One-Day Japanese Culture Fest

– By Jim Byrne –

As each student hung his or her wish on the bamboo tree in the middle of the classroom, it became more and more apparent that this was no ordinary day at Midland Elementary School.

In fact, on May 28, Midland third graders and their teachers – Mary Bellofatto, Catherine Yusi, Brian Dooley, Katherine Sweeney, and Michelle Phelan – were participating in Japan Day. Several of the students’ mothers presented the program to the children, who learned about the culture, traditions, history and customs of Japan. The event was the culmination of the third grade’s study of communities around the world, including deserts, forests, and island societies like Japan.

In Mrs. Phelan’s class students were greeted with a “Konichiwa” from the Japanese mothers, and in turn responded by saying the word back in unison. After sharing hellos, the mothers – including Mrs. Osada, Zaiki, Hatanaka, Shirai, Nishimura, Kawabata, and Nakajima – took turns detailing the various aspects of each region of their home country. They then led a game of “Maru or Batsu” (True or False) in Japanese, with students answering questions by raising a paddle with a circle or an x. One of the statements was, “There are no American fast food restaurants in Japan”, which is false because McDonalds, Wendy’s, and Denny’s are all popular in the country.

The students also rolled their own rice wrapped in seaweed, and then viewed and listened to a traditional “Kamishibai”, a form of storytelling that originated in Japan and is enhanced by a series of illustrated boards. The third graders were entranced by the tale of “Tanabata”, a Japanese star festival that takes place on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

Before dividing into groups to try on traditional kimonos, sharpen their calligraphy skills, and play with Japanese toys, the youngsters each jotted down a wish and then placed it on a bamboo tree. While some hoped for world peace, other responses were humurous – like the student who wished he could eat Kentucky Fried Chicken every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

By the end of the day, the students and teachers were very appreciative of the shared time, kindness and skills of the moms who led the lessons.