Feature: The Way We Are 2002 Completedc “Oideyasu”(“Welcome” in Kyoto dialect) they all...

No. 30September2003

ISSN 1342-4238

Meeting People ——p. 8

Meet Taka

Voices ——p. 12

An Imaginary Trip to Japan

Japanese Culture Now ——p. 13

モーニング娘むすめ

。Morning Musume:With a little effort, anyone can shine

TJF News ——p. 14

Feature:

The Way We Are 2002CompletedWe are pleased to announce the publication ofThe Way We Are 2002, a photo collection com-piled mainly from the prizewinning works of the sixth annual “Daily Lives of HighSchool Students: Photo and Message Contest.”Held every year since 1997, this contest seeksto convey what today’s Japanese high schoolstudents are thinking and what kind of livesthey lead to their peers overseas, throughentries that consist of five photographs takenby the students themselves along with shortcaptions and messages.

The Way We Are 2002 portrays high schoolstudents as they live in Japan today throughphotographs and messages, including the 26prizewinning works selected from among the318 entries submitted to this year’s contestfrom students throughout the country. Inorder to transmit to the reader, just as theyare, the events and activities of the students’daily lives, the dreams they dream and thehopes they cherish for the future, the anxietiesand struggles they face, and so on, we haveimproved the content, with more pages andtext than previous collections. In this issue ofthe TJF newsletter, we introduce excerpts fromthe redesigned The Way We Are 2002 photocollection.

The Japan Forum Newsletter No. 30 September 2003

2

Currently Taking a Wild Ride on the

“Ha, ha! I can’t take it! It’s too much like him!! I’mlaughing so hard my stomach hurts!!” Often eliciting areaction like this, Yonetchi’s impressions of people areskillful enough to give anyone a cramp from laughingtoo hard. His repertoire is endless—schoolteachers,famous personalities, and more. He looks like a frivolouskind of guy—spending every free moment polishing hisbanter and mimicry—but in reality, he’s the pride of ourschool and president of our student council!! “What?!”you say, “He doesn’t look like the type”? Don’t be rude,now. He’s so popular that nearly everyone he passes inthe hallways says hello, and he’s got information storedaway about nearly every student in the school.

As for me, passionate booster of Yonetchi, I actuallygot to know him only a few months back playing a bad-minton game. It was a really intense and exciting matchand we got to cat-calling each other at such a great ratethat I never would have dreamed we would grow asclose as we are now. In Japan, the male-female thing stillaffects our consciousness, and in reality not many peo-ple have friends of the opposite sex. Thanks to ourencounter, however, we’ve each found a new friend inthe other, and brought about a change in each other’svalues! When you imagine that the person sitting next toyou, or the person you’re talking to right now might besomeone who ends up playing a vital role in your life,doesn’t life seem more enjoyable? I have no idea whatwill happen in the future, but I’m positive it will havesome connection with right now. That’s what myencounter with Yonetchi has taught me.

Those interested in acquiring The Way We Are 2002 (A4-size, 64 pages) should write to TJF by e-mail or fax givingthe following information: name, e-mail address, nameof your school or institution, and delivery address. Thefirst 100 people to apply by October 31st will receive thecollection free of charge. Contact information:

E-mail: [email protected]: 81-3-5322-5215

The TJF objective of conveying the true faces and reallives of Japanese high school students to their peersoverseas via the works in this collection has not changed,but for the high school students who participate in thephoto contest, creating an entry offers an opportunity toseek a better understanding of themselves and others.Reflecting this aspect of the contest, we have modifiedour editorial policy: beginning with The Way We Are

2002, the collection will be designed and publishedmainly for a readership of Japanese high school students.For this reason furigana above Chinese characters (rubi)are not included and a printed English translation of thetext is not appended.

An English version of the text of The Way We Are,however, is planned for inclusion on the photo contest’sEnglish website. Scheduled for launch during the currentfiscal year, the new English website will feature translatedexcerpts from The Way We Are and a revised Japaneseversion for students of the Japanese language.

