Lesson 1 - "ichi"- Japan: The Highs and Lows

Here is a shout out to fifth grade teachers at Lewis Palmer Elementary school. Thanks for teaching all about landforms! You know the word archipelago don't you? If not, listen up… an archipelago is a chain or a cluster of islands.

Look to the map on the left. Do you think Japan is an archipelago? (Hint: YES!) Check out the different colors on the map. My, they are pretty, but those colors give us information about elevation. Living so close to the Mile High City of Denver, we know about elevation! The green areas are low elevation and the brown areas are high elevation. I see lots of brown - that means Japan has lots of mountains. Living at the base of the Rockies, we know about mountains! Japan’s mountains were formed by volcanoes. That explains the frequent earthquakes, relaxing hot springs and occasional tsunami.

Now check out Japan map under the Useful Links tab on the right. It will take you to Google maps. Play around with the tool bars. You can see the world in different formats as well as zoom in and out. Pretty cool, heh?

Check out this websitehere and this one too.here. Which U.S. state is about the same size as Japan?

Lesson 2 - "ni"- Taiko Drums

Taiko drums are traditional japanese drums. In the olden days - and I mean old, Japan has been around for thousands of years longer than the United States - the edge of a village was marked by the furthest point from which the village taiko could be heard. During times of war, taiko drums were used to motivate troops, help set a marching pace and even communicate orders.

In my host city, Takeo, there was a taiko drum troop at the town festival. This is what caught my attention first. The BIG drums. These are called nakado-daiko.


There were also smaller drums called shime-daiko.


As the men played they worked hard and were sweating. We were right up close. I could feel the sound in my chest! Can you?


For the last song the musicians wore a traditional japanese loin cloth called "fundoshi". Wearing fundoshi allowed the drummers to move around very easily as they preformed. The largest taiko drum was being played from both sides!


The next day at Takeo Middle School I got a taiko drum lesson. They teach many traditional instruments at this middle school. First I tried the shime-daiko.



Then I played the big nakado-daiko.


Click here to learn how to make a modern day taiko drum. Maybe I'll make a taiko drum to use at my house. I'd use it to communicate like they did in ancient Japan. I'd let the kids know it's dinner time ...or tell my husband know I forgot to pick up milk at the grocery store...or....

Lesson 3 - "san" - Some Things are the Same

We are going on a field trip! Join me at Mifunegaoka Elementary School in Takeo, Japan. Many things about our schools are the same!


When a visitor enters the school they need to sign the guest book and wear a name badge. (Notice the silver hairband? Kids loose things there too...)


They have maps on the walls but most of them have Japan placed in the middle. Which continent is this?


The younger kids do projects on School Helpers. Would you like to learn more about the Lunch Ladies?


I found lots of student art on the walls.



I was there on the day they had eye exams.


Please notice the cubbies. Nothing on the floor! Wouldn't that make walking in the halls easier? Hint, hint.


In class, kids use “thinking maps” to keep their ideas organized.


Oooops. I found some messy desks.


I went into the library and I found two of my favorite books! Do you have these at home?



Here is the class pet.


I found first graders with their P.E. teacher doing stretches before a game.


Do you know what struck me as the biggest similarity between our school and Mifunegaoka Elementary School in Japan?
Happy, friendly and welcoming children.

Lesson 4 - "shi" - The Koto

The koto is Japan's national instrument. At one point in Japanese history the koto was played only by blind men. In honor of this fact, listen to the video clip below with your eyes closed.


The koto has a distinctive sound that many people associate with Asian music. However, did you know David Bowie, the band Queen and jazz legend John Coltrane have used the koto in their music recordings?

Click on the video clip again. This time notice that the koto lies flat on the floor and is played with two hands. The right hand plucks the strings with the first three fingers of the right hand. The left hand presses down on the strings to "bend" the notes. Look at the sheet music!


When I visited a middle school, I got a lesson from an eight grade student, Shuko. I was ready to learn! Shuko handed me the picks and indicated I should put them on. She thought it was quite funny I put the picks covering my fingernails. So YOU won’t be embarrassed when YOU put on YOUR koto picks, cover the pads of your fingers.


