Japan

NPR, All Things Considered, 3/23/11: On Japan's Coast, Fishing Families Weigh Rebuilding

The Bellingham Herald, 3/23/2011: In Japan, fishermen fear spread of radiation scare

The China Post, 3/23/2011: Baby steps for small business after Japan tsunami

Ninemsn, 3/23/2011: Japan tsunami survivors tough it out at home

Times Leader/AP, 3/23/2011: US Nave supports tsunami-stricken Japan regions

NY Times, 3/23/2011: Diplomas and Uncertainty for Japanese Pupils

KABC LA, 3/22/2011: LA man talks about how wife survived Japan's tsunami

NPR, March 22, 2011: In Kesennuma: Destruction So Complete, It's Hard To Tell You're In Japan

March 17th BBC Video Report from Kesennuma: Japan earthquake: Clearing Kesennuma an 'enormous task'

Video from 3/17/11 in Kesennuma on NTD Television (National Japanese Television)

Slate: The Best-Laid Plans...A Japanese city's Twitter feed shows how difficult it is to prepare for a natural disaster.

USA Today: Daily life tasks can be daunting for survivors

USA Today: Japanese army moves into ghost towns

New York Times: Overwhelmed by Toll, Coastal Town Shifts Focus to Survivors

New York Times: In Remote Towns, Survivors Tell of a Wave’s Power

Bellingham Herald: A 43-hour ordeal awaiting rescue in the tsunami zone

New York Times: As Searchers Inch Along, the Task Ahead Is Huge

Wall Street Journal: Tsunami-Ravaged Areas Run Low on Water, Fuel Food

This is a gallery that Google put together of before and after pictures. Many are of Kesennuma:

Google Gallery

2011-03-16T08:44:00.000-04:00

This is the latest from Kesennuma. Yuki Oikawa, the Assistant Chief and Supervisor of the Kesennuma City School District is alive. (He is pictured in this photo.)

He reported to a friend in Sendai through a cell phone message that states:

It says (rough translation):

This is Oikawa from Kesennuma. I'm alive, but living quite the survivor lifestyle.
Right now, I am going back and forth between schools and the board of education to help coordinate relief efforts for the survivors here.
Kesennuma and its surrounding areas are devastated by the tsunami and fires of unimaginable proportions.
We are cut off from basic utilities/communications, and shelters lack supplies.
Please coordinate efforts in your area [i.e. Sendai] to help channel food and fuel to the affected areas.
We'll be trying our best (Ganbarimasu)
Oikawa

If you would like to help Kesennuma, there is a group on the ground right now focusing their efforts on Kesennuma. You can donate online to: http://peacewindsamerica.org/

2011-03-14T21:07:00.000-04:00

Kesennuma before and after:

2011-03-14T21:01:00.003-04:00

What Kesennuma looked like during the tsunami and what it looks like now:

2011-03-11T05:11:00.004-05:00

I thought my postings to this blog finished when I tagged on the crazy October 2006 "Surprise" snowstorm here in Buffalo.

A 8.9 earthquake has hit Japan - directly impacting Sendai (where we visited a teacher college) and Kesennuma (our lovely host city). I can't stop thinking and worrying about all the school children, teachers, and wonderful people we met while we were there.

Please, please, please pray for them all - and especially the people and places you see in this blog.

2006-06-30T06:27:00.001-04:00

If you're new to this blog, you need to click on June 2006 to start reading it. If you don't, you'll only get half of the blog for June. This is where the vast majority of the information on Japan can be found. Scroll down to the very bottom and work your way up. Be SURE to click on all the links. Many of them connect to pages of pictures I took and descriptions I wrote during the trip.

2006-06-30T06:03:00.000-04:00

I'm back home. Thursday lasted 30 hours for me (that was just the time I was up and conscious - I actually experienced Thursday, June 29 for 37 hours). Bill Murray (whose work in "Lost in Translation" became very real for me, again popped into my head because of his role in "Groundhog Day").

All the hotel staff, including the chefs, came out to see us leave. I was also able to get some pictures of Tokyo Bay and Tokyo Tower on the way to the airport.

On the flight back, I saw Mount Rainier from 35,000 up. I took I pretty cool picture of it. Due to favorable winds, the flight from Tokyo to Chicago only lasted a half-hour longer than the flight from San Francisco to Tokyo. Still, 11 hours on a plane - sitting in one spot for the majority of the time - is just a tad claustrophobic.

My husband and girls met me at the airport with flowers and tears. We all stood there in a huddle crying together. It was a very long time to be away and, as amazing as the trip was, I would not go back and do it again because of the toll my absence had on my family.

I've been asked to apply for the JFMF Master Teacher Program, but I won't be applying. It would mean being away from my family for six weeks over a summer break. There's no way I'm ever leaving my family for that long again (at least not until the girls are in high school or college). However, the Master Teacher Program is a great opportunity for our school and is something we can apply for now that I've gone through the JFMF Teacher Program.

2006-06-28T22:03:00.000-04:00

Thursday, June 29, 2006. I got up early to go to breakfast and then a group of us headed out to ride the Tokyo Monorail. It was my idea, so I was the "tour guide." We went into the subway during rush hour and got to finally experience what we had all read about. There were men who worked for the subway wearing white gloves. There were pairs of them and they each stood on the side of the car doors. They allowed everyone to get off the train car, then we loaded into the car. Just when we thought that no one else could possibly fit, the men in white gloves pushed a bunch more people into the train car. We couldn't move and the four of us started laughing and couldn't stop because we had never experienced the like.

After, we got to the monorail without incident and took a nice ride along the Sumida River and Tokyo Bay. We stayed on until the end, continued to stay on the car, and went back the other way. The whole excursion - to the hotel and back - took two hours.