From this year forward, The Way We Are will be sentonly to those who request a copy. Although we regret theinconvenience, we ask that even those who have receivedthe photo collection unsolicited in the past submit anapplication if they wish to receive this year’s publication.

z

x

c

v

b

Accepting Applications for The Way We Are 2002

Photo & Text by Sato Satomi, Akita Prefectural Yokote Senior High School

The Japan Forum Newsletter No.30 September 2003

3

Yonetchi Highway

Photo Captions:z An enthusiastic crowd around Yonetchicongratulating him when it was announcedhe had been elected head of student coun-cil. A new student council president is born.x The moment he steps into the studentcouncil office he assumes the demeanor ofa student council president. “Sometimes Ifeel a bit bewildered, but I have a duty tomeet my responsibilities as president,” hesaid with such seriousness that I almost won-dered—is this somebody else?!c “Oideyasu” (“Welcome” in Kyoto dialect)they all croon, swept up in their impressionof maiko-san (apprentice geisha). And there’sthe usually fearsome teacher, not completelyimmune to their wiles!v Watching a Hanshin Tigers baseballgame on TV with his grandfather, of whomhe is very fond. Even grandfather looks a bitoverwhelmed by Yonetchi’s impression ofthe voice of commentator Kakefu, goodenough to fool the famous former ball playerhimself. b Although he is almost in his third year ofhigh school, even now he loves to play in thesnow!! Singled out for a barrage by every-one else at the call to start a snowball fight,Yontechi cries, “Why me?! Cut that out!!”as he weaves and dodges.

米よね

澤ざわ

将まさ

文ふみ

Yonezawa Masafumi, age 17

Even when they are apart, the members of her family are connected by an invisible bond

Rika’s family consists of Rika, her mom, dad, older brother,older sister, and pet dog Mac—so, five people and one animal.But Rika lives with only two people and one animal: hermother, grandmother, and Mac. Her dad and brother live in adifferent house. Her sister is married and lives in Tokushima prefecture. Rikaand her siblings are connected by blood, but all three have different surnames.

There are probably people who hear all this and imagine her family must bescattered and broken. But Rika’s family is different. Her dad comes over to herhouse almost every week on Sunday and they all eat dinner together. One Sun-day I joined them. Her mom made okonomiyaki (a pancake stuffed with cabbageand other ingredients) and her dad made yakisoba (stir-fried noodles). Rika waseating everything with relish.

A family is more than just living together in the same house. Seeing Rikamade me feel that a family is a relationship in which all the members needeach other and, even when apart, are connected by an invisible bond.

Photo & Text: Nakasai Chiya, Osaka

Big dreams

Shiyo has big dreams. I, too, havedreams I want to make come true.Once we discussed each other’sdreams—seriously, but sometimeslaughing. That’s why, when I photographed her this time, Iagain had the sense that Shiyo’s ideas are amazing and inspir-ing. You see, I’d never thought about things like wanting toprotect the planet or to take a job that will help bring happi-ness to people around the world, as Shiyo does.

I dream of becoming a teacher. If there’s something in com-mon between our dreams, it’s that we want to work with peo-ple. It’s something that seems easy but isn’t—interacting withothers is very difficult. But I think it’s the most important thinga person can learn. For that reason, I wish everyone would bemore active about interacting with others. Something good issure to come of it. I just know it.

Photo & Text: Miyoo Makiko, Osaka

Even though I’ll be studying for entrance exams this yearand won’t likely have time to watch baseball, the HanshinTigers seem invincible this season under managerHoshino! Right up until just before the exams, it looks likeI’ll be riveted to the TV with my grandfather, who’s a Han-shin fan too. Go, Hanshin! Go, manager Hoshino! Don’tfail the exams! Now, I’ve gotta hit the books!

I think another thing I have to work on is romance! AtYokote High there are a whole bunch of cute girls withgreat personalities who manage to do sports and studyhard, too! All my friends have someone they’re dating . . .I’m the only one who doesn’t . . . (sniff, sniff). In manysenses, I've just gotta keep working on myself!!

q Student council (president) w Anything!! e One-liner comedy, com-puters r Misora Hibari, Yoshi Ikuzo, the Beatles t My junior high schoolteacher and Tanaka Kakuei (former Prime Minister) y Detached in prosper-ity; calm in adversity u All the people I've met up to now!! i Reading the“Quote of the Day” section in the newspaper. o I love seeing everyonesmile!! Actually, that's what I thrive on. !0 I want to become a junior highschool social studies teacher!! If I could ask for more, I'd want to be a teacherat the local Kanazawa Junior High. I'd be a coach in some athletic club andtake the team to victory at the nationals.

