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| This is Osaka Castle. It was originally built in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It was completed in 1597, however Hideyoshi died the following year. |
Monday, December 2, 2019
Photo of the Week #10
Interview with a Japanese Student
Hi everyone!
Last week, I interviewed a Japanese student named Minori, who is 11 years old, about the same age as you all. I wanted to know a bit more about how school in Japan works, as well as ask about her interests to see what Japanese kids do for fun, and how it compares to what American kids do. Her dad, Eiji, also helped to clarify some parts that I didn't fully understand, as well as give some context for some of Minori's answers.
So, here's how the interview went! The actual interview went too long for me to write out in one post so I had to cut it down a bit, but if you have anything you want to ask about how it went, please let me know in the comments!
Quin: So, these questions will be regarding the theme of "School in Japan". To start off with, how many students go to your school?
Minori: One thousand fifty nine.
Eiji: From first grade to sixth grade, there's about one thousand...?
Minori: Yeah.
Eiji: About one thousand and fifty students, yeah.
Q: I see.
M: It's the biggest school in Kyoto.
E: Right, that's actually somewhat rare to have that many. However, the area that we live in has an unusually high amount of kids. For instance, if it was a school where you're living in Shimogyo-ku, it would probably be a lot less, like around 500 or 300 students, but where we live, there's a lot of students.
Q: I get it. I think 300-500 students is pretty normal in America, too.
Q: How many classes do you have in one day?
M: Six periods, or five periods.
E: How long is one period?
M: Forty-five minutes.
Q: Got it. Could you tell me what your schedule is like? Starting in the morning, how does your day go?
E: So a timetable, right?
Q: Yes, that's right.
E: Could you give an example of what an American elementary school schedule is like?
Q: Usually, in the morning, there's some kind of subject, like science or math.
E: Isn't there usually a homeroom class first? For about fifteen minutes or so?
Q: There's some schools that do that, and some that don't, I think. At my elementary school, we started a subject right as school began.
E: Ah, I see. In Japan, the subjects that students study are...let's see, Japanese...
M: (in English) Japanese!
Q: (laugh) That's right!
E: So, Japanese...
M: Math, Social Studies, Science, Kagayaki...
E: Right, Kagayaki is a little bit difficult to explain, isn't it. It's about working together, or providing a general experience for what life has to offer, through things like volunteering.
M: Also Music, Art...
E: Like making pictures, and things like that.
M: There's also Health class.
E: Right. You know about PE class, right?
Q: Yes, I do.
E: Health class is more about keeping the body healthy and how the body changes as kids grow older.
M: Also...
E: What do you have for class tomorrow? English?
M: Right, English! I have that twice a week.
E: But you do mostly like singing and dancing in English, right?
M: Right now we're researching a country, and giving an introduction to that country in English.
E: You can do that much? I thought you could only do about a personal introduction!
Q: That's really impressive!
M: We get some templates, like (in English) "You can see..." and that sort of thing, and then we fill in the blanks.
E: That seems pretty interesting. Also, you have Ethics, right?
M: Yes, and also club activities.
E: Then, if there's time for Kagayaki, people will present a project, or something along those lines.
Q: So, about how long does a school day last?
E: Like how so?
Q: Like, when does class start in the morning?
M: I usually get to school at 8:00 AM.
E: And why do you get there so early?
M: So I can play dodgeball.
E: And then, before class starts, you usually read a book, right?
M: Yeah, for about 15-20 minutes.
E: And it's not required, just whoever wants to read can read whatever they want, even a manga or something?
M: No, it has to be some sort of school-related book, and it's required. Manga is fine, if it's a manga the school has picked out for students to read that they can learn something from.
E: And then homeroom, right?
M: Uh huh.
E: So the teacher will outline the schedule for the day, go over any announcements or warnings for students if, for instance, there's a strange person hanging around outside the school, and then regular classes will start.
M: And then there's the Health Observation...
E: What's that? That wasn't around at all when Dad was a kid.
M: It's like, everyone is called by name, and if you're healthy, you say "Feeling good!" or something like that.
E: Ah, so for instance if you're sick, you'd say something like "I have the flu".
M: People with the flu don't come to school, though.
E: That's true, I suppose they wouldn't.
M: So if you have a cough or something, you cough or sniff when they call you.
E: Minori, how are you today?
M: Feeling good.
E: So the teacher takes attendance like that, and then the class starts. Classes are about...?
M: 45 minutes, and they start at 9:00. After the first period ends, there's only a five minute break, so only enough time for a cup of tea or to go to the bathroom. Then after the second period, the first break starts, and goes about 25 minutes. Then third period, five minute break, fourth period, and then it's time for lunch.
E: So people start lunch together, right?
M: Yeah, everyone eats together until the bell rings forty minutes after lunch starts, and then the break starts. We can do whatever we want for twenty minutes during the break.
E: Then what?
M: Then we do some cleaning until the fifth period starts, then five minute break, then sixth period, then there's another homeroom for fifteen minutes at the end of the day.
