A big thank you to Mrs. Robin Taylor (mother of Claire ‘20, Ella ‘22, and Will ’23) for the

wonderful video she created for Japan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z00Ius2Qybk&feature=mr_meh&list=ULEkxORPvKSLM&index=6&playnext=0

にほんご タイムズ

Japan Times Saint Paul’s Schools

2010-11 (Issue 7) Brooklandville, MD

By: Harry Krieger ‘09 Harvard University, SPS Alumnus I hardly can remember when Japanese was not a part of my life! I started studying it in Pre-First at St. Paul’s and here I am a sophomore at Harvard and still studying it. People ask me all the time how I am able to pursue such an interesting, difficult language and I always have the same answer – because of my time at St. Paul’s, nothing prepared me more. Kimura Sensei always made Japanese fun in Lower School. The lower school curriculum really birthed my love for the language, making the basic growing pains of learning a language actually quite enjoyable. Middle School sealed my love of the language thanks to Mr. Matsuzaki who remained a mentor to me throughout the rest of my time at St. Paul’s. However, in Upper School I ran into a huge problem. Because I was also taking German, my schedule did not allow for any flexibility and I learned at the end of sophomore year that Japanese would not fit into my schedule. I was devastated to say the least. However, thanks to Julian Sensei, I was able to study Japanese over the summer and skip into the next level my junior year. But skipping a level posed a problem during my senior year since I had finished all of the Japanese classes. Julian Sensei as well as Mr. Matsuzaki came to the rescue yet again and designed an independent study for me. But, St. Paul’s was not all about the curriculum. Unfortunately, because of schedule conflicts, I was not able to participate in any exchange trips. My family was however, able to host an exchange student and we had Takahiro with us for half of my sophomore year. Having Takahiro as part of our family helped to immerse us in his culture and was another element of studying Japanese. In fact, he had such a profound impact on my high school experience, that my college essay ended up being about teaching Takahiro to eat Maryland crabs, a personal favorite of mine. I was a little nervous about studying Japanese at Harvard for fear that the curriculum would be very difficult and hard to maintain, especially with the additional course load in addition to lacrosse practices. But the truth is that I went into college well prepared for the rigorous curriculum thanks to the preparation by St. Paul’s. I don’t want to say that Japanese is easy, but I will say that I am happy with how I am doing in my classes. My teachers last semester were quite curious about my Japanese background, which I believe speaks very highly of St. Paul’s. It is my hope that I can visit Japan in the near future. I am hoping to maybe tie it in with lacrosse like some of my St. Paul’s friends have done in the past, or maybe even work over there for a period of time. I am not sure what the future holds, but I do know that thanks to St. Paul’s I have been studying Japanese since I was five years old, and it will always be a part of my life.

Japanese Will Always Be Part of Me

By: Kaoru Kimura LS Japanese, SPS LS Diversity Coordinator Konnichiwa! What surprised me the most this year was seeing the students take more initiatives to further their language skills. Whenever I walk around the Lower School, I saw the second grade students form their own study groups without my prompt, to further their knowledge. As you know, I give homework frequently, but I have seen students study with each other during lunch and during Morning Tabletop. I feel very happy to hear Japanese during these “non-class” times. During ESP, I often see students practice their skits on the monkey bars in the playground. They are not only practicing in class, but they are also taking that atmosphere outside of the classroom. Keep up the great work! The older grades are always eager to learn new words. Whenever I teach a new word, they always want to use it! Many students are able to form their own sentences and try to speak in Japanese using the words and sentence structures they learned in class. This is quite impressive! What is more impressive is that students are using the language outside of the classroom at their own will and not because of a requirement that I have set. As you know, on March 11th, a big earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan. Although this was right before spring break, I received many phone calls and emails from various people in the community. I felt very lucky working in such a caring school. After spring break, there were meetings to brainstorm various activities to support Japan. Mrs. Robin Taylor, Dr. Taylor’s wife, volunteered to create a video to send a message from our school to Japan. She spent over three weeks filming and editing the video to include individual messages, group messages, as well as an all-school cheer. We plan on sending the video to the ministries of education in three prefectures in Japan that were affected by the earthquake and tsunami. We hope that this video will show how much St. Paul’s supports Japan. I want to thank all of the people who helped with this video.