（17才さい

）

Subject Information

q School club w Favorite food e Hobbies, special skills r Favorite music t Person Irespect y Favorite words/phrases u What is most important to me i What I enjoymost o What kind of person I am !0 Future ambition

A Stylish Life Linda’s WayPhoto & Text by Ueda Shizuka, Osaka City Kogei High School


4

I’m not sure why, but everyone calls her “Linda.” Westudy design at our school, so there are a lot of interest-ing characters among us. To me, Linda stood out fromall the rest. It’s not just that she was beautiful and styl-ish, but that she gives off a curious kind of aura—anaura that kept everyone at bay. And yet, everyonewanted to be Linda’s friend. That’s how attractive she is,and I envy that about her.

Just by chance, I suddenly became quite close toLinda. Linda is extremely poised and has a strong per-sonality. That’s why she seems a little atypical of highschool girls these days. And she’s very hip.

Linda frequently spends her free time shopping byherself or going to a café alone and sketching pictures inher notebook. I think she’s someone who really cher-ishes the time she has to herself. I felt quite enviouswhen I first observed her attitude of “I’m gonna do it myway, and who cares what anyone else thinks.” In talkingto her, however, I realize it’s not just self-centeredness.She cares about her relationships with friends andothers just as much as anybody else. She never fails togive her friends a present on their birthdays. I evenreceived an adorable ring from her as a birthday gift.

Linda also worries a lot about not fitting in withothers. Around other people, in fact, she’s not the typeto give way freely to chatter. I thought she didn’t saymuch because she was deliberately playing it cool andcollected. It’s not that she doesn't like to talk, it turnsout, but that she could never bring herself to speakwhen she had something she wanted to chat about.

z

x

v

b

c

A friend I can say anything to andclash with openly

When our opinions differ, I sometimes clashwith Yukie, but I think the best thing aboutour relationship is that we feel free to telleach other whatever’s on our minds. Untilnow, I didn’t have a friend I could really be honest with; I was alwaysexpending a lot of effort to keep in people’s good graces.

But then I met Yukie and realized the importance of being able to lockhorns with someone in earnest and say anything, and I came to under-stand the warmth of a friend who can accept that from me. Yukie willpoint out to me when I have done or said something wrong. It makesme immensely happy to think she really cares about me that much.

I think friends have to be able to quarrel, to speak frankly, and to con-front each other head on. People to whom you can reveal your true self,and not some self you construct to suit others, and will accept you forwho you are, are the ones who will be true friends .

Photo & Text: Nishiguchi Izumi, Osaka

My cell phone doesn’t run my life

Yoneda always has his cell phone in his hand—on his wayto and from school, during class, between classes, at lunch,and after school. It’s like his cell phone sets the rhythm forthe rest of his life. Nowadays, almost all Japanese highschool students carry cell phones. Cell phones can now record video clips,and it’s likely they’ll have even more convenient features in the future.

But as cell phones become ever more convenient and we come to relyon them, won’t our phones end up controlling how we live? When wemisplace them we may become distraught and unable to function. Iasked Yoneda what he thought about that idea, and he said: “It’s mewho has to charge the battery on my cell phone to keep it working. SoI don’t think you can say my cell phone runs my life.”

While the cellular phone continues to advance as an importantmeans of communication, as a means of managing one’s daily affairsand acquiring information, and as one method of expressing oneself,I’d like to see it prevented from being used for criminal activity, etc.

Photo & Text: Doi Toshiki, Wakayama prefecture

We have to pass on the message of howterrible war is

After World War II, Okinawa was occupied by theUnited States. The year we visited Okinawa—2002—marked the thirtieth anniversary of its rever-sion to Japan. On the first day of our trip, at the Peace Park, there wassomeone who told us about what it was like during the war. Gutchonsaid that he learned a lot, too. But several people were dozing off duringthe talk, and Gutchon grumbled, “Those guys are the worst. Hey! Listenup and pay attention!” If we don’t listen closely to these stories, wewon’t be able to pass on to the next generation the terror of the war.

Gutchon often says, “What matters most in humans is the heart”—are they resolute enough, thoughtful enough, or decisive enough. War isa terrible thing and should not be allowed to happen ever again This tripmade me realize that Gutchon possesses both the “resolute heart”; hebelieves we have to pass on that conviction to the next generation, as wellas the capacity to listen to the tales of those who experienced the war.

