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July 17, 2000
A FIELD TRIP FAR AFIELD
There's nothing like a field trip to enhance a student's education -- if the trip is memorable, it can make an impact for the rest of the student's life. Seven young Japanese Americans recently had the opportunity to experience such a trip. They traveled with their Japanese class from the Denver Buddhist Temple on a 10-day field trip to Japan, visiting the cities of Toyohashi, Kyoto and Hiroshima.
They've returned with an appreciation of their roots, lifelong memories, lifelong friends in Japan and a desire to return.
| The Japanese were surprised and pleased to find that these Americans could play taiko pieces on the school drums. |
That itinerary included a side trip to Kyoto, the cultural soul of Japan and the home of more shrines and temples than Starbucks in Seattle (incidentally, there are Starbucks sprouting like weeds all over Japan these days too). The students also got to see such sites as the seaside Miyajima Shrine (which was unfortunately under renovation at the time) with its torii gate off shore, the imposing, samurai-era Himeji Castle and of course, the moving Peace Park in Hiroshima during their travels.
There were some problems with Delta Airlines getting the troupe out of Denver International Airport (they left a day late). Their 10 days in Japan began well, with a ceremony welcoming them to Toyohashi, a city near Nagoya in Central Japan. The Americans even got to meet the Mayor of Toyohashi, and were covered in the media as notable visitors. When they went to Nanyou Junior High School for a day, they were feted with more pomp and ceremony, and got to sit in on classes amongst the uniform-clad Japanese students. They also got to visit a Toyota automobile plant outside of Toyohashi.
Most of the kids I spoke to said their favorite part of the trip was the homestay in Toyohashi, where they got to meet and stay with Japanese families, many with children about their age, and experience how daily life is lived in the country.
They may not have gotten a "true" look at daily life because they were probably treated special (being dressed in traditional kimonos, being showered with gifts, being treated to fancy meals), but they got to stay in a regular Japanese home and see how they differ from ours (some even got to go to a public bath). They all got to go to the nearby beach, which is a luxury for anyone living in landlocked Colorado. Their language skills were rough even though they were somewhat prepared by attending their language class, but they shared similarities with their host families' kids (playing video games and appreciation for such common interests as baseball).
They also got to connect with the culture in some surprising -- for the Japanese -- ways. Nicole and Jared, who have performed with the Junior Denver Taiko group, got to share several songs with the students at the junior high school in Toyohashi. The Japanese were surprised and pleased to find that these Americans could play taiko pieces on the school drums, and they were impressed to recognize a couple of the pieces. Andrea got to share her talent for art and knowledge of manga and anime (comics and animation) by drawing characters from the popular Japanese series "Dragon Ball Z." She says her host family wasn't too shocked, because they know how popular Japanese pop culture has become in the United States. Cassandra was able to go horseback-rising, a special (and expensive) treat.
The students also had their share of shenanigans -- driving sensei crazy, getting momentarily lost, making a currency mistake at an ATM and unwittingly withdrawing more yen than they'd intended. Some of them lost weight because they didn't enjoy a lot of the food. They came back with funny stories to tell, and experiences they'll always share with each other.
The kids recently got together to reminisce, watch a video, swap photographs and tease each other about the funnier moments of their trip. Daniel and Michiko are about to move away, but these seven will share a bond through their memories for the rest of their lives.
I remember field trips from my youth to museums, plays, historic sites and other predictable places. I never had the chance to experience such a life-changing sojourn as a visit to a foreign country. These seven kids are fortunate to have enjoyed the opportunity, and they owe Hiroko Sensei -- and their parents -- a big "thank you." They may not realize for years what kind of effect the trip has had on them.
Perhaps they'll never get the chance to return to the country of their roots. Perhaps they won't stay in touch with their host family over the years. But deep down inside they know how they felt when they stepped out of the plane and looked around Japan for the first time. May they never lose that feeling!