By: Evangelos Gourgoulianis ‘19 LS Student I came to St. Paul’s in Pre-first. I was excited to have an opportunity to learn Japanese at a very young age. Sensei is a terrific teacher. In Pre-first, we learned animal names and numbers. We played games such as “Sensei no Meirei,” which is when we close our eyes, Sensei says the Japanese word and we do the hand gesture for the word she says. We have continued this game and still play it in the 4th grade. In first and second grades, we sang songs to help us remember our skits. Sensei would record the skits and we would watch them. How could you forget this wonderful, exciting time? In third grade, we learned the alphabet. Sensei made this easy because we had flashcards to help us learn. When we finish homework early, Sensei rewards us with special Gohoobi or prizes. These prizes are very special because Sensei travels to Japan to find them. It is very easy to learn with Sensei. She makes the class fun and rewarding. The game “Around the World” is thrilling. Sensei will chose a student and hold up a flashcard and that student will stand up if they answer correctly. Sensei continues around the classroom with each student. We have played this game for five years and this is one of my favorites. Rice balls are also one of my favorites. Sensei makes the rice balls and we add the seasonings and seaweed. These rice balls are a real treat. Everyone looks forward to them. My mom makes them at home because Sensei gave us the recipe. Sensei is also a terrific photographer. I have beautiful pictures that Sensei has mailed to my family and my mom proudly displays them. I truly love Japanese class and look forward to many more exciting years of Japanese classes in the Middle and Upper Schools.

Impressive Students, Impressive School

Fantastic Experience

Konnichiwa! I continue to be impressed with the middle school students for their hard work. Recently, the 7th grade students took a 90-question oral test and the 8th graders took a 129-question oral test. They all did a fabulous job preparing for this assessment and improving their oral skills. The 5th graders completed the first two alphabets (hiragana and katakana) and are now writing all their sentences using the Japanese characters. They should be very proud of themselves. The sixth graders continue to learn challenging grammar and started the third alphabet, kanji. Even in a class of 20, the students participate daily and work hard on improving their speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills. I would like to encourage all my students to work hard. I am very excited about next year. In addition to the middle school classes, I will have the honor of teaching two Upper School classes as well—Japanese 1 and Independent Studies. This will be the first time in over ten years that Japanese 1 will be offered. I am thrilled that more students will be exposed to the Japanese culture and the language. I am also excited about teaching the Independent Studies class. I am confident that these students will continue to impress me and will continue to improve their Japanese. This is my twelfth year at St. Paul’s School and I am always impressed with this school. I truly appreciate all of the support the school is giving Japan in order to assist them during this challenging time. The school has been supporting Japan not only through monetary donations, but through individual emails that have been sent by everyone from Mr. Reid to individual students. Lastly, after 7 years of graduate work, I will be finishing my doctorate in education from Johns Hopkins. This is a huge relief and a great overall feeling. I would like to thank everyone for their support.

