Meetings and a Ball Game

Sitting is definitely not a teacher’s forte!  After another yummy breakfast, the better part of yesterday was spent listening to speakers presenting Japan’s Economy, Educational System and Government.  Diet members Yuji Tsushima (House of Representatives) and Wakako Hironaka (House of Councillors), two of the most prestigious members of Parliament, spoke to us for an hour and a half.  They actually left the Parliament, which was in session, to join us.  It was all very interesting.  Japan faces many of the same problems and concerns as the United States.  Although a relatively safe country, the crime rate is on the rise, the division between rich and poor is widening, suicide among young people has grown, the country struggles with educational issues and budgets (per pupil expenditures are very low compared to the US), single family households are on the rise and young people are losing traditions along with respect for elders.  There was a good deal of statistical number crunching relayed to us in relationship to Economics.  The Japanese population is about 127 million people.  Ten percent of this population resides in Tokyo.  Japan is a country with very few foreigners living here…600,00 Koreans, 560,000 Chinese and 51,000 Americans.  One million Japanese live abroad with about 370,000 of them residing in the United States.  The population of Japan is on the decrease.  Currently, about 18% of the population is over 64 years old.  This percentage is expected rise to 35% by the year 2050.  Japan is self sufficient in rice farming and poultry products, however, just about everything else is imported resulting in the high cost of living.  Animation and technology are also big industries here.   Cell phone technology is very advanced domestically however Japan has been unable to gain success though exportation.  I could go on, but I'll spare you for now.

Baseball...You have never experienced a game like 68 of us did last night.  To begin with getting there was quite a feat in itself.  Although the subway is like every other subway around the world, try reading it in Japanese characters!!!  WOW!  Some stations within the major parts of Tokyo have the words also written using the alphabet we're familiar with, however, further out is another story.  It was fun though and we all laughed quite a bit.  The day's lesson....Travel in groups of four or five.  Trying to maneuver a group of 40 or more was a bit on the ridiculous side, but loads of fun.  The game itself was like any other professional baseball game, but the crowd was ...enthusiastic!  There were two bands playing, lots of cheering from the crowds with all kinds of noise makers and balloons flying around all at once.  Yup, they blew them up and let them all go at the same time.  Everyone seemed to know what they were doing, when to blow them up and when to let them go.  I just happened to be video taping when it all took place.  It was during the sixth inning and seemed comparable to our seventh inning stretch, but WAY more fun and excitement.  Much like high school football in the US, you sat on the side of your team.  We were on the blue side, The Lions, as opposed to the yellow side, the Tigers.  The hour ride back on the subway was as eventful as going, with fewer people in our group though.  It made it much easier to ask questions, although everyone we met and asked a question of was more than willing to help us out, leaving their station to escort us to where we needed to be regardless of distance within the subway.  

Today's agenda...we're breaking out into smaller interest groups in the morning, then by area groups  or host cities in the afternoon.  We will also be treated to more traditional Japanese theatre later in the day.  

Hope all is going well with everyone.  Enjoy the last day of school.  Miss everyone, but am truly having the experience of a lifetime here in Japan.  I just feel so lucky to have been chosen as a....Cultural Ambassador.