I came back and packed up for my flight. I head out to the airport at 12:55 p.m. Tokyo time. My flight takes off at 4:55 p.m. Tokyo time and I am scheduled to arrive in Chicago at 2:24 p.m. CDT. So, I leave Tokyo on Thursday, June 29 and arrive in Chicago on Thursday, June 29 - two and one half hours before I left Tokyo. It will truly be the longest day of my life.

So, for now I will sign off. This will most likely be the last post from Japan. In the coming days and weeks I plan to put in links to many of the pictures I took during this trip.

I hope this blog has been informative and fun to follow. Thank you for coming along on my virtual field trip.

2006-06-28T21:26:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, June 28, 2006. Our group presentations were today. Each of the 10 groups had to get up in front of the other 180 teachers and present what they learned and experienced during the trip - especially their trip to the respective host cities.

We met to rehearse at 7 a.m. and then had breakfast. The presentations started at 9:00 a.m. We broke for lunch, and then finished up the presentations, as well as information on getting home on Thursday, around 2:30 p.m.

We spelled out "Kesennuma City Group." Each person had a letter and talked about the things they learned and experienced that started with that letter. I had "t." I did a whole alliteration thing and talked about temples, tuna, the time difference, etc. Our presentation was very well received.

After, I headed out alone to the Hard Rock Cafe in Roppongi (another area of Tokyo) on a mission to get my sister, Laura, a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt. I get her a Hard Rock t-shirt every place I visit - it's a thing we do.

I arrived in Roppongi without incident and found the Hard Rock Cafe with no difficulties. As soon as I walked in, "Super Freak" by Rick James started playing. Buffalo reminders are everywhere! (For those of you who don't know, he grew up in Buffalo and is buried here).

With my mission accomplished, I headed back to the hotel to get ready for our Sayonara Dinner. On the way, students were getting out of school. I saw girls that appeared to be as young as five-years, walking in twos and getting on the Tokyo subways by themselves. It was pretty amazing and something you would never see in the States.

We all had a nice time at the dinner - though it was sad because we knew there was a good chance that we'll never see each other again. Yuki, the man who arranged our visits to the schools and host families in Kesennuma, took the train to Tokyo to come to the farewell dinner. The food was fantastic. They had lots of meat - I think they know Americans well enough that they understood many would be craving meat - not raw fish. We also were fortunate to watch an Aikido demonstration at the dinner.

After the dinner, some of our host city group went out for ice cream. Monica, one of the more adventurous of our group ordered ice cream that had rice and beans in it. I, not feeling so adventurous, ordered chocolate ice cream and enjoyed it immensely. I don't think Monica felt the same about her decision.

2006-06-28T04:58:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, June 27, 2006. We left the Ryokan around 9:30 a.m. and headed to Ichinoseki Station to catch the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. The train was the Yamabiko50. It took about two hours to get back to Tokyo. Once we got back, a few of us quickly checked in to our rooms (we all got the exact ones we had before we left for Kesennuma) and then headed out. I went straight for the Meiji Shrine. While there, I bought a safe travel charm for my trip back to Buffalo. You can find out more about the Meiji Shrine by clicking here. After, we did some shopping at the Oriental Bazaar and I had a hamburger for dinner (I just couldn’t eat more fish).

I headed out alone to Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Concert Hall in Ueno Park to see JoAnn Falletta conduct the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. For those of you who don’t know, Maestro Falletta is the conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s an amazing coincidence (synchronicity?) that she is here at the same time I am here. Anyway, I made it to the concert after getting a little lost in Ueno Park (the park is very reminiscent of Central Park in New York City) and watched her conduct a Rossini piece, and Respighi piece, and Stravinsky’s Pulcinella.

After, I was invited to a reception held in her honor. There were several women from Buffalo who traveled to Japan with the Ms. Falletta. I also had a nice talk with them and Ms. Falletta’s husband.

I headed back to the hotel after and got some much needed rest. By the way, I felt perfectly safe walking around and taking the subway in Tokyo at night.

2006-06-28T04:41:00.000-04:00

Monday, June 26, 2006. About half of us woke up early for an optional tour of the fish market in Kesennuma. We found out we picked a good day to go because a ship that had been out fishing for 40 days had just come into port. So, there was much more than the usual local catch. The local catch is octopus, sea urchin, eel, and other small fish. The smaller sea creatures were being kept alive in bins of seawater (and I had strong urge to throw them back in the ocean to free them from their date with death). The big catch had hundreds of sharks, hammerhead sharks, swordfish, tuna, etc. They were dead and it was very sad walking around and seeing them lying there dead. It was sobering walking through the blood.

2006-06-28T04:32:00.000-04:00

After the fish market, we had breakfast and left our hotel to go to our local industry tour. The local industry was a Sake factory. We saw how sake is made (it's rice wine) and then sampled the product. From there we went to lunch. After lunch, we left Kesennuma and headed to Hiraizumi.
The Golden Hall is located there and it was designated Japan's First National Treasure. We were really lucky because the iris garden was still in bloom. Make sure to check out the website about it by clicking on the name. It was amazing!!! From there, we headed to the Ryokan.

2006-06-28T04:00:00.000-04:00

We arrived at the Ryokan around 6:00 p.m. and dinner was set for 7:00 p.m. There was a beautiful view of a stream from our room. We all changed into our yakatas and proceeded to a room reserved just for us. We each had our own tray of food. It was a large meal that included cooked fish, chicken, steak, and lots of sashimi. The sake flowed freely, though being the responsible teachers that we are, no one allowed themselves to get out of control. The group joined in some Karaoke singing. Everyone had a great time, and after we proceeded to the Japanese onsen. An onsen is a public bath. The source of our onsen was natural hot springs. The men and women seperated. The women got completely undressed wetted ourselves down, soaped up, rinsed ourselves again, and then got into the VERY HOT hot springs (we and all the Japanese women had no clothes on). It was ok, but it was so hot that it kind of hurt, so I didn't stay in long. Then the Japanese ladies that were there were pointing at me because my skin was all red from the heat of the water. After, we went back to our rooms and slept four to a room. It was traditional Japanese style - on the floor with a mat on tatami mats. My pillow was filled with rice. It was pretty lumpy.