By: Ned Moreland ‘15 MS Student, SPS The St. Paul’s Japanese program is a place where a very seemingly complicated language turns into a simpler learning experience. Students can take Japanese in the lower, middle, and upper schools. At first the language can seem hard, but the teachers make the language come naturally. Every class starts off relatively the same. When I walk in there will be sentences on the board or the “warm up.” Then usually I jump straight into material where as a class we practice. But learning how to speak the language is only part of the experience. I have learned that the culture is just as important as the break down of the sentences and learning how to speak the language. One other aspect of Japan taught is the new “stuff” in Japan. This can range from the newest movie to the newest dramatic change in the country. The differences between the American Culture and Japanese Culture are distinct. Overall Japanese class teaches a lot that will help me, and give me better knowledge of everything that has to do with Japan. I am an 8th grader and have been taking Japanese since pre-first. During the time I have been taking Japanese the material has gotten progressively harder, but not overwhelming. When I started the teachers did a good job introducing me to the language and then building from that point. I learned a lot of vocabulary and basic sentence structure in the lower school. Then once I entered the Middle School the focus was on more complicated material. This material is easy to learn though because of the different learning mechanics used. The teachers make learning new material enjoyable with a wide range of interactional games. If we know the material the tests cover everything that the teacher has presented, and there are no surprises. I am also encouraged to participate in class, which can help me in the long run. Japanese is a very enjoyable class and the language is one that I will carry throughout my years at St. Paul's School.

By: William Matsuzaki MS Japanese, SPS LS/MS Modern Language Chair

Students’ Hard Work

Language and Culture

Girls enjoy folding Origami paper beyond the Japanese classes. You can make a simple one such as a paper cup to a very complicated one such as a chrysanthemum flower out of Origami paper. Please feel free to come to my classroom and learn Origami during the morning break, lunch break and after school. Have you ever seen a paper crane made out of origami? It is the most popular Origami and everyone will have the opportunity to learn this. We make Paper Cranes out of Origami paper as big as a 6 x 6 inch square. Last year we cut Origami paper into a quarter of the size and tried to make smaller Paper Cranes. Next we tried with a quarter of a quarter size (about 1 & ½ inch square) and made even smaller Paper Cranes. They were the perfect sizes to make into earrings. So we started making paper crane earrings. The girls came up with the idea of selling earrings. We decided to sell a pair of earrings for $10 and raise money for people in Haiti who suffered from the earthquake. We raised $630. Then, one parent doubled our money and another parent tripled the money. Eventually we raised $1890 and donated it to the people in Haiti. Channel 2 TV came and broadcasted our story on the news show. The girls were so excited to be on TV for the first time in their lives. I am very proud of my students.

By: Jillian Randolph ‘15 MS Student, SPSG Konnichiwa! My Japanese journey started when I first came to St. Paul’s Lower School, in the 4th grade. Now I was certain that I would be put in Spanish because my brother took Spanish as well. I was so confident that I would be put in Spanish that I studied it over the summer to make sure that I was somewhat caught up. Then the letter arrived, saying that I would be put in Japanese. When I saw this I was shocked to say the least. Everyone in my family had taken Spanish and I just knew I would be too, but I was wrong. Since I was new to the language Kimura Sensei asked the new students to meet with her before school to get caught up with the rest of the class. Apparently these morning classes worked because I was soon actually enjoying the language and getting good grades in it. Although it was hard for me at first, I soon came to love the language and culture even though all of it was still a mystery to me. Now I am naturally a curious person so if something is a mystery to me, I want to solve it. With this in mind, I made my decision to take Japanese when I entered the girl’s school. I could have easily opted to take Spanish, but I didn’t. I was always told to “finish what you started” and that is exactly what I was planning to do. In the 5th grade at SPSG we had three choices as to what language we would be taking. One option was to take French for half the year and Spanish the other half, option 2 was to take language lab, and option 3 was to take Japanese. I obviously chose the 3rd option and have never once doubted that decision. 5th grade was a very experimental year, especially in terms of Japanese because we had just gotten a new teacher, Tojo Sensei. She made quite a first impression on us which made most of the class want to keep taking the language. Now I have been taking Japanese for 5 years now and teaching my family has not become any easier. My brother knows about 3 to 5 Japanese words. Not including Sony, Nintendo or any other gaming system. My parents, well…at least they try. I sometimes find myself saying “hai” whenever I am trying to say “yes. ” I guess that shows how much the language has had an impact on me. I can honestly tell you that I have not fully “solved” the “mystery” of Japanese yet. That’s why I want to continue learning the language in the upper school. As I said before, I can’t just not stop something I haven’t finished, I have to keep doing it until I am fully satisfied with the answer I have gotten. That is my Japanese journey and it is still just beginning.

