Itabashi-ku Part One

Today started on a quick note. Several us went to a Shinto shrine right after breakfast to see if we could get a page in our temple books. We had to be at the hotel ready to board the bus at 8:10 am. Yea right. At 8:05 am, we were crossing the street coming back as our group was walking to the bus and we hadn't even gotten our bags from our rooms yet. Luckily, being the fast Temple hoppers that we are, we ran, got our stuff and made the bus. The Japanese are VERY exact about time and are VERY intolerant about tardiness holding up the group. I won't be Temple hopping before a departure again.

Next, we were onto Tokyo Gakugei University. This is a teacher training university. We were greeted by faculty and learned lots of information about teacher preparation in Japan. For example, pre-teachers have to do two, three week sessions of student teaching under the guidance of a faculty member. They also have to work in a nursing home facilty or with the aged as part of their certification process. Due to Japan's rapidly aging society, the Diet made this element of teaching training mandatory. After the lecture, we go to visit with a student. My student was Hiroto Araki and he was 19 years old. Best of all, he is an art education major working towards certification for elementary and high school. He currently works part-time and takes 10 classes at the University. he was very interested in the social aspects of teaching in America and we got a better understanding of teacher prep in Japan!

After the Univeristy visit, it was off to lunch in Itabashi-ku. We are now truly our group of 20 and out on our own. We have a guide (Mokosan) and an intrepreter. I am updating mid-day today, because we have about an hour before we make a courtesy call on the mayor of Itabashi-ku after checking inot our new hotel for the next several days, the Itabashi Center Hotel. Check out the businessman's room. It is very tight. I have had walk-in closets at home that are about this size. Remember, everything is on a tighter and smaller scale in Japan. it makes me realize just how much space Americans take up in this world and how wasteful we are about our resources. We got here and we were trying to figure out the lights (you put your key in the socket to turn the room on), the air (which is on your headboard and turns off when you leave the room) and internet connections (sad, but true, it isn't free and you have to set up the modem yourself). But all in all, it is good. Next, we go to a reception in our honor at the local cultural hall where we will meet our home stay families and the principals of all the schools we will visit in the next three days. Check back later for the griping tales in Itabashi-ku Part Two.

Tim-