2006-06-25T09:15:00.000-04:00

Saturday, June 24, 2006: This morning we were able to relax for a little bit before we left to stay with our host families. We packed and checked out of the hotel and were then picked up by our families for the weekend.

I am staying with the Saito family this weekend. The father, Hozumi, is a doctor. The mother, Thukako, works at his office. They have three daughters. Nagisa is 19 and a student in college (she is not home this weekend), Kana is 16, and Yoshi is 14.

Thukako and Yoshi picked me up and brought me to see Yoshi’s junior high school. Her school is only nine years old and it is in much better shape than the junior high school I visited earlier in the week. It seemed to have state of the art facilities; including a broadcasting booth.

After, we went back to their house and I showed them a slideshow I put together about Buffalo, my school, and my family. Then, it was time to pick up my 16 year-old host sister, Kana, from Kesennuma High School. We came back to their house for a little while and then headed out to a local national park. The name of the park is the Rikuchu Kaigan National Park. We started out at the tsunami museum. Tsunamis have devastated the Pacific coast of Japan many times. The exhibit was created well before the disaster that hit Asia recently. It consisted of a moving floor, wind, and sound to try and simulate a tsunami. After that, we went out to the Dairiseki Kaigan (Marble Coast) and saw Oreishi. This area was formed some 230 million years ago during the Paleozoic Era. It’s also known as the “saw-tooth coast.”

Oreishi is a 16-meter high, three-meter wide marble pillar jutting out from the other rocks. Oreishi means, “broken stone pillar.” It received that name because a portion of its tip broke off when a tsunami hit the area in 1896.

We then went to the supermarket and I saw things that I’ve never seen before. I’ll include a picture or two. One of them was a “Daikon” radish – the big white things that look like huge white carrots.

Before dinner we watched Yoshi’s favorite movie, “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.”

That night, Thukako made a delicious meal for us. We had what I would call “Japanese Burritos.” We put sashimi (raw fish) and vegetables on dried seaweed that was pressed into rectangles. We then rolled up the seaweed and dipped it into soy sauce before eating it like one would a burrito.

Hozumi got home from a conference in Osaka about 9:15 p.m. We exchanged gifts at that point. His specialty is Kampo
– traditional Chinese/Japanese medicine. He combines it with the latest in technology – lasers, etc.

Later, I took a bath. This was not an option. Every member of the family bathes every night. You go into the bathroom, fully soap up and rinse off and then soak in the tub. The tub water is pretty hot and every member of the family uses the same water.

2006-06-25T08:52:00.000-04:00

Sunday, June 25, 2006. The next morning we had breakfast. There was toast, sashimi, salad, and soup (tofu and seaweed). They also had Camembert Cheese. I knew they didn't normally eat this when my host sister almost threw up after trying it. I thought, "now you know what it's like." It's very interesting how one's culture influences what people like to eat or not eat. Once we were done, we had a video iChat conference with my family back home. I was lucky that the Saitos had high speed internet access because most schools and homes do not have it. It's ironic for a society known around the world for technological innovation. Anyway, the reason for the iChat was to celebrate my daughter, Allie's, 7th birthday. It was still June 24 at home and my wonderful husband set the cake up in front of the laptop at home. The Saitos and I in Japan and our family and friends in Buffalo sang "Happy Birthday" to Allie. It was ALMOST as good as being there. We also included Mrs. Saito when we sang since June 25 (which it was in Japan) is her birthday. The Saitos were pretty amazed by the whole thing. After, we headed to Oshima Island. Oshima Island is an island that sits in Kesennuma’s Bay.

We first went to the “squeaky beach” – Kugunarihama. This was very cool. We took some sand back with us. After that we went to the top of Oshima Island – Mt. Kameyama. It was a little cloudy, but there was still a beautiful view of the surrounding area. There was a Shinto Shrine on the top of the mountain, and I received another good fortune! Yea for me!!!

We used a chairlift to get down from the mountain. It was a little nerve wracking as there was no safety bar.

The Saito’s took me to lunch – tempura, soup with seaweed and tofu, and sashimi.

We then left the island and went back to their house. I grabbed my stuff and it was time to head back to the hotel.

I had a great time at their house and I really thank them for making me a part of their family for the weekend.

2006-06-24T07:59:00.000-04:00

Friday, June 23, 2006: We went to Kesennuma Senior High School today. As I said before, high school is not mandatory, but 98% of Japanese children attend. Of those, 40% go to two year schools afterwards, 40% go on to four year universities, and 20% go on to work.

Two years ago, an all girls’ school merged with an all boys’ school. The girls came to the boys’ building. The girls had worn uniforms at their former school, the boys had not. So, the compromise was that the boys already at the school could continue to wear street clothes while the girls continued to wear uniforms. The 3rd year male students (seniors to us) were the only ones that are now left in the school without uniforms.

Students are supposed to wear an official school uniform to school and continue to wear it throughout the day. They are also not supposed to use cell phones in class. The paradox is that, if they do text during class or wear a t-shirt over their uniform, the teacher does not say anything.

There were 40+ students in every class. There were no behavior problems in any of the classes I observed. However, as I said there were students using their cell phones (not talking on them – just texting or playing games) and some were sleeping. Again, it seems that the culture does not include correcting the behavior of students that do not follow the rules.

As in junior high, all students are required to participate in an after school activity. These activities range from Judo to soccer to music to home economics. They stay after school anywhere from one to three hours. Some students live over one hour away by train – so they don’t get back home until 7:00 p.m. or after. They also have to participate in their club activities on Saturdays as well.

I was able to observe Japanese archery and Judo. In fact, my 16 year-old host sister came up to me at Judo class and introduced herself. She was so cute, she said, “you must be Elissa Banas.”