By: Noriko Tojo MS Japanese Teacher, SPSG

Japanese Class Supports Victims of Earthquake

Japanese Had a Great Impact

By: Aki Julian US Japanese, SPS Konichiwa! The Upper School Japanese classroom moved to the third floor. We offer levels II up to VII in the Upper School Japanese program and 52 students, 38 boys and 14 girls, are currently enrolled. Ms. Tojo teaches the level II at the Girls’ School and I teach the other levels. I am proud to announce that we are going to offer the very first level I class next school year! With this new offering, we will be able to provide an opportunity for those who have never studied the language before. In March, we were deeply saddened by the news of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami disaster. Although we were relieved to know that all the former exchange students and their families, the community of our sister school, Gakushuin Senior High School in Tokyo, and friends and families of our Japanese teachers were all safe, we, as a school, wanted to do something to help Japan. Upper School kicked off our relief effort during Earth Day celebration by giving out a red bracelet, with the phrase “Hope for Japan” to students and seeking some donation. The Environmental Awareness Club designed and sold Earth Day T-shirts and donated their profit to the Japan relief cause. The Japan club sold rice balls during lunch period one Friday and all the proceeds were donated to the relief fund as well. Through all these efforts, we were able to raise about $1,500 for the cause so far. We plan on donating all the money to the Red Cross in Japan at the end of the school year. I feel extremely blessed to have such supportive and wonderful colleagues and students who put forth such an effort to make a difference in the lives of the Japanese people during this tough time.

By: Gabrielle Dowell, ‘11 US Student, SPSG As a senior I was saddened to find out that I would be the one and only female senior in my Japanese V class this year. I had worked closely with the other senior girls for the past six years and didn't want senior year to be any different. I was hesitant about keeping Japanese on my class list, but after a talk with Julian Sensei I was convinced that Japanese class was the place for me.

Julian Sensei is more than a fabulous teacher and she has taught all of us not only about Japan and the Japanese language, but also about learning from each other’s strengths, getting along, and teamwork within the classroom. To my surprise I have grown to enjoy my class with the underclass boys and girls and look forward to seeing them all. It is nice to see a solid group of students get along and all be able to relate to each other by speaking a foreign language. Julian Sensei only expects the best from us, but is extremely supportive along the way. She has helped us all grow more independent over the years. She encourages us to collaborate with each other about our challenges and strengths so we are able to learn from our mistakes. Julian Sensei’s Japanese V class is always laughing and enjoying the time we all have together.

Julian Sensei is an extraordinary teacher, and her efforts have shaped many students into leaders and risk takers. Japanese is not an easy language to learn and can often lead to frustration, but the support each student feels is strong. From learning new vocabulary and kanji to talking about Japanese culture, Julian Sensei puts a creative spin on everything, making our class time very interesting. She has gone above and beyond in using her technological resources and encourages us to do the same, like typing out papers in Japanese instead of hand writing them.

Overall, I am overjoyed that I decided to stick with Japanese, not only because of my wonderful class, but also because of my wonderful teacher. She is a role model for us all and all of us look up to her with the upmost respect.

Supportive Community

A Great Teacher!