E: The teacher will say things like "Today we did this", "These kids were bad kids today", and "Please be careful" before sending you home, right?
M: Uh huh. And then we can play dodgeball, but I usually go home right after class ends.
Q: Isn't it usually that all classes are taught in the same room in Japanese schools?
M: It's the same room for most classes, but Music and Science are in different classrooms because they need other teachers to teach it.
E: And so then all the other classes are taught by the homeroom teacher, right?
M: Yeah. Except for PE, which is at the sports stadium.
Q: What's your favorite class, then?
M: Calligraphy!
E: So writing characters elegantly, and that sort of thing. It's about once a week, right?
M: Not that often, more like once a month.
E: In Japan, we prepare a special paper for writing characters and practice calligraphy about once a month...
M: Once or twice.
E: Right. There's not anything like that in America, is there?
Q: Well, when I was in elementary school, we practiced cursive, where we write like this (mimes writing in cursive).
E: Ah, I see.
Q: But I'm not sure if it's still taught in schools, since it's not used much anymore. About forty years or so ago, people would use cursive almost exclusively after graduating from high school and entering college, but nowadays most people just print their words in regular writing.
E: So, other than your favorite, what are some of the other favorite classes among students?
M: Social Studies and Japanese. A lot of people think Science and Math aren't that interesting.
E: How about in America?
Q: I think a lot of people's favorite class is PE.
E: Do you like PE?
M: Yep!
Q: Do you get homework every day?
M: I do.
Q: About how long does it take?
M: Usually about twenty minutes. But there's a lot of students that don't do their homework.
E: About how many percent of students come to school without their homework done?
M: Probably about 30%.
E: That high!? What a bunch of bad kids, huh...
At the end of the interview, I asked the two if there was anything they were curious about in regards to American schools. Minori didn't have any questions, but Eiji was curious about a couple things. These are his questions, so please post your answers in the comments!
What do American kids so after school? Do they all play together somewhere, or do they play video games at home?
What's a popular organized activity in America that parents have their children do? (i.e. sports, playing an instrument, painting, etc.)
Do American elementary school students do drama classes?
Are first-generation Americans able to assimilate to the culture well and succeed in school?
This is my final post for this blog. It's been a lot of fun for me to find topics that I thought would be interesting, and to see all the feedback and answer the questions that you all have had over the term. I hope that you guys also had fun reading my blog, and while I'm sad to end the blog here, I'm glad I was able to share this experience with you all!
For now, though,
ăăăȘă！(Goodbye!)
Last week, I interviewed a Japanese student named Minori, who is 11 years old, about the same age as you all. I wanted to know a bit more about how school in Japan works, as well as ask about her interests to see what Japanese kids do for fun, and how it compares to what American kids do. Her dad, Eiji, also helped to clarify some parts that I didn't fully understand, as well as give some context for some of Minori's answers.
So, here's how the interview went! The actual interview went too long for me to write out in one post so I had to cut it down a bit, but if you have anything you want to ask about how it went, please let me know in the comments!
 |
| A middle school in Japan. Many schools have three floors, with one floor for each grade. |
Quin: So, these questions will be regarding the theme of "School in Japan". To start off with, how many students go to your school?
Minori: One thousand fifty nine.
Eiji: From first grade to sixth grade, there's about one thousand...?
Minori: Yeah.
Eiji: About one thousand and fifty students, yeah.
Q: I see.
M: It's the biggest school in Kyoto.
E: Right, that's actually somewhat rare to have that many. However, the area that we live in has an unusually high amount of kids. For instance, if it was a school where you're living in Shimogyo-ku, it would probably be a lot less, like around 500 or 300 students, but where we live, there's a lot of students.
Q: I get it. I think 300-500 students is pretty normal in America, too.
 |
| Another example of a school, this time an elementary school. In Japan, elementary school lasts all the way until sixth grade, but high school only lasts for three years. |
M: Six periods, or five periods.
E: How long is one period?
M: Forty-five minutes.
Q: Got it. Could you tell me what your schedule is like? Starting in the morning, how does your day go?
E: So a timetable, right?
Q: Yes, that's right.
E: Could you give an example of what an American elementary school schedule is like?
Q: Usually, in the morning, there's some kind of subject, like science or math.
E: Isn't there usually a homeroom class first? For about fifteen minutes or so?
Q: There's some schools that do that, and some that don't, I think. At my elementary school, we started a subject right as school began.
E: Ah, I see. In Japan, the subjects that students study are...let's see, Japanese...
M: (in English) Japanese!
Q: (laugh) That's right!
E: So, Japanese...
M: Math, Social Studies, Science, Kagayaki...
E: Right, Kagayaki is a little bit difficult to explain, isn't it. It's about working together, or providing a general experience for what life has to offer, through things like volunteering.
M: Also Music, Art...
E: Like making pictures, and things like that.
M: There's also Health class.
E: Right. You know about PE class, right?
Q: Yes, I do.
E: Health class is more about keeping the body healthy and how the body changes as kids grow older.
M: Also...
E: What do you have for class tomorrow? English?
M: Right, English! I have that twice a week.