Photo & Text: Horio Tadashi, Gifu prefecture

I couldn’t get into university by recommendation

Last year I applied for entrance to universityusing the recommendation system to threeschools, and I can’t believe I failed them all. Itwas a shock at first, but that was quickly replaced by panic and mis-givings. I wondered whether I was really that stupid. Since I had failedto get in by the recommendation system at all three schools, Ianguished over whether it would be possible to get in by taking thestandard entrance exams. Overwhelmed by these thoughts, I felt attimes like giving up on going to university.

But I want to be a singer-songwriter, and if I were to start lookingfor work immediately, it would mean less time to prepare myself thanif I went to university, and it would be more difficult to realize mydream. After considering this and a variety of other factors, I decidedto take the standard entrance exams after all. I’m really nervous, but inmy own way I’m doing the best I can.

Photo: Kawashima Akane, Osaka Text: Ryosuke, Osaka


5

Photo Captions:z When I went to hang out with Linda at her house, she made me a chocolate snack. She seemed very happy there, cook-ing and stirring the chocolate. x Linda at one of her favorite cafés. It was very pleasant having tea in a café where the sunlight streams in.c Linda often buys CDs judging solely by their jacket designs. All of those she selected showed the best of taste.v Tidying up after an exhibition of her own works. Linda’s works were truly stylish, and communicated her particular char-acter with great immediacy. It must have been pretty tough for her to carry home pieces that were as large as she is tall.b When she’s painting her pictures, Linda seems very happy. In her stylish living room, which looks like a studio, she squirtsout loads of colored paint and paints lavishly.

辻つじ

野の

雅さや

香か

Tsujino Sayaka, age 18

I had a private exhibition of my paintings inNovember. I wasn’t able to produce the kindof work I’d envisioned within the allottedtime, but I had accepted that from the begin-ning. Still, I wanted to do something whilestill a high school student that I would alwaysremember.

It was quite a learning experience, I wasable to get ideas for what I want to do next, andabove all, I was happy there were people whorecognized my abilities. I was also astoundedwhen younger students and people I’d nevermet would come up to me from time to timeand tell me they were moved by my work. Ireally felt like there was a part of me in them.It was not a matter of gain or loss, but I truly

felt a sense of warmth. Perhaps there’s nothingI can do for those people, but I want to say, ina small, quiet voice, “Thank you.”

q Music club w Figs, cola e Playing the bass guitar, paint-ing pictures r CORNELIUS, Kaji Hideki t Okita Soshi (amember of the Shinsengumi, a special police unit at the endof the Tokugawa shogunate) y None u People, includingmy family and friends, time spent alone plunged into myfantasies, and things that form a part of me and have influ-enced who I am. i With graduation near at hand, I am try-ing to enjoy my remaining days at school, and etch into mymemory an image of my current self, my friends, teachers,classes, and other aspects of my life at school. o Someonewho really mulls things over. I’m always conscious of myselfand others. !0 I am really interested in Europe, and I thinkI’d like to live there someday. I want to find out what life islike for people in Europe. I plan to continue painting picturesin the future, so it would be great if I could do relaxed pri-vate exhibitions.

（18才さい

）

q School club w Favorite food e Hobbies, special skills r Favoritemusic t Person I respect y Favorite words/phrases u What is mostimportant to me i What I enjoy most o What kind of person I am!0 Future ambition

Subject Information


6

Osawa NoritakaI made this curry myself!

Yokota KarinNot to be outdone by the sound of the surf,

nature-loving Joy laughs out loud with her big sister.

Matuo Megumi So he says it’s his beloved girlfriend that soothes hisweary mind and body. On the days he doesn’t have

practice, they’re always hanging out together. Wish them lots of happiness . . . !

Ishikawa NaokoEven after we graduate, we’ll be friends forever;

I’ll never forget this smiling face.

Amemiya KojiFor a guy on the short side, the game

left him short of breath. His last summer with the club had ended . . .

Rachi HanaeDuring the clean-up hour, when I peekedinto the classroom, Satoko was actually

sweeping.