By: Doug and Betsy York, Parents of Ryan ‘17 and Haley ‘15 In September of 2007 our family undertook a new and exciting challenge: we hosted a visiting Japanese exchange student! This was a first for our family and we were slightly nervous when we met Soki Aisaka at a St Paul’s sponsored party hosted by the Gaines family. Soki was slightly shy about meeting our family but quickly opened up to our two children. Haley and Ryan. He loved our dogs and cats too. Soki missed his family in the early days but enjoyed having his own room for studying and private time and was well equipped technologically with his own laptop and cell phone. This link to home was important for him as he is very close to his brother and parents. The time difference of about 12 hours sometimes caused us to discover that he might stay up late to make a morning call home to his family but we all thought it was part of our learning curve. Dining with the York family was always fun for Soki and he fell in love with Graul’s Caesar dressing. We always kept it in stock and made sure he was eating healthy food during his stay. Going out to dinner was also a treat as he discovered the cultural differences found in American places like restaurants, theatres, golf courses and stadiums. We tried to wear him out but his energy level never diminished. Celebrating his 16th birthday in our home was an honor. He played his saxophone in the school jazz band and I went to hear him play a few times. He was a good member of the band. We made sure that he experienced typically American moments such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. He even had a front row spot on our family Christmas card. He was very generous with his Christmas gifts to our family and left us many wonderful family photos, neatly framed. What started for us as an experiment in learning new cultures ending up being much more about opening our world and living life with a new presence in our home. It helped us all grow for the better and we would recommend the exchange program for any family looking to reach out to others in refreshing ways. More than one tear was shed when we finally delivered Soki to his next family for his 2nd semester at St Paul’s.

By: Tsubasa Hiroi, exchange student Exchange Student from Gakushuin, SPS It was the morning of March 11th. I checked my email as I always do and I saw an email from my parents. The title was 地震, which means an earthquake in Japanese. I had no idea what is going on in Japan. I opened that email. It said there was a huge earthquake in Sendai which is in the northern part of Japan, and it devastated the city. Also it said even in Tokyo, traffic was bad and they could not go back home from their offices. In my mind the biggest earthquake was one in Kobe, which was in January 1995. However as time passed, I realized how terrible the earthquake was. For instance, there are videos of tsunamis on Youtube, and also there are many sad stories of people who were damaged by the earthquake. As soon as I knew how big that earthquake was, I talked to Jun and we planned to do something for Japan as exchange students. Thanks to your help, we’ve already raised a lot of money for Japan. I appreciate all of your help and I am wishing Japan will revive soon.

A Great Experience

Earthquake Relief Efforts

By: Alexander Nickol, ‘13 Exchange Student to Gakushuin, SPS It was an experience that I had looked forward to ever since I began taking Japanese at St. Paul’s. A chance to go to the land that had introduced the likes of ninjas, karaoke, and sushi to Western culture would be a dream come true for me. Last year, my dream became a reality sometime in December when I was informed that I would board a plane with four other students and Matsuzaki Sensei to journey to a country that I had only seen through the screens of televisions and computers. What followed was one of the greatest experiences that I have ever encountered in my life. Total immersion can be a scary thought. In a lifestyle completely foreign from our own here in the States, it is extremely easy to get caught up in the confusion that overwhelms your brain when you first arrive. At first, I couldn’t even comprehend the simplest phrases, as my mind was frozen in total culture shock. It seemed that my last ten years of Japanese study had suddenly vanished. However, once the initial distress was overcome, you began to feel at home in this country that was so far away from home. Both of my host families made me feel comfortable, and included me as if I were one of their own children. Everybody at Gakushuin made sure to look after us, and I can truly say I made some amazing friends while over there. During my three weeks, I found that my stay had enhanced all phases of my Japanese, and that I had come a millimeter closer to becoming a master of it. Being there was a stimulus to continue to persevere and try to continue working on such a challenging language. In addition, I found that I was pushed out of my comfort zone to really utilize common sense, such as knowing which train line is yours. Overall, I was able to change myself as an individual while over Japan, and know that I will return sometime in the future.