Teachers are required to advise an after school activity and they get paid very little extra for their time. Just as in the other two schools, all teachers are at school from 10-13 hours a day.

2006-06-24T07:47:00.000-04:00

Thursday, June 22, 2006: Today we visited Shishiori Elementary School. Elementary schools in Japan do not have Pre-K or Kindergarten. They start with Grade 1 (age 6) and end in Grade 6 (age 11). This school was a public school, but they did not wear uniforms. I’m not sure why – I believe schools get to make this choice for themselves. Students get to school by 7:45 a.m. They walk on their own to school. The first through third graders do not participate in after school activities. Their release times are staggered, so the 1st graders get out at 1:30 p.m., the 2nd graders at 2:00 p.m., the 3rd graders at 2:30 p.m. School ends at 3:00 p.m. for the upper grades, but the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders MUST participate in after school activities. Therefore, they are at school until 5:00 p.m. or later everyday.

We arrived to an assembly in our honor. The children sang several songs for us. It took place in the gymnasium/auditorium. It is a beautiful building, built before WWII. However, it doesn't serve their purposes anymore and they are planning to knock it down when they have the funds to replace it.

We were able to walk around and observe classes. Each class had about 30 students in it. There were no discipline problems that I observed. We were then each assigned a class to sit with for an activity and lunch. I sat with the 1-2 class (first graders, second class). We made origami starts for the upcoming Star Festival. It was a lot of fun. Once we were done, the first graders all put on white hats and smocks. A bunch of them put on masks as well. About five or six of them went with the teacher to get food for the class. All of the students eat the school lunch. Today, it was soup and octopus balls. I helped the teacher and a few students serve the lunch to the other students. It was very good. The students were surprised that I could use chopsticks.

Many students also wanted our autographs again. A couple gave me back little sheets of paper with their signatures. It was very cute.

2006-06-24T07:39:00.000-04:00

The students were very well behaved. After we were done, the students all had little cups filled with water and their toothbrushes. They brushed their teeth right at their desks (they did it to a tooth brushing song). Then, they cleaned up their room, brought back the bowls and plates, and put their room back together again. At the end of the day, the students cleaned their room, just as the junior high students did. We visited a home economics class that was an after school activity. The 4th through 6th graders were making crepes. We helped a little and were able to eat the fruits of the students’ labor. They were very good.

It really was amazing that they were given so much responsibility. Americans seem to “coddle” our children more. Little kids can do a lot more than we give them credit for in the States.

At the end of the day, we had an informative meeting with the faculty.

2006-06-23T18:30:00.000-04:00

A great big "Yeah!" for my AP U.S. History students! Just a short off topic post. I received the grades for my AP US History students. All of the regular education students passed the exam. One received a 70%, three received between an 87% and 93% and seven had a 96% or above! Thanks for making me proud guys! Have a great summer and I'll see a few of you in IB History of the Americas in the Fall. Not all are pictured in the photo.

2006-06-23T08:41:00.000-04:00

Today (Wednesday, June 21) we went on our first school observation - it was to the Kesennuma City Shishiori Junior High School.

The Junior High Schools in Japan are grades 7 to 9. When Junior High School ends, students do not have to go on to high school - the end of ninth grade is the end of compulsory education in Japan. However, over 95% of students go on to Senior High School.

The students all bring their lunches to school. A box lunch was brought for us and it was beautiful (see photo)!

The students were well behaved and we enjoyed our observations. Their days are VERY long. They arrive at school by 8:00 a.m. and do not go home until 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. All students must clean their school every day before the after school clubs begin. All students MUST participate in an after school club. Examples of clubs are soccer, judo, cooking, and music.

One of the most humorous things I saw was in English class. There were four pictures showing how Americans speak English. I've posted it here - you will get a kick out of it.

The other teachers and I felt like celebrities while we were at the school. Students kept running up to us, saying hello, asking for autographs and business cards. They were VERY cute!!!

It was a very long day for us - observing the classes - I can only imagine what it is like everyday for the students and the teachers. Teachers stay at school 12 hours a day regularly. They MUST run an after school club and they get very little for it.

2006-06-23T08:35:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, June 20, 2006 continued....

After we went to a local Japanese Garden and we participated in a tea ceremony. Finally, we went to Iwaisaki. Iwaisaki is on the coast and is what is called a "blow hole." The surf hits the rocks in such a way that it makes a "blowing" sound and shoots water up in the air (very much like a whale's blow hole).

We returned to the hotel after our tour and got ready for a reception that the City of Kesennuma was holding in our honor. The Mayor, Superintendent, principals of the three schools we will be visiting, and our host families were all there. I spoke on behalf of our group.

I had the first few sentences translated in advance and I delivered them phonetically in Japanese. I then switched to English for the rest of the speech. I pointed out at the end of my speech that it was a special honor for me to visit the country that was so changed by a fellow Buffaloian. If you don't remember, U.S. President Millard Fillmore (originally from Buffalo) sent Commodore Perry to Japan. Perry arrived in Japan in 1853 with the "black ships." Fillmore's actions resulted in the end of the feudal system and the beginning of modernization in Japan (the Meiji Restoration).

My speech seemed to be understood and well received. More importantly, I was happy with how it went.

2006-06-23T07:39:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, June 20, 2006. We left this morning to meet with the Mayor of Kesennuma City and the Superintendent of the Kesennuma City Board of Education. We were given gifts by the city in the form of a local, traditional kite.

It was a very formal meeting and ceremony. The local television and newspapers were there covering the meeting. (We ended up in the newspaper and on the local news that night and the next day.)

After, we went to the top of a nearby mountain and looked down at the City of Kesennuma. We then went to the Shark Museum (only museum in the country dedicated to sharks) and the ice museum. The ice museum consisted of sea creatures frozen in ice. Everyone else wore the heavy coats the museum provided because it was -20 degrees celsius in it. I didn't wear a coat and was very comfortable for the few minutes I was in there. Buffaloians are hardy souls!