Shuko showed me how to pick and pluck the strings. It's harder than it looks. My fingers kept slipping through the strings. We both laughed at my efforts.

Finally, Shuko taught me to press the strings down to change the sound while I played. I could handle that one. She smiled when I showed her all the dents on my finger pads. She said something to me in Japanese. I think she told me that happened to her when she started too.

Click here to play a virtual koto. Good luck!

Lesson 5 - "go" - School Assemblies

Just like in the U.S, Japanese schools sometimes have assemblies. They all gather in the gym but the way they sit and behave is a bit different. Each student has an assigned seat in neat rows. This is the high school assembly. This is the middle school assembly. Check out this short video of the entire elementary school bowing then sitting. You are looking at 730 students. The teacher says one word and the kids are silent and still. No whispering. They sit on their knees with their hands on their laps. No quiet goofing around.

How do they learn this? The teaching begins very early. I visited a kindergarten. This is what their assembly looked like. When a child was wandering a teacher brought him back. When a child wasn't sitting in a straight line the teacher picked her up and moved her.
At the elementary school, we were treated to a musical performance featuring the entire sixth grade. Since there was no formal music teacher at this school a classroom teacher was asked to do the job. When they were on stage I surveyed the quiet crowd and saw what the kids on stage left behind - shoes and recorder cases. I enjoyed the respectful assembly groups in Japan. Read this article about a common way to sit in Japan. Could you sit like that?

Lesson 6 - "roku" - Pop Quiz

My new friend, Kumiko-san gave me some postage stamps she tore these off letters mailed to her. In addition to being colorful and beautiful, they contain images of things important to Japanese culture. Notice that each one has the word Nippon. This is Japanese for Japan and is pronounced “Nee-hon”

I have prepared a Pop Quiz for you about these stamps. It is ok to get an adult at home involved! Shall we set the mood? Imagine me singing the Jeopardy! theme in Japanese. (It sounds exactly like the Jeopardy! theme in English.)

Ready? Set? GO!

Stamp number "ichi"

This stamp shows a pagoda behind cherry tree blossoms. The Japanese government gave 3,000 cherry trees to the U.S. as a gift in 1912. Where are they planted?

Stamp number "ni"

In the heart of Tokyo is the Tokyo tower. It was built in 1953 and is copied after the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Although it is a broadcasting relay tower, it has an observation deck and a great view of the city. Which is taller, the Eiffel or Tokyo Tower, and by how much.

Stamp number "san"

On the left is a red torii, an entry gate to a temple, shrine or sacred place. On the right are several bright green leaves that are turning yellow, orange and red. It is unlikely you will find these trees growing in Colorado because they prefer moist soil. What sort of tree is it?

Stamp number "shi"

If you read Lesson 'Yon' this one is easy. What is the name of this bridge and why is it famous?

Stamp number "yon"

This is the Japanese bullet train. It’s the fastest train in the world. How fast does it go?

Stamp number "go"

Look in the background first. This could be Mount Fuji. If you had to guess, what type of apples are in the foreground?

Just in time. The Jeopardy! theme ended. Nicely done.

Lesson 7 - "shichi" - The Quest for a Kennedy Kimono

Yukiko Niishi is a professional kimono wrapping teacher and I'm lucky to call her my friend! When my daughter, Grace, was born Nishii-san (Japanese for Mrs. Nishii) sent a small kimono to wear. Grace loved it and wore it for three Halloweens. In this picture Miss G is three. The word kimono actually means 'clothing’ but generally it refers to traditional Japanese clothes. On a daily basis, Japanese wear clothes like we do. They save kimonos for special occasions.
This woman wore a kimono and showed us a “kabuki” dance. There are no pockets in a kimono. Do you see how the dancer held her fan? Although different, men wear kimono too. This man explained “kyogen”, traditional Japanese theater. Kids wear kimonos. I saw these little ones at a shrine. They were there for a special ceremony for three and five year olds. Do you notice the little girl is holding her fan the same way the dancer did? Her sleeves are very long. Long sleeves means "not married". Short sleeves means "married". Sumo wrestlers wear kimono. These big guys were on their way to a national wrestling match. And Kennedys wear kimono too! This is me! I asked Nishii-san to help me find a kimono to bring back to the U.S. I was a bit nervous, because kimono can be VERY expensive. They took me to this store.