By: Allie Holle, ‘13 Student, SPSG Konichiwa! This is my second year of taking Japanese in the Upper School with Julian Sensei and it remains one of my favorite classes. Class is now held on the third floor, which has proven to be a welcome change of scenery (once I accepted the additional exertion necessary to reach my destination after climbing the hill). A less tangible change is found in the course level: Japanese IV is more challenging, but it is very rewarding to see my overall progress with the language, as concepts taught years ago are never truly forgotten and are instead constantly built upon. I believe that I would enjoy taking a Japanese class virtually anywhere because I have a great interest in the subject. It is Julian Sensei’s style of running class, however, that has led me to appreciate class even more. It is possibly my most structured class, and I do not think I will ever dislike the advanced notice for all assessments, neatly written purple packets with all the kanji (and its variations) we need to know for the chapter, or lesson plans for the day always written in chronological order on the whiteboard. I also am grateful that Julian Sensei provides various ways in which to learn the material; I personally benefit from reviewing the vocabulary in powerpoint form and writing the kanji on a whiteboard (with specific attention to stroke order), whereas I am sure auditory learners benefit from the listening exercises that we use to complete workbook assignments. Writing is definitely emphasized in class, as it is especially important to Japanese culture, but we do our fair share of speaking and reading as well. This semester has been filled with a plethora of memorable topics and activities. I particularly enjoyed the unit on Japanese folk tales; we were able to put on two performances of the story, “The Mouse Wedding,” equipped with costumes for the Sun, two Mice, the Cloud, the Wind, and the Wall. Another main topic in class was learning how to give and understand directions. We continue to build on past sentence structures to form new ones, learn new kanji to combine with previously mastered characters, and are gaining a better understanding of Japanese culture, both ancient and current. Japanese class continues to be joy to take; I am very glad that I continued with the language and I encourage everyone else to do so or to pick it up!

Japan Trip 2010

Love Japanese

By: Karen and David Anderson Parents of Michael Anderson ‘11, SPS Wow!! Senior year!! With fingers crossed our son will be standing on those steps with the rest of his classmates from the Class of 2011 dressed in a white tuxedo jacket with a yellow rose in his lapel. Where did the time go? Have you ever wondered why they call senior graduation "Commencement"? I don't know about you but I'm not looking to commence anything else until my son finishes this thing he started back in the fall of 2003 when he came to St. Paul's in the fifth grade and brought Karen and I with him to join the St. Paul's community. Before beginning the fifth grade Michael informed us that he wanted to study Japanese at St. Paul's - more of a continuation of his martial arts lessons than anything. Before starting school that fall he was asked to come into school and meet with his Japanese teacher William Matsuzaki. Little did we know then that our lives would change exponentially for the better. If your son or daughter has not come into contact with the Japanese Department at St. Paul's let me introduce you to Kaoru Kimura- sensei of the Lower School; William Matsuzaki- sensei of the Middle School and Modern Language Chair; and Aki Julian-sensei of the Upper School. In the classroom these three teachers have built a bridge from our Western world to the Far East- and no passport is required. And the students enjoy and appreciate this "virtual journey". Let me fast forward to March, 2008. As parents you know St. Paul's is all about offering opportunities to our children. Michael was selected to launch the Japanese Department's four month exchange program to St. Paul's sister school in Tokyo- Gakushuin School. In the ninth grade he would be leaving to study, live, and experience the culture, history, and people of a far-away land. He was to be a St. Paul's gentleman in Tokyo. The day he left was filled with apprehension, wonder, and quite a few tears. The day he returned was filled with beaming smiles, hugs, and an air of confidence and maturity knowing he had accomplished a life changing experience. Sometimes the most formidable of obstacles just needs to be tackled with that first tentative step. Michael's first introduction to Japanese life was through his host family Dr. and Mrs. Utsumi and their daughter and son. This wonderful family took Michael into their home and under their wing and welcomed him to life in Tokyo. Karen and I can't thank them enough for caring for our son and making his stay such a successful one. Michael met many students in school as well as business associates of the Utsumi's and other dignitaries at various functions and dinners. He also got to reacquaint himself with exchange students Takahiro Inomata and Shawhay Murata from Gakushuin who had attended St. Paul's the previous year. In fact our family had hosted Shawhay for his time in our country and had gotten to meet his mother as well. Michael met Soki Aisaka and Soichiro Moriya who were the next two exchange students slated to come to St. Paul's later that year. In June there was a "reunion" of sorts with four St. Paul's students who came to Tokyo as part of the three week exchange program. Michael's travels were not confined to the city. He traveled to see Japan's northern most island Hokkaido, Mt. Fuji, Kamukura, and Kyoto although his favorite spot was Roppongi Square and it's upscale, trendy shops. All the while developing his "second" language which was quickly becoming "second nature". It is now January, 2011 and college applications have been filed, college essays have been written, and SAT/ACT tests have been completed. Michael's Japanese experience has set the tone for his direction in college continuing the pursuit of the language. I look back on that day in 2003 when Matsuzaki-sensei opened the door and welcomed Michael to a new world- a new experience- one that has defined him in so many ways. We as parents are fortunate that St. Paul's has offered this great language program to give a glimpse of a country rich in history, tradition, and culture taught by such wonderful, caring teachers. I encourage your sons to take advantage of this resource. Who knows where it could lead.

