Day 2: July 3rd (Shibuya, Tokyo)

Today I met up with my former student Risa and her mom Kae in Shibuya. I taught Risa 4 years ago during the (COVID) 2020-2021 school year. It was so good to see Risa and hear about everything she has been up to- she is a busy girl!

We walked to Risa's school: Jissen Joshi Gakuen Junior & Senior High School. This is an all girls private school with over 1,000 students. They have 3 years of Junior High School (Grades 7-9) and 3 years of Senior High School (Grades 10-12).

First, I watched homeroom which included announcements. There were about 36 students in this class and the teacher said that this was average class size! Wow these are big classes!

During first period, I got a tour of the school and learned about its history. The tour was given by Robert Kimble who has been teaching English at the school for the last 13 years.

The school was founded in 1899 by Shimoda Utako, a pioneer in women's education. On the tour, I also got to learn about the many clubs that the school offers (Model UN, sewing, home economics, gardening, sports, music, art. etc.). Below are some pictures from my tour:

Sewing/ Fashion Design

Home Economics

Gardening Club

There are fish underneath in the water. All they have to do is feed the fish whose waste provides nutrients for the plants!

School Building

Umbrella Holders

There were so many of these! Many people use umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.

Gymnastics Floor

During second period, I got to participate in a Japanese manners class. Students were learning how to kneel and bow correctly. There were a lot of specific directions and this was hard to do! My legs got numb but I pushed through!

At the beginning of class, the teacher checked the length of each girl's uniform. She said that some girls like to make their skirts shorter by folding them at the top.

During 3rd and 4th periods, since students have mid-term exams tomorrow, a lot of the classes were just studying today. Therefore, I met with a math teacher, Mr. Taniguichi and an engligh teacher Mr. Kimble and we discussed many things about the school including their curriculum the differences between public and private schools. Here are some things I learned:

The school year in Japan goes from April to March
Students go to school Monday through Saturday with only Sunday as a break
Entrance exams are very challenging
Many students do after-school cram school to prepare for exams (this is a lot of school!)
Public schools are harder to get into than private schools in Japan (due to the rigorous entrance exams)
Junior High School (Grades 7-9) is mandated and then after that students do not need to go to Senior High School (Grades 10- 12)

During 4th period, we visisted the Jissen Women's Univeristy which neighbors Jissen Joshi Gakuen's school. Here, we visited the art museum and also looked out at a beautiful view of Tokyo.

I also made a wish for the Tanabata festival which is coming up on July 7th. People celebrate by writing their wishes on small pieces of paper (called tanzaku) and hanging them on bamboo branches, hoping they will come true. Tanabata Festival is one of the five traditional festivals that welcome the changing of the seasons with rituals of making offerings and wishing for a good harvest, health, prosperity, and happiness.

View of Tokyo

Making a wish for the Tanabata Festival

Ochazuke

After visiting the school, we then walked around Shibuya and got lunch. This ochazuke was delicious! I got mackerel over rice. I had the option to eat it cold, or pour the hot broth over it. I tried it each way and both were delicious!

We saw the famous Hachiko Statue, walked across the Shibuya scramble, and visited the Konno Hachimangu Shrine.

Hachiko Statue

Commemorates the Akita dog Hachiko, who famously waited for his deceased owner at Shibuya Station for nearly a decade.

Shibuya Scramble

Iconic Shibuya Crossing

Hachiko Statue

Risa and I in front of the Hachiko Statue.

Thank you so much to the Sogo family for showing me around Shibuya today! I really appreciated it!

Next I took a train to Shizuoka where I met up with the Satake family who helped me get settled into my hotel. I got dinner at the 711 - which was amazing! Can't wait to explore Shizuoka tomorrow!

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