E: But you do mostly like singing and dancing in English, right?
M: Right now we're researching a country, and giving an introduction to that country in English.
E: You can do that much? I thought you could only do about a personal introduction!
Q: That's really impressive!
M: We get some templates, like (in English) "You can see..." and that sort of thing, and then we fill in the blanks.
E: That seems pretty interesting. Also, you have Ethics, right?
M: Yes, and also club activities.
E: Then, if there's time for Kagayaki, people will present a project, or something along those lines.
 |
| A Japanese class learning English phrases. See if you can learn how to say the Japanese counterpart! |
E: Like how so?
Q: Like, when does class start in the morning?
M: I usually get to school at 8:00 AM.
E: And why do you get there so early?
M: So I can play dodgeball.
E: And then, before class starts, you usually read a book, right?
M: Yeah, for about 15-20 minutes.
E: And it's not required, just whoever wants to read can read whatever they want, even a manga or something?
M: No, it has to be some sort of school-related book, and it's required. Manga is fine, if it's a manga the school has picked out for students to read that they can learn something from.
E: And then homeroom, right?
M: Uh huh.
E: So the teacher will outline the schedule for the day, go over any announcements or warnings for students if, for instance, there's a strange person hanging around outside the school, and then regular classes will start.
 |
| An example of an educational manga. This one is titled "Japanese History for Beginners" |
E: What's that? That wasn't around at all when Dad was a kid.
M: It's like, everyone is called by name, and if you're healthy, you say "Feeling good!" or something like that.
E: Ah, so for instance if you're sick, you'd say something like "I have the flu".
M: People with the flu don't come to school, though.
E: That's true, I suppose they wouldn't.
M: So if you have a cough or something, you cough or sniff when they call you.
E: Minori, how are you today?
M: Feeling good.
E: So the teacher takes attendance like that, and then the class starts. Classes are about...?
M: 45 minutes, and they start at 9:00. After the first period ends, there's only a five minute break, so only enough time for a cup of tea or to go to the bathroom. Then after the second period, the first break starts, and goes about 25 minutes. Then third period, five minute break, fourth period, and then it's time for lunch.
E: So people start lunch together, right?
M: Yeah, everyone eats together until the bell rings forty minutes after lunch starts, and then the break starts. We can do whatever we want for twenty minutes during the break.
E: Then what?
M: Then we do some cleaning until the fifth period starts, then five minute break, then sixth period, then there's another homeroom for fifteen minutes at the end of the day.
E: The teacher will say things like "Today we did this", "These kids were bad kids today", and "Please be careful" before sending you home, right?
M: Uh huh. And then we can play dodgeball, but I usually go home right after class ends.
 |
| A group of Japanese students playing dodgeball. However, games are not always this organized. |
M: It's the same room for most classes, but Music and Science are in different classrooms because they need other teachers to teach it.
E: And so then all the other classes are taught by the homeroom teacher, right?
M: Yeah. Except for PE, which is at the sports stadium.
Q: What's your favorite class, then?
M: Calligraphy!
E: So writing characters elegantly, and that sort of thing. It's about once a week, right?
M: Not that often, more like once a month.
E: In Japan, we prepare a special paper for writing characters and practice calligraphy about once a month...
M: Once or twice.
E: Right. There's not anything like that in America, is there?
Q: Well, when I was in elementary school, we practiced cursive, where we write like this (mimes writing in cursive).
E: Ah, I see.
Q: But I'm not sure if it's still taught in schools, since it's not used much anymore. About forty years or so ago, people would use cursive almost exclusively after graduating from high school and entering college, but nowadays most people just print their words in regular writing.
 |
| This example of Japanese calligraphy shows many of the different strokes that kanji are comprised of. This particular character, ei, can mean "eternity" or "lengthy". |
M: Social Studies and Japanese. A lot of people think Science and Math aren't that interesting.
E: How about in America?
Q: I think a lot of people's favorite class is PE.
E: Do you like PE?
M: Yep!
Q: Do you get homework every day?
M: I do.
Q: About how long does it take?
M: Usually about twenty minutes. But there's a lot of students that don't do their homework.
E: About how many percent of students come to school without their homework done?
M: Probably about 30%.
E: That high!? What a bunch of bad kids, huh...
At the end of the interview, I asked the two if there was anything they were curious about in regards to American schools. Minori didn't have any questions, but Eiji was curious about a couple things. These are his questions, so please post your answers in the comments!
What do American kids so after school? Do they all play together somewhere, or do they play video games at home?
What's a popular organized activity in America that parents have their children do? (i.e. sports, playing an instrument, painting, etc.)
Do American elementary school students do drama classes?
Are first-generation Americans able to assimilate to the culture well and succeed in school?
This is my final post for this blog. It's been a lot of fun for me to find topics that I thought would be interesting, and to see all the feedback and answer the questions that you all have had over the term. I hope that you guys also had fun reading my blog, and while I'm sad to end the blog here, I'm glad I was able to share this experience with you all!
For now, though,
ăăăȘă！(Goodbye!)
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