What Kind of Hairstyles Do You Like?

That's a question Cesar of Media Academy had for Japanese teenagers. So far in Ena, I've noticed that the boys take great care in their hair, sometimes adding clips! These two boys at Ena High School had some of the more fashionable hair. I am sure to see some crazy hair when I go to Harajuku (Violet's favorite part of Tokyo!).

Hey Mickey! Hey Mickey!

Japanese schools are not all work. Above are students in one homeroom class at Ena High, the area's most academic school, practicing for their school festival, which will be held right before classes start again in September. Another homeroom was preparing for a drama by painting sets on the day I visited. Each homeroom contributes some sort of cultural activity to the festival.

Media Academy: What if we tried this with our advisories?

Students Clean School -- And Actually Like It!

This is one of the most amazing parts of the Japanese education system to me. Every day, students grab mops, brooms and rags and give their school a thorough cleaning called o'soji. Teachers, principals and other adults at the school also help out. In this video, you'll also see Bill, the Assistant English Language Teacher at Ena High School, pitching in with the garbage. I was an Assistant English teacher in Ena's junior highs and elementary schools 15 years ago, though I was treated more like a guest and did not participate in o'soji. Media Academy students, if you're reading, how about starting this at our school this coming year?

Can You Use Cell Phones in Class?

I visited Ena High School today through the help of my host, Mr. Murai, and his connections at the school. Here Madako, a third year student (senior), answers my questions about cell phones in class. Her homeroom class had just finished preparing for the school festival and was getting ready to do school cleaning before the end of the day.

Fremont Tiger fans, check this out!

One of the biggest sports events of the year in Japan is not professional, not collegiate, but high school. The Japanese national high school baseball tournament is underway and there are now just four teams left in each ken (prefecture). And as you can see from the video above, the fans go nuts -- at least when their team is at bat. Strict rules allow the fans for the team at bat to stand up, dance and yell out chants for their team, while the other fans may only clap their megaphones together politely while sitting with their mouths shut. At the end of the game, the losing team bows to the winning team and each team then bows to its fans. The tournament gets huge play on Japanese televsion and professional scouts are out and about, looking for the next Ichiro.

I got to experience the tournament first hand today, traveling to Gifu City with my hosts to see Toki Commercial High School fans cheer their team on to 6-3 victory. My host, Mr. Murai, was the principal of TCHS until April of this year when he retired. (Murai is famous in Gifu Ken for being the first college player to dunk a basketball!)