進しん

路ろ

の話はなし

や、将しょう

来らい

どんなことをしたいのかと、よく尋たず

ね

られる。正しょう

直じき

言い

って、私わたし

はまったくわからない。

でも、私わたし

は将しょう

来らい

のことが不ふ

安あん

ではない。いつか私わたし

だっ

て、自じ

分ぶん

の夢ゆめ

を探さが

しだせると思おも

っているからだ。（ジョイ）

高こう

校こう

に入はい

ってから、やりたいことが増ふ

えて、1日にち

、1時じ

間かん

、1分ぷん

、1秒びょう

が、もったいないと思おも

えてきた。（智ち

恵え

）

卒そつ

業ぎょう

まぢかで、一いち

日にち

一いち

日にち

が大たい

切せつ

に思おも

えてくる今日きょう

この頃ごろ

。

私わたし

の大だい

事じ

なものがあったことで、今いま

の私わたし

が存そん

在ざい

します。

だから、ちゃんと「ありがとう」って言い

いたい。（晴はる香か）

何なん

でも話はな

せる友とも

だちがいて幸しあわ

せだ

なあとつくづく思おも

います。友とも

だち

が今いま

の生せい

活かつ

の9割わり

以い

上じょう

を占し

めているから、なくてはならない

存そん

在ざい

です。（菜な

生お

）


7

Okumura Ako At the school Culture Festival. Riding piggyback on a friend

Tsutsumi Kazuki Keeping in touch with friends

by cell phone.

Kato AyuFor some reason, everybody removed their shoes and said,

“Take a photo of this!"

Joy NelsonKarin, who takes good care of

her teeth, goes about her nightly routine of brushing her teeth while

reading her favorite manga.

Sugita MotokiBefore going to the studio with the band members.

Coffee is like a drug, heightening the tension—it’s essential!

Shimono RumiHanging around a local store, someone said,“I’m so hungry—let’s get something to eat!”

Takoyaki (battered and fried chunks of octopus) on top of okonomiyaki . . .

now that’s really Osaka for you!

Ito HarukaTo fulfill her dreams she works hard at herpart-time job. A girl is intense when she is

pursuing a dream.

近ちか

頃ごろ

の生せい

活かつ

を変か

えて、気き

持も

ちまでも変

か

えてしまうん

やから、これ

が恋こい

っていう

ねんやったら

、恋こいはすご

いことや

と思おも

うな！（衣え

里り

）

毎まい

日にち

が楽たの

しいことばっかりではない

し、うまくいくわけでもない。でも、

へこたれない。負ま

けない。（美み希き）

別べつ

に変か

わった生せい

活かつ

してないから、毎まい

日にち

同おな

じ時じ

間かん

をただ過す

ごしている感かん

じ。自じ

分ぶん

の自じ

由ゆう

を奪うば

わ

れなければ、どうでもいい。こんなだから、たいし

た生せい

活かつ

を送おく

れてないんだ。（圭けい

介すけ

）


8

MeetingPeople

Over the past year, TJF produced the Deai resource,which is designed to introduce the personalities and dailylives of seven real Japanese high school students throughphotographs and text. “Meeting People” takes up one ofthe seven students each issue, turning the focus towardtopics of concern to the individual student and introduc-ing some of the photographs and text in Deai. In this way,we hope to provide information useful for a better under-standing of the seven students and the Deai project. Wewill also offer, in conjunction with the Deai website(http://www.tjf.or.jp/deai/), necessary explanatory mate-rial, related resources and data, as well as ideas for classactivities. In this issue we take up Yamamoto Takayukiand his encounter with football, and help students lookback on an unforgettable encounter in their own lives.

“When I look back,” says Taka, “it seems all mymemories of high school involve football.” Both thehardest and happiest moments of his life seem tohave revolved around the game of football. Hedeclares that the encounter with American footballin elementary school changed the course of his life.The elementary school he attended, which had spe-cial classes for the hearing impaired, had its ownfootball team, and Taka remarks of his encounter

with football: “If I’d had normal hearing and gone tothe elementary school near my home, I might neverhave discovered football. Football is a really impor-tant part of my life. In that respect, I’m even sort ofglad that I have a hearing disability.” In this issue wewill read Taka’s own description of his encounterwith American football and suggest some activitiesfor looking back on an unforgettable encounter inone’s own life.

Meet Taka

名な

前まえ

：山やま

本もと

隆たか

幸ゆき

歳とし

： 18才さい

学がっ

校こう

：大おお

阪さか

産さん

業ぎょう

大だい

学がく

附ふ

属ぞく

高こう

校こう

住す

んでいるところ：京きょう

都と

府ふ

京きょう

都と

市し

将しょう

来らい

の夢ゆめ

：アメフットの選せん

手しゅ

小しょう

学がっ

校こう

でアメフットとであったことが、ぼくの人じん

生せい

を変か

えたような気き

が

します。My encounter with football during elementary school changed the course of my life.