2006-06-21T09:35:00.000-04:00

June 19, 2006 - We left our hotel in Sendai Monday morning for the Miyagi University of Education. We met with some of the faculty of the University. It's a small university where people go to become teachers.

There were some interesting things I found out. First, in the public schools teachers do not stay in a school more than seven years. They then move to another school in the area. There are two main reasons for this. First, it helps to stop teacher complacency. Second, it helps to equalize the instruction in the prefecture. If teachers move around, then there is not a concentration of too many good or too many bad teachers in any one school.

Another interesting thing is that all principals are in their 50s and they must mandatorily retire at age 60. During that ten (or shorter) year time period, a principal will move two to four times. They were shocked when I told them that Principal Kresse is no where near 50 years of age!

After our meeting, we headed to Matsushima - advertised as one of the three best sights in Japan. We went to Zuiganji, one of the most important Zen temples of the region. We also saw the beautiful coastline. The trees reminded me of the Redwoods in California. I found out they are related to them genetically!

If you'd like to know more about Matsushima, click here.

We headed to Kesennuma after that and arrived in the early evening.

2006-06-20T09:15:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning (June 18) I got up early, finished packing, and then our group headed out to Tokyo Station to catch the Shinkansen to Sendai. Most of the staff of the Akasaka Prince came out to wave at us and say goodbye.

Once we arrived in Sendai, a bunch of us went out to explore the town. We went to Sendai Castle, which Date Masamune, the Shogun of the region, started building in 1600. I guess the castle was destroyed by air raid bombing during World War II, but the wall remains.

At the top of the hill there's a large statute of Date Masamune and well as great views of Sendai. We saw an incredibly huge statute across the valley. It turns out is an approximately 300 foot high Kanon statue. You can see my picture of it. If you want to see other pictures of it, look here.

When then headed out to another of Japan's National Treasures. More about that later.

2006-06-20T08:33:00.000-04:00

OK, so now I'm up to Saturday, June 17, 2006. The sun rose as I awoke and I got a beautiful picture of it. A bunch of us met in the lobby at 5:00 a.m. so that we would have plenty of time to get to the train station and get on the 6:00 a.m. train to Kyoto. It was a very pleasant train ride and great company. The bullet train was VERY cool!

Once we arrived in Kyoto, I split off from the group and met Kozue Nagasaka. Kozue lived in Buffalo for six months and left the day before I found out I received this award. So, we never met while she was in Buffalo. Kozue was nice enough to take time out from her life to show me around. She even developed the following itinerary:

Welcome, Elissa!
Kyoto Cycling Tour
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Itinerary(tentative)

8:16 Meet Kozue at Kyoto station on the platform
Take a city bus to Kinkakuji (220 JPY)
9:00 Rent bikes (1,000 - 1,300JPY for one day)
Kinkaku-ji Temple (500 JPY)
10:00 Ryoan-ji Temple (500 JPY)
11:00 Leave northwest area and head for eastern area
11:30 Lunch at Homac de Paradis in Doshisha University
12:45 Ginkaku-ji Temple (500 JPY)
13:30 Walk down “Philosopher’s Walk”
13:45 Nanzen-ji Temple (have tea ceremony!?) (500 JPY)
15:00 pass through Big Shrine Gate of Heian Jingu Shrine
Kyoto Handicraft Center
16:00 Sanju-sangen-do (600 JPY)
17:00 Kiyomizu-dera Temple (300 JPY)
18:00 Leave Kiyomizu area
18:30 Return bikes near Nishiki market
19:00 Dinner at Mamecha (enjoy Kyoto style dinning)
20:30 Kodai-ji Temple (if possible) (600 JPY)
21:00 take a cab
21:30 Kyoto station
21:32 Leave for Tokyo by Train

We rode our bike's down the Philsopher's Path. It started pouring on the way from Nanzen-ji Temple to the Heian Jingu Shrine and the Kyoto Handicraft Center. I was soaked to the bone. Luckily, I have very fast drying clothes on for the trip.

While at Kodai-ji temple, I rang a bell in a shrine dedicated to the safety of children (and wished that for my own).

I'm going to post just a few of the great sites I saw in Kyoto right now - to give you a taste of its beauty.

At the end of the evening, we had a great meal at a typical Kyoto restaurant. I ended the day sore, but content and took the last train back to Tokyo.

Just one other thing. I wanted to make a comment on just how important it is to prepare. You can see from the top picture how prepared I was for the trip. I bought a laptop back pack for the trip. I knew it was the rainy season, so I was lucky to find one with a rain cover. I also brought a light weight umbrella. Finally, I improvised and used a bag to cover my camera waist bag. I got wet (riding the bike) but my important belongings were safe and dry! I also knew it might rain, so I wore fast drying clothes.

Remember kids, preparation makes for a smooth trip! :-)

2006-06-20T04:21:00.000-04:00

Before I left for the trip, I contacted Mr. Oka. Mr. Oka is a tour guide in Tokyo and was highly recommended by several of the books and magazines I read. I knew that we had limited time in Tokyo, and I wanted to see areas that I would not otherwise see. So, I arranged for a tour. I let other JFMFers know about it and took the first 14 that signed up (in fact, I had to say no to several people).

Mr. Oka took us to the grounds of Tokyo University, the most prestigious university in Japan. We then went to the Yanaka area of Tokyo.

The Yanaka area is a historical part of Tokyo, developed as a temple town in the Edo period (1603-1867). Prominent temples like the Tenouji and the Kaneiji were founded and still exist in the area. In the past people living all over the Edo (the former name of Tokyo) used to visit Yanaka for worship and for sightseeing.

