AN AMAZING DAY!

Whatever day it is, it was amazing! I bit the bullet and paid 2100 yen to connect to the Internet just to keep my postees informed! I couldn’t connect with LPS, so Kirk may need to look into a stronger serverJ.

This morning I ate an original Japanese breakfast. Who ate seaweed for breakfast? I DID!

After breakfast, we heard from the President of the National Institution for Academics Degree, Mr. Tsutomu Kimura. I will be ordering the tape of his presentation to share with colleagues and groups. In a nutshell, Japanese are obsessed with education, however there are things that need to be addressed. I will share more later.

Following a Japanese buffet, we were entertained and informed about kyogen and kabuki. Both performances were exciting to watch. Especially after the kabuki, it made me realize the myth of the Japanese culture. At some point, I feel a generation will wrap itself around these traditions and will not want to loose them forever. I hope it’s not too late.

Following these performances, a small group of teachers headed somewhere and walked and walked and walked. I was awestruck at the people and signs. Getting stuck in the middle of 6 lanes of traffic was crazy, and at that point, I just looked around and realized, I was in Japan stuck in the middle of 6 lanes of traffic!

As you can tell, I did make it back to the hotel, and attended a reception for several prominent Japanese people and the Japan Memorial Fund Recipients. During this stand only reception, the speaker made it come alive by speaking about how much Japan owes the United States for the opportunity to have teachers come here and learn about their culture, even after World War II. She shared what used to be taught in the schools about these different cultures and how we can begin sharing a new history with each other. It was very moving.

Now, I have my feet being iced, so tomorrow, I can wake at 3:30 a.m. (what time is it?) to venture over to the fish market, which opens at 5:00 a.m., and be back in time to take a tour of Tokyo! Did I say Tokyo? WOW!