Japanese history (& Mito facts)

*There are no standardized tests for exams entrance, mostly definition or rote memorization of facts

(80% retention next day / 20% retention next month)

* At Denny's, children are given origami to play with while they wait instead of crayons and paper. (observation)

Personal note: a club sandwich had eggs, chicken salad, lettuce, tomatoes, ham on toast.

*Tsukuba mountain is the highest mountain in Ibaraki prefecture.  I took a cable car ride to top to see surrounding area. It was cloudy, nice and cool ! It's also know for it's frogs that secrete healing oils when they sweat.

*   I have been paying attention to the gas prices and doing the math.  It averages between 100 - 121 yen per liter.  (multiply that by 3.8)  Gas is about $3.80 - $4.50 per gallon. It includes full service- clean windows and they give you a rag to clean the inside while you wait.  They also empty your trash cans for you. Half the cost goes toward taxes. (gas is cheaper in Tokyo because of competition between gas stations.)

**History - 50 years ago when Japan was not a rich country, they convinced the car companies to make smaller, lighter cars that they could afford to buy them.  Many people can afford to buy expensive imports now cars -  those who purchase the smaller more efficient JP cars, get a tax break.

*Yellow license tags mean a lighter weight car and more compact. These have a cheaper tax, and use less gas.  Green tags = business vehicles like taxis.  Only numbers are allowed, no letters or vanity tags

*Tolls for interstate driving in Mito are the same as paying for a ticket to ride that many miles on the train. 

*Newer houses are built on a suspension system in the foundation for JP many earthquakes. At the time of touring a new home gallery and learning this information, I wasn't sure how useful it would be.  But during an earthquake later that week, it gave me a peace of mind understanding the structural foundation of the building I was living in.

*Wendy's fast food chain has salads too -  a Wendy's restaurant opened in Mito this past April.  I told my partners the story of the owner Dave and how 'Wendy' is really his daughter's name.

*Younger generations are doing branding and tattoos, but not mafia related.

* You are fined 5 million yen  (about $5,000) for talking on your cell phone while driving if caught by the police.

* C2 new coke product - half coke and half diet coke

* Japan has 3  generation mortgages. So, your grandchildren finish paying for the house you grew up in.  Each generation assumes the mortgage and lives in the same house.

Mito School for the Deaf - residential school for this area. History:

         Mito School for the deaf was founded in 1918. It has a long and splendid history and tradition. Our School is located in the center of Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It consists of a Kindergarten, an Elementary, a Junior High school, and Senior High School.  The total number of students is now 106. There are 56 teachers (one is Hard of Hearing ) and a total of 104 staff members.  8 members are permanent staff for their dormitory, other staff members rotate on a schedule taking turns spending the night in the dorms. The dorms have no A/C.  Class sizes are generally 4 - 6 students with 2 teachers.  There is an education institution for the babies from the age of 0 - 2 and also a dormitory for the students from the age of 3.  information  The school goal is to develop each students' ability to communicate and to build good character.

         Mito School for the Deaf has about 5 cochlear implant students.  Their PE gym and an area on the PE field has an FM loop system in the ground.  All of the students hearing aids are programmed to that frequency, so they are receiving direct input from the microphone any where in the school - even in the PE field ! 

'Abiliolympics' - An International vocational competition for disabled. The former principal of Mito is now in charge of this activity. He now works for the Board of Education in the Human Resource Division. I am not sure how or if Mito School for the Deaf is involved in this activity. They are so active in many other sports competitions.

Elementary & Jr HS

Principals: 15 yrs. teaching experience and more than 40 yrs. old

Vice Principals: 10 yrs. teaching experience and more than 35 yrs. old

High Schools

Principals: 15 yrs. teaching experience and more than 45 yrs. old

Vice Principals: 10 yrs. teaching experience and more than 40 yrs. old, with experiences at more than 2 schools

They can only take the exam twice to become an administrator.

And just like in the states, it's those who are better looking and know people in high places that usually get the job.  Male Principals are not allowed to have facial hair.