(From Taka’s My Story)

Profile

Class Objective: Looking back on an unforgettable encounter in one’s life

Part 1: Meeting Taka—An Activity“A Virtual Interview with Taka: E-mail Exchangeby Mobile Phone!”Let’s exchange e-mail with Taka and ask him to tell us moreabout “the most unforgettable encounter in your life.”

Procedure1) Put students in pairs and pass out to each pair either

the “E-mail Exchange Samples” (see pp. 10-11) orTaka’s My Story passage (http://www.tjf.or.jp/deai/contents/chart/mystory/myst_yt.pdf).

2) Working in pairs (or groups), students should assumeeither the role of Taka or that of his interlocutor andwrite out an e-mail exchange.

3) Each pair reads out itse-mail exchange andthe entire class con-firms the content of theconversation. In theprocess, students gain adeeper understandingof the significance ofTaka’s encounter withfootball.

Part 2: Looking Back on an Unforgettable Encounter—Exercise IdeasIdea 1:「わたしの大

たい

切せつ

なもの」“Things I Treasure”Create a collage with the title「わたしの大

たい

切せつ

なもの」“ThingsI Treasure.” Materials for the collage can include photos,clippings from magazines and newspapers, illustrations,etc. Students should write captions for their collagesaccording to the level of their Japanese.

* As an introduction, have students check the captions for photo sheet YT-P08 “Things I Treasure.”

Idea 2: 大たい

切せつ

なであいについて “An UnforgettableEncounter”Following the pattern below, have students complete thesentences using information about themselves and writethe sentences on note cards. As a class, have the studentsinterview each other using the note cards they prepared.

Q1 (About something treasured): ○○さんの大たい

切せつ

なものは何なん

ですか。

Q2 (Looking back on changes brought about by anencounter):どんなふうに変

か

わりましたか。

Have you ever found that you naturally acquired theability to do something thanks to friendship? Discussyour experiences with your classmates.


9

Class Ideas

Discussion Points

[Left]トロフィー：Among my trophies is one I won in third year ofjunior high, when I was chosen MVP of the Kyoto regional league.This trophy gave me the courage to go on playing football withconfidence in high school. It’s my most cherished possession. [Topcenter]アメフット選手にもらったサイン：These are autographs I gotfrom some of the professional football players I admire. My par-ticular favorites are Sato Noriyuki of the Kajima Deers and DionSanders of the Washington Redskins (in the American NFL)—theyboth play cornerback (defensive back), the same position as I do.[Bottom center] アメフットのゲーム：My video games are almostall about American football. [Top right]スポーツのマンガ: Whenit comes to manga comics and video games, most of the ones Ilike are sport-related.

いつ、どうしてアメフットをはじめたんですか。

アメフットにであってから、人じん

生せい

にどんなことが起お

きましたか。

わたし／ぼくの人じん

生せい

で、とても大たい

切せつ

なものは○○です。

○○とであって、わたし／ぼくは変か

わりました。

○○とであう・をはじめる前まえ

は、。

○○とであって・をはじめてから、。

「友とも

だちとのかかわりを通つう

じて、自し

然ぜん

と身み

についたこと」を話はな

しあって

みよう。

❖ We recommend having a worksheet on which stu-dents can paste their messages and responses in theorder the conversation takes place to simulate a real e-mail exchange. (If this activity is too difficult, try cuttingup the “E-mail Exchange Samples” and doing a match-ing activity with the questions and replies, instead.)❖ You might also consider incorporating an exchangeof self-introductions by e-mail, uses for kaomoji (smi-leys; see the article on keitai, Japanese Culture Now, TJFNewsletter No. 21 http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/ge/ge16keitai.htm), free conversation, and other activities dependingon your students’ level. Or perhaps, reverse the activ-ity after completing the first round of exchange andhave the students playing Taka interview their partners,who should reply with information about themselves.

Tips

YT-P08

On a typical dayTaka exchangesover fifty e-mailby keitai (mobilephone) with hisfootball buddiesor friends in histown.