A Rich Experience

Editor: Mr. William Matsuzaki All Photo Editing: Ms. Kaoru Kimura

By: Tom Reid Headmaster, SPS Last fall, Mr. Matsuzaki and I traveled to Japan for a series of meetings with faculty and staff of Gakushuin and an opportunity to spend time with boys who had participated in the exchange in the past. We had a very tight schedule and only a few days to spend there, so we packed in a lot of activity. The flight was uneventful. Mr. Matsuzaki slept a lot more than I, which made me envious. I spent a good deal of time reading, doing crossword puzzles and walking the aisles of the plane. Somehow, the time passed faster than one might think. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Gakushuin faculty members who accompanied us to the high-speed train for our trip into Tokyo. That evening, we had dinner at a traditional Japanese restaurant with Soichiro Moriya ’12 and his mother. In addition to miso soup, sushi (tuna was great, eel, not so great), we had shabu-shabu, a Japanese beef version of fondue; it was delicious. It was a great way to start the visit. Throughout the day on Wednesday, we had meetings with administrators, faculty, and parents. All were quite formal and lengthy. There were long pauses between questions and responses during the meetings, a much slower pace than American meetings. One of the highlights of the day was a meeting with Chancellor Hatano, who is in charge of all of Gakushuin’s schools from Kindergarten to college and graduate schools. He is the former Japanese ambassador to the United Nations. The conversation was interesting and wide-ranging. On Thursday, our meeting schedule eased and we were able to visit Asakusa and the Sensoji Temple, and Uneo Park and a Shinto shrine. Takahiro Inomata, who studied at St. Paul’s in 2006-07, was our guide for the morning. At one point when were in the side streets of Tokyo, where there are virtually no street signs, I asked Takahiro how one finds the way through these streets and neighborhoods. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Practice, I guess!” Well without him, I would still be practicing and lost in Tokyo. After more meetings in the afternoon, we joined Soichiro, Soki Aisaka (2007-08), Shintaro Hashimoto (2008-09), and Soichiro’s mother for some shopping. I wanted to get Mrs. Reid some special Japanese yarn and Mrs. Moriya offered to help. We badly confused the shopkeeper and ourselves trying to determine the amount needed and cost, but we succeeded in getting the right yarn. Mrs. Reid now has a beautiful shawl. That evening we went to Tokyo Tower with the boys and then had dinner at a traditional Japanese noodle shop- sort of a fast-food restaurant Japanese style. The noodles were tasty and the bowl was large, more than I could eat. The next morning we were up early and our Gakushuin hosts accompanied us on the train to the airport. We posed for pictures, said our farewells, and boarded the plane for our return. It was a great three day whirlwind tour, whetting my appetite for a longer visit in the future.

My First Trip to Japan