June 30th is "teacher bonus" day - everyone at school was in a great mood today !!  Yesterday was physical exam day - everyone was in a rotten mood.  They actual bring doctors and nurses to the school and every teacher must go through a full physical exam - if a problem is found - you must go to the hospital. The exam consisted of blood pressure, blood work (yes, drawing blood), urine samples, heart rate, and for those lucky enough to be over 40 years old chest x-Rays and drinking barium.   Ishii san was miserable the entire day.

Their school day begins for the teachers at 8:30 with a staff meeting (teacher run) most days.  Students and 1st period starts at 9:00. Classes run 45 minutes with a 10  minute break in-between and a 30 minute lunch where most of the teachers eat the same lunch with their students.  A kind of grace (thank you for the food) is said at the beginning of the meal and at the end.  Each class begins with an opening and ends with a closing speech from the students.  The day ends at 3:30 for the students when they come into the teacher's work room and take out the trash and clean the floors.  Teachers are here from 4:00 - 7:00 most days doing club activities or paperwork.  Takashi is in the PE dept. and it is part of his duty day to clean the pool after hours.  He is here most days until late.  Most days they let me go home about 4:30.  

*Fashion note:  Elementary students at Mito School for the Deaf are not required to wear a uniform to school, but do have special uniforms for PE and swimming and school shoes.  Middle School girls wear the plain white short sleeve shirt, but a plaid skirt and vest and blue tie.  High School girls wear a blue skirt and vest with a blue tie and white shirt.  The boys wear a dark blue/ black pants (all the same material), white shirt, black belt, black shoes (change to school shoes that are all the same for any age).  Both Middle and High school have the same swim wear and PE clothes as elementary.  Those seem to be the same at any school in Japan.  The girls wear shorts in gym class.

Interesting facts I learned while observing at Mito:

1. There are no Japanese flags in the classroom and kids don't recite the national anthem or any pledge of allegiance.

2.  At a HS baseball game, the school song of the winning team and their school flag is flown.  No national anthem at the beginning of the game though.

3. There is no girl's baseball team here at Mito, but there is a girls

volleyball team.

4. Generally speaking, soccer is the favorite sport of younger kids (Elementary age) and then Baseball becomes the favorite sport by HS age.

         Ishii san is the HS team leader and transition coordinator.  He drove me all over Ibaraki prefecture to 7 companies the other day.  He is checking on graduates that have been placed with 7 companies around the area.  Apparently, they have 20 year long associations with some of the companies.  It was a traditional day to show up to the companies, bring them a small gift and inquire as to how the Seniors doing their OJT or the post graduates who were holding jobs there were doing and if he could do anything to assist. The first 2 places were like our Loveland and Children's Haven.  Sheltered workshops are run by the Nation's welfare system.  This means if you can afford to pay you do, but if you can not, it's free.  The support systems they have in line for their disabled students is amazing.  One of the places we went to was a factory for recycling cell phones - 50 % of the employees were disabled.  These kids are living at home and earning about $12,000 a year.  One of the places was Hitachi - huge factory and the other was the #1 window frame manufacturer in the area.  Amazing.

         We went to a regional conference this week near Tokyo.  There are 2 centers in Japan like this one we toured.  It is a rehabilitation center / vocational training center.  It is 'state of the art' !!  It is for anyone with a disability at any age and you can come back later in life if necessary.  It offers OT/PT/speech therapy, swimming therapy. It has exceptional prosthetics equipment and audiological services.  After your therapy if finished, you are tested (only twice) for the vocational program. (About 80% pass.)  If you do not pass, you go back to therapy.  The vocational portion includes a driver's education program for the Deaf.  All of the teachers sign.  It has a graphic design program, computer tech, mechanics, and massage therapy.  There are club activities for the students after school too.  High school student can attend while they are finishing their HS education.  They are doing therapy for anyone from the very young to the elderly.  Their website is;  http://www.rehab.go.jp/index.html -  don't know how much is in English. This program is only for rehabilitation and no academics are taught here. There is a dormitory.  And again, if you have the money you pay (about $30,000 a month) but if not - it's free through the national welfare system.  They currently have 160 deaf students. About 75% get a job post graduation.  They consider this a success due to the fact that the country is in a recession.