The neighbourhoods of Yanaka still retain the charm and warmth of the past with many historical, in traditional style, buildings, some of which are very small. There are a number of very beautiful small temples.

It survived the fire bombings of Tokyo during World War II.

Toward the end of the tour, Mr. Oka took us to Ginza for a look around. We ended the evening in a beer hall that was built in the 1920s. It was very Art Deco on the inside. I had Japanese beer, sausage, and sauerkraut.

It was a great tour and I and other teachers really enjoyed it.

2006-06-19T10:49:00.000-04:00

Tokyo was heavily fire bombed during World War II. One half to two thirds of the city was destroyed and approximately 100,000 people died. There are areas that survived, including parts of the Asakusa District and all of the Yanaka area of Tokyo. Here is a picture of the damage done by B-29 bombers in Spring and Summer 1945.

2006-06-19T10:46:00.000-04:00

This seminar was one of four participants could choose to attend. It took place in Tokyo at the Akasaka Prince Hotel where we stayed.

Ishitani Migiwa is the daughter of a man who survived Nagasaki. He used to speak at the JFMF seminars, but he passed away about four years ago of cancer - probably due to his exposure to the radiation. She began by apologizing to us for any pain the actions of the Japanese caused us during World War II. She asked that we convey her apology to any one we know who suffered as well. This brought me, and most of the other teachers in the room (who were just able to hold it together for Mr. Ikeda’s presentation) to tears.

Her descriptions of what it was like after the blast were very similar to that of the other two panelists.

What she talked about was the profound change the Japanese went through after the war ended. They felt betrayed by their leadership. They were taught to believe that the Emperor was a god and that war was good. After the war, they learned that these things were not true. Additionally, they had weapons and then those weapons were taken away (Japan was only allowed a defensive military after the war).

The panel was asked a few questions after their presentations. One thing that was mentioned is that Patriotism is on the rise in Japan - to the point that it seems to be becoming Nationalism. Textbooks are showing this trend as well. There is a concern about this among many teachers. In fact, recently a few teachers that did not sing the national anthem were severely punished.

2006-06-19T10:38:00.000-04:00

Mr. Ikeda is 89 years old. He saw the plane that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. There was an amazing flash of light and then total darkness. He described it as hell on earth. Everything was pitch black to begin with and then it slowly got lighter. He was holding his 20 day old son at the time - his wife had gone out to get ice for their icebox. He left the house to find his wife and walked through the destruction. There were many fires burning and many people dead. His wife found her way back to the house. Half of her face was burned away. Her clothing was in tatters and there were many areas of raw flesh exposed. Her breasts were exposed and her nipples were blistered. Even so, she immediately took their son from him and started to nurse him. Their house was essentially destroyed, but Mr. Ikeda found some clothes for his wife to wear and they left the house, looking for a way to escape. He, and others he knew, saw many “walking dead.” These people had been completely charred by the blast. One of these people had what looked like black water pouring from his body - it was blood. Another such man was walking around with his entrails hanging out. This man then turned around and walked back into a fire to kill himself. Hearing his descriptions was a very difficult thing to sit through and not cry.

Mr. Ikeda, his wife, and his 20-day old son survived. His wife died of natural causes some years ago. His son married, has children, and lives in the Tokyo area.

2006-06-19T09:34:00.000-04:00

Peace seminar

Mrs. Yanagi spoke first. She is a teacher in Hiroshima. Her father was just one mile away from the epicenter in Hiroshima. However, he was behind a high wall and survived. After the blast, he walked 12 miles to his parents’ house, through what was left of the downtown area. One major problem was that no one understood that this was an atomic bomb, so people who survived the blast went into the city looking for loved ones and they died very soon thereafter (and are included in the statistics for those who died from the blast). It was only several days after the blast that people realized it was an atomic bomb. A doctor at local hospital realized it after all of his x-rays came back white.

For a long time, he didn’t talk about what he had been through. People thought that radiation sickness was contagious. People eventually realized this wasn’t the case, but survivors and their children were still discriminated against because of the fear of genetic mutation. Her father died of old age – not cancer or any other disease related to radiation. Mrs. Yanagi developed thyroid cancer and had her thyroid removed over the winter. She said it is fairly common for survivors’ children to develop that kind of cancer. The Japanese government paid for most of her medical bills because she is the child of a survivor.

When Mrs. Yanagi visited Singapore and Korea, she was surprised to find out that the atomic bombing of Japan was looked upon favorably because it marked the end of the Japanese occupation of their countries.

Survivors of any exposure to atomic/nuclear radiation are called Hibakusha in Japanese. This would include those who survived Chernobyl in the Soviet Union in 1986.

2006-06-19T09:26:00.000-04:00

We arrived in Kesennuma this evening and I immediately tried out their LAN connection. It works like a charm! I'm very happy that I'll be able to give an update on the things I have learned so far.

So, here's some information on the seminars I have attended.

The Government of Japan:

The Japanese governmental system is based on ideas from the United States and German systems of government. There are two houses that comprise the National Diet: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Representatives' terms are four years in length, but can end earlier than that if the House is dissolved (like the British and German parliamentary systems). The Councillors' terms are for six years and dissolution is not possible. Both Houses have a mix of proportional representation and either single-seat constituency (Representatives) or plural-seat prefectural constituency (Councillors).

The Prime Minister is picked from the Members of the Diet that hold majority control. This type of system, where the executive branch of government is dependent on the legislative branch to exist is called a parliamentary cabinet system.

Japan has a multi-party system, however one party – the LDP - has mainly held power. Mr. Tsushima, one of the panel members, is a very powerful man within this party. His position is equivalent to being in charge of the House Ways and Means Committee in the United States (and I saw him on a political poster in Kyoto). Mrs. Hironaka, the other panel member, was a representative of the opposition party, DPJ.