YT-D09

When he was in preschool, Taka used to cry because of thestrict pronunciation practice he had to do. But then he

found American football at his elementary school, which hadspecial classes for the hearing impaired. He says that in highschool, thanks to the friendships he had made with his footballteammates, he became pretty comfortable communicating withothers. He picked up the Kansai dialect after he started playingfootball and talking more with his friends.


10

E-mail Exchange Samples

x i

サブメニュー決定クリア

いつアメフットをはじめたんですか。

小しょう

学がっ

校こう

3年ねん

生せい

のときです。どうして、その小しょう

学がっ

校こう

に入はい

ることにしたんですか。

難なん

聴ちょう

のクラスがあったからです。

Interviewer Taka Interviewer Taka

I started playing football when I was ingrade three.

When did you start playing Americanfootball?

Why did you decide to go to that ele-mentary school?

Because it had a special class for hearing-impaired students.

✂ ✂

✂

✂

✂

x i x i x i


x i


どうして、アメフットをはじめたんですか。

小しょう

学がっ

校こう

で上じょう

級きゅう

生せい

が練れん

習しゅう

しているのを見

み

て、かっこいいなあと思

おも

ったんです。それで、チームに入

はい

りました。

Interviewer Taka

I used to watch the older kids at prac-tice and think how cool they were, andthen I joined the team myself.

Why did you start playing football?

x i


x i


日に

本ほん

ではふつうの小しょう

学がっ

校こう

に

アメフットのチームがありま

すか。

いいえ、アメフットができる小しょう

学がっ

校こう

はめずらしいです。

Interviewer Taka

No, it is rare among Japanese elemen-tary schools to have a football team.

Does the average Japanese elementaryschool have a football team?

x i


x i


じゃあ、その小しょう

学がっ

校こう

に入はい

って

よかったですね。

本ほん

当とう

にそう思おも

います。小しょう

学がっ

校こう

でアメフットとであって、ぼく

の人じん

生せい

は変か

わりました。

Interviewer Taka

Yes, I really think so. My encounter withfootball during elementary schoolchanged the course of my life.

Well, I guess you were lucky to enterthe elementary school you did, weren'tyou?

x i


サブメニュー決定クリアサブ

メニュー決定クリア

アメフットとであう前まえ

と後あと

をくらべると、どんなところが変

か

わったんですか。

たとえば、アメフットをはじめる前

まえ

は、あまり話はなし

ができませんでした。はじめてからは、コミュニケーションが楽

らく

にできるようになりました。

Interviewer Taka

How have you changed since you tookup football?

For instance, I wasn’t much of a talkerbefore I took up football. After I startedplaying football I became pretty com-fortable communicating with others.

x i x i



それは、どうしてでしょう？チームメートとつきあって、友とも

だち関係かんけい

やことばの使つか

いかた

など、いろいろ習なら

うことができ

たからです。

Interviewer Taka

Why do you suppose that is? That’s because I’ve learned variousthings through interacting with myteammates, such as how to get alongwith friends and what to say in varioussituations.

x i x i



アメフットをはじめたから習なら

えたことが、いろいろあるん

ですね。

そうです。小しょう

学がっ

校こう

では、監かん

督とく

の先せん

生せい

からアメフットの楽たの

しさ

と厳きび

しさを教おし

えてもらいまし

た。

Interviewer Taka

You seem to have learned a lot by takingup football.

Yeah. The head coach in my elementaryschool taught me both the joys and therigors of the game.

x i x i



z b

x n

c m

v ,

x i

練れん

習しゅう

は厳きび

しかったですか。

Interviewer

Was football practice tough?


x i

すごく厳きび

しかったですよ。でも、スポーツを真

しん

剣けん

にやろうと思おも

ったら、ただ楽たの

しいだけではないと思

おも

います。

Taka

It was tough. I think that if you’re seri-ous about playing a sport, there’smore to it than just having a goodtime.


それはすごいですね。うれしかったでしょう。

今いま

までの人じん

生せい

でいちばんうれしかったできことです。いちばんくやしかったこともアメフットのことですが……。


11



It was the happiest moment of my life.But in football I’ve also had some of thebitterest moments of my life.

That’s fantastic! I bet you were prettyhappy about it.