I had lots of choices but I think I found two perfect Kennedy kimonos. What do you think? Later in the afternoon we went to Nishii-san’s house for a kimono wrapping lesson. First, I put on my kimono left side over right. Next, I had to adjust the fabric so it was the correct length and not dragging all over the floor. The final step was putting on the obi, a wide fabric belt. This was the hardest part. No zippers. No snaps. No buttons or clips. Tying an obi is all about folding. Thank goodness Nishii-san created a book for me to take home. Nishii-san wore this beautiful formal style kimono to her son's wedding. Would you like to watch her wrap it? Me too! So sorry. You are going to have to turn your head sideways for the first video. It starts with white kimono under dressing. Now she puts on the outer kimono.
Then she folds and wraps around the obi.
She completes the obi paying attention to details.
Finishing touches.

Click here to design your own kimono!

Lesson 8 - "hachi" - Lucky Me

Here is a task for you. ReadIf the World Were a Village by David Smith. This book give information about the world on a small scale. Two of the world's religions mentioned are Shintoism and Buddhism. Most Japanese consider themselves to be one, the other or both. Click here so you can understand how Japan’s two major religions live in such harmony.

Visiting shrines and temples is a part of Japanese culture. I am not Shinto or Buddhist, but I suspect you would do what I did. I went to visit and learn.

They are easy to find all over Japan. The boundary of a Shinto shrine is marked by a torii gate. A torii gate marks the entrance to a sacred place. Some shrines are very small.

Some shrines are very large.

Look at all the torii as my friend Steve and I climb the stairs to this shrine.

Whenever I entered a shrine or temple area I washed my hands. I saw Japanese swish out their mouths with the water too. Keeping your body clean is very important in Japanese culture.

Once at the alter of the big shrine, the faithful walk up and throw coins in a large trough as a donation. They clap twice to summon gods and say a silent prayer.

Check out the other things I discovered at Shinto shrines.
One of the guardians of the shrine, 'koma-inu". Betcha these guys would ward evil spirits!

A place to hang "Ema" or wishes written on wood plaques.

Attracting good luck and avoiding bad luck play an important part in Japanese life. With this in mind, the the temples and shrines often had "Omikuji", fortune telling papers. Bad luck predictions are tied to tree branches and left behind. One of the 'omikuji' tied on the tree is mine! I'm not telling which one it is - I want my bad luck prediction to stay in Japan, not follow me home!

Since the two religions are very compatible, sometimes you can find a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple together on the same property. Look who I found! Buddha!

Please don't think what I'm doing is disrespectful. I watched many Japanese do the same thing. First they said a prayer then rubbed a part of the Buddha's body. I'm not shy! I asked why! When I learned that rubbing the part of this Buddha's body can help that same part on my body, I said a prayer and rubbed his head. I want to keep my brain in tip top shape while in Japan. I want to learn and share with you.

In the town of Kamakura I visited this huge Buddha.

When I traveled to my host city, Takeo, I certainly left my bad luck behind. Not only was my host family kind and generous, but the father and grandfather were buddhist priests. This is the whole family at the entrance to their home.

Their home was the buddhist temple. The kids and I are walking up the driveway at dusk after walking the dog. Do you see the temple in the background?

One thing really different between Shintoism and Buddhism is the way they treat death. Almost all the cemetaries in Japan are on the property of Buddhist temples. This is the cemetary at my host family's temple.

My luck in Japan has been super. Perhaps it was due to rubbing Buddha's head, perhaps it was due to the coins I threw in the trough before saying a prayer, perhaps it was the "ema" I hung, perhaps it was....