Both speakers talked about the worries they have regarding the pension system since the Japanese people live longer than any others, and the birthrate (the average number of times a woman gives birth during her lifetime) in Japan is only 1.25 (2005) and has been steadily declining faster than predicted. So, the pension problem is even bigger than in the United States, where the birth rate is (in comparison) a robust 2.13.

Japan’s unemployment rate is only 5.4% - which seems comparable to the U.S. However, Japan has a tradition of “lifetime employment” and the unemployment rate used to be 1-2%.

The Economy of Japan:

Economy Facts

• 128 million people live in Japan, with 31 million of them live in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.
• There are only eight million foreigners registered – with most of them from other Asian countries.
• There are 49, 000 registered U.S. Citizens in Japan. It is a VERY homogenous society.
• In 2002, Japan had the second highest GDP in the world (but it’s still a little less than half that of the United States).
• Almost 77% of Japanese work in the service industry. Manufacturing makes up a little over 20% and agriculture is only 1.5% of the economy.
• The average national income in Japan is $24,700 vs. $33,200 in the United States. The Japanese Government invests in the United States (specifically 22% of their investments are there).
• There were 870,000 cell phones in use in 1990; in 2002 there were 81 million!
• Farming, specifically rice production has been going on in Japan since 4000 BC.

2006-06-18T08:10:00.000-04:00

Hello! I am sitting in the lobby of the Hotel Sendai Plaza in Sendai, Japan. I left Tokyo along with the rest of my group (there are 19 of us) on the Shinkansen (bullet train) in the early afternoon. I spent the two hour train ride typing up information on the seminars I have been going to in Tokyo. However, you will not be able to read it for a little while longer. This hotel advertised free internet access, but all it is is a jack for a dial up connection. I tried to use it and it will not work. Ahhh, the wonders of technology.

I hope to download lots of pictures and info. tomorrow at this time. The hotel in Kesennuma advertises a fast internet connection in every room. We will see if that happens (I REALLY hope it does).

I have lots to share about my time in Kyoto as well. I saw A LOT, thanks to Kozue Nagasaka. She lived in Buffalo for six months and became friends with our friend, John Alberti. She met me at the train station when the train arrived at 8:16 a.m. We rented bikes and went to over 10 shrines and temples.We most have biked well over ten miles.

I will tell you more tomorrow (I hope).

2006-06-15T19:56:00.000-04:00

Cliff Wadsworth was nice enough to send a picture of us from my last day of school. So, I thought I'd add it to the blog! Thanks, Cliff!

Just a quick editorial note. I will be adding more information on what I have learned during the seminars on Sunday. I'll be using my time on the Bullet train from Tokyo to Sendai to transcribe notes I've taken.

Thank you for all of the posts - especially from my students. You're also welcome to shoot me an email at: elissa@banasclan.com - don't use my school address, I'm having problems accessing it.

It started raining last night before the baseball game (good thing I had the foresight to go to the Tokyo DOME). It's now pouring. I'm really hoping it clears up before this afternoon so I have good weather to walk around Tokyo.

This is the first day it's really rained hard. I guess we were fortunate to have dry weather during the rainy season. It's been cloudy and muggy since I arrived and the temperature has been in the high 70s to low 80s during the day. It does not cool down much at night. You can check out the weather in Tokyo by going here.

2006-06-15T09:49:00.000-04:00

It was a very busy day today and I'm ready to go to bed. It's the end of my day and the beginning of yours. I've used my husband's .mac account to publish all of the pictures I took today and to write about today as well. So, click here to see what I've been up to here in Tokyo!

BTW, I've now met 12 people who are either from the Buffalo area or have good friends that live in Western New York. You can take the girl out of the city, but you can't stop it from following her around. :-)

2006-06-14T16:14:00.000-04:00

It's 5:11 a.m. here in Tokyo. I'm wide awake. It's very much a "Lost in Translation" thing with jetlag. Everyone I've talked to has had trouble sleeping. They do not observe daylight savings time here in Japan, so dawn occurs around 3:45 a.m. and it's full daylight by 4:14 a.m. In fact, the picture you are seeing was taken at 4:40 a.m. It's the first time I've seen the sun in days.

BTW, I've been meaning to thank Mrs. Mel Holden, the fantastic librarian at CHS who spent the time to help me with the finer points of blogging - thanks Mel! I also wanted to thank my husband for loaning me his .mac space for pics, as well as Mrs. Fundalinski and Mr. Nourse for tech. back-up.

2006-06-14T09:36:00.000-04:00

I just finished putting together a page of pictures from yesterday and today in my (actually my husband's) .mac account. So,
here's the link.

The talk on education was very interesting because Japan is facing the same problems the U.S. is right now. Violence against parents and teachers is increasing, students are skipping school, and there is a break down of the family unit. Many parents have just "given up" on their kids. It's not to the degree that it is in the States, but it is a significant problem.

They are also trying to reform the educational system so a stress is placed on independent thinkers, instead of students who "parrot" back answers.

Finally, the theatre performances were very interesting. One thing I did not know is that I now know more than a typical Japanese person does about traditional Japanese theatre. It may be traditional, but it is not studied in school at all! In fact, most Japanese do not go to theatre for traditional Japanese performances.

2006-06-13T04:09:00.000-04:00

Here are pictures from my hotel room. The grassy area you can see is the grounds of the Imperial Palace. The older looking building is the Diet (Japanese Congress) Building. You'll also see a picture looking down at the hotel's pool. I'm going to settle in now, so I hope everyone has a lovely day!

2006-06-13T04:05:00.000-04:00

Konnichiwa! I am now sitting on the 34th floor of the Akasaka Prince Hotel in Tokyo. I have a couple of minutes before I meet some Fulbrighters for dinner.

First impressions - so far, Japanese is no problem, as all of the signs are also in English. Also, the people are very polite and helpful. For instance, at the baggage carousel, there were workers taking the baggage and straightening it on the carousel. If a bag went around more than three times, then someone grabbed it and put it in a waiting area.

