School Festival

Although Japanese schools do not have proms, or stomps, or girl's choice dances or the like (which I pitty the students for), they do have school festivals.

A Japanese school festival, is where each class (note: students stay in the same classroom all day, and teachers change rooms) displayes its yearly project, or hosts an activity. It also has large opening and closing ceremonies. At Nagano Kogyo, it opened with a taiko drum group and ended with fireworks.

For example, the third year electronics students built a godzilla that lights up if you pump a bycicle pump fast and then you have to stomp on its tail when it lights up. A computer networking class printed out calanders for visitors using photos from their cellphones. An architecter class built a cement boat, and ferried students around the swimming pool in it. There were also three student bands. Both were punk bands, and I have been able to make friends with students in both bands.

Although I think the students are really missing out with the lack of dances, they develop a comorodory seldom seen in the USA that fosters an inclusive atmosphere that is truely inspiring. It seems to be a great tool to destroy clicks that so easily develop elsewhere.

I must admit that I had a lot of fun. I also took off for about an hour and watched a Rugby game. Our school and the other school tied. We have not won them for 19years, and a tie is desirable in Japan. It is like a win, but neither teem looses face. Many of the rugby team members were in tears they were so happy. The coach, who's English is supurb because he traveled the world as a member of the national team, cursed up a storm (in Japanese) because he wanted the win.