Here's a picture of me at the airport in San Francisco waiting to take off. The 747 Jumbo Jet we took is in the background. BTW, it's 5:05 p.m. Tokyo time. You guys are all sleeping because it's 4:05 a.m. for you!

2006-06-12T09:11:00.000-04:00

It's a litle after 6 a.m. in San Francisco. I just have a second to post a picture of the view outside my room before I get ready to head off to the airport. I'll be crossing the international dateline, so it will be 2:15 p.m. Tokyo time (and 1:15 a.m. EDT) when I arrive.

I'm glad I went to San Francisco with my family for vacation last year (see the picture at the beginning of the blog). I'd be bummed to be so close to S.F. and not be able to go see it when I'm so close. The hotel is on the S.F. Bay near the airport. We can't see S.F. from here.

2006-06-11T21:36:00.000-04:00

Sorry, no pictures right now. I was up at 3 a.m. for a 6 a.m. flight to Chicago. It was very tough leaving my girls asleep in their beds and my husband at the airport. I arrived in Chicago at 7:30 a.m. EDT and was on a plane for San Francisco at 9 a.m. EDT. We arrived in San Francisco at 10:30 a.m. PST (1:30 p.m. EST). There were about 50 other teachers waiting and we all got on board a bus to the hotel.

I had a little time to relax and then it was off to orientation. I'm now on a little break before our dinner reception. I'm actually ready to fall over since my body says it's after 9:35 p.m. at night.

Just a few more hours and I can go to sleep!

All of the teachers here are extremely professional and motivated. This is going to be a very rewarding trip - professionally and personally.

2006-06-10T10:44:00.000-04:00

Well, I leave everything and everybody I love in less than 24 hours to embark on a great adventure. I'm happy and sad at the same time. I'm happy and excited for being given this opportunity, but very sad because I will really miss everybody, especially my husband, daughters, parents, and sister over these 18 days.

I'm almost done packing and am currently making sure I can put pictures on .mac and then link them to this blog. So, check out what I've done so far by clicking here.

2006-06-04T14:04:00.000-04:00

Friday was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The best of times came when I went down to Thursday in the Square to see Smash Mouth perform. I worked my way up to the front row and had a fantastic time. I even got the bass player's pick! The night got even better when I was driving home and heard the Sabres score at the end of the second period to go ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1.

The worst of times came when the Sabres lost their lead and the game. Thus ended a fantastic, unprecedented season. This Sabres team won the most games in franchise history and went further than anyone thought they could. The consolation is that I think the owner will do whatever it takes to keep the team together. Also, the fact that we are going back to our true colors - the blue and gold is a good omen that will bring us the Stanley Cup soon!

2006-05-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

From Tokyo, I'll be traveling about 250 miles northeast to Kesennuma. It is in the Miyagi prefecture. Here is a picture of the hotel and surrounding area.

2006-05-15T13:59:00.000-04:00

I've found out where I'll be staying in Tokyo as well as what city I've been assigned to along with 19 other educators. The hotel I'll be staying at in Tokyo is the Akasaka Prince.

2006-04-12T22:27:00.000-04:00

Leaving the practice of law to become a teacher is a decision that continues to reaffirm itself. One affirmation is being picked as a participant in the JFMF Teacher Program.

I originated this blog in mid November 2005 with the hopes of being picked as a Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar. On March 22 I received a letter stating that I had been accepted into the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program and was going to Japan in June 2006!

Since then, I've been steadily getting ready for the trip - planning ahead for my absence at school, buying needed items, and listening to Japanese lessons on my iPod Nano. I am honored and humbled by this opportunity and cannot wait to share the experience with my students and others who will follow me virtually on this blog as I travel in Japan.

2006-01-11T19:06:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd use my first post to give some background on the things I have done which help me teach social studies, make for interesting stories, and help me to be a better educator. So here are some "did you knows" about me.

Did you know I ....

- was president of the Model U.N. in college and was also in percussion ensemble?
- believe one of the most valuable courses I took in high school was keyboarding?
- got my first computer when I was in 9th grade (an Apple IIE)?
- have been with my husband since he was 15 and I was 16?
- didn't fly on an airplane until I was 16 years old (when I went to the Bahamas with my family)?
- didn't make it to Europe until I was 22?
- have arranged three trips to Europe for students?
- have been to the following European countries: England, Scotland, Wales, France, Belgium, Spain, Holland, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Poland?
- have taken tours of World War I and World War II battlefields in France and Belgium?
- have been to Auschwitz?
- am a founding member of the New Millennium Group?
- have been given advice on how to give birth by a U.S. Senator?
- was Secretary of the Case Western Reserve University School of Law Student Bar Association?
- practiced law for three years?
- have voted every year since I turned 18?
- have been to three space shuttle launches. One from six miles away and two from three miles away (the closest you can get without being on the shuttle)?
- went with the STS-90 crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia to Poland as a guest of state and spent time with the President and Prime Minister of Poland?
- flew on the Presidential Jet from Warsaw to Krakow while in Poland?
- visited a former law professor who was Deputy White House Counsel in the Clinton Administration and was given a tour of the White House - including the Oval Office and West Wing?
- ran for Erie County Legislature in 2001 (and lost)?
- teach a Business Law course to MBA students at St. Bonaventure University?
- have two amazing daughters and that they both go to Olmsted #64?
- have been a Kids Voting Coordinator at every school I've taught?
- have taught 7th grade - 11th grade social studies, AP U.S. History, Participation in Government, Economics, Law and Government, History of Space Exploration, Psychology, AP American Gov't & Politics, and AP Comparative Gov't & Politics?

This is my family and me this summer in San Francisco. We're on a cable car in the left picture. In the picture on the right, I'm holding Kate (age 3) and my husband, Bill, is carrying Allie (age 6) on his shoulders. You can just make out the Bay Bridge and San Francisco behind us.