Interviewer Taka

✂✂

x i x i x i x i

x i x i

高こう

校こう

生せい

活かつ

はどうですか。高こう

校こう

では、ずっとアメフット中ちゅう

心しん

の生せい

活かつ

です。

Interviewer Taka

How is your life in high school? In high school, my life has pretty muchcentered around football.



x i x i

どんな高こう

校こう

ですか。スポーツコースがあって、アメフ

ットの強つよ

い学がっ

校こう

です。小しょう

学がっ

校こう

6年ねん

のときから、こういう強つよ

い

チームでアメフットをやってみ

たいと思おも

っていました。

Interviewer Taka

What kind of high school is it? It has a course for sports majors and astrong football team. Since I was insixth grade, it has been my dream toplay on such a strong team.



いちばんくやしかったことについて、きいてもいいですか。

大たい

切せつ

な試し

合あい

中ちゅう

に、ぼくだけサ

インがわかりませんでした。ぼ

くに伝つた

える時じ

間かん

がなかったの

です。そのために、相あい

手て

のチー

ムに点てん

が入はい

りました。

There was one time, at an importantgame, I was the only one who didn’tunderstand the sign. Things were hap-pening so fast that there was no timeto tell me, and the other team scored.

May I ask what your most regrettablemoment was?

Interviewer Taka

隆たか

幸ゆき

さんは、ふだん、プレイ

中ちゅう

のサインをどうやって知し

る

のですか。

チームメイトがぼくのために、

ジェスチャーを使つか

ったサイン

を考かんが

えてくれました。

My teammates have thought up blocksigns (gestures) for me.

How do you understand your team-mates’ directions during play?

Interviewer Taka

隆たか

幸ゆき

さんにはいい仲なか

間ま

がいま

すね。

みんなのおかげで、アメフット

をやっていて困こま

ることはほとん

どありませんでした。

Thanks to them, I've almost never felthandicapped while playing football.

It sounds like you’ve got some goodfriends.

Interviewer Taka

x i x i x i x i

x i x i x i x i

x i x i

チームの成せい

績せき

はどうですか。高こう

校こう

2年ねん

生せい

と3年ねん

生せい

のとき全ぜん

国こく

優ゆう

勝しょう

しました。本ほん

当とう

に最さい

高こう

の

思おも

い出で

です。

Interviewer Taka

How is your football team’s record? We won the national championships inmy second and third years of highschool. To me these are precious mem-ories.



x i x i x i x i







Discussion Points/Class Ideas by Fujimitsu Yuko, Japanese Language Advisor, The JapanFoundation Manila Office in the Philippines, Former Japanese Language Advisor of TheJapan Foundation; Aukland ACENZ in New Zealand

. ⁄3

⁄0 ⁄4

⁄1 ⁄5

⁄2 ⁄6

were a little nervous, asking questions like, “Whatshould I do if I run out of money?” and “Are there pick-pockets in Japan?”

I called on some local Japanese residents to play therole of immigration officials, (see photo) having themask basic interview questions using Japanese the stu-dents had studied, like “Name?” “What do you want todo in the future?” and so on. In place of an immigrationstamp in their passports, students received a number ofsushi stickers based on the results of their interview.

When we “arrived” in Japan, I assumed the role oftour guide and, holding up a flag for the group to fol-low, led them straight away on a shopping excursion.Using the numerical counters and the exchange rate forthe yen and dollar they had been studying, the students“purchased” cards with pictures of goods that had beenprepared in advance. Some students searched for sou-venirs for their parents or homeroom teacher. The mostpopular souvenirs included high-tech devices like theAibo robotic dog, Gameboys, and cameras, as well aslicensed character goods like Doraemon, Pokemon, andTotoro from popular animation videos.

Thinking about Canada and JapanThe gifts the Canadian students chose for their peers inJapan included books and calendars on Canada, stuffedanimals like beavers and bears, ice hockey and basketballparaphernalia, maple syrup, and other items they thoughtwere important in Canada. They told me how they hadto consider a variety of things about Canada as well asJapan. I am thinking about working on an imaginaryhomestay project next, and I would be grateful if the TJFPhoto Data Bank could provide photographs of thingslike the home and school life of Japanese children, theirforms of recreation, how they spend their weekends, etc.

A one-year projectFor my Japanese language class for third-graders, I puttogether a one-year course around the theme of animaginary trip to Japan. Over the course of the year, thechildren thought about what to pack in their luggage,prepared origami wallets with play money, and createdtheir own passports. The handmade passports (seephoto) had spaces for their name (written in katakana),age, year in school, family members, and nationality,which the pupils filled in using Japanese. As they madetheir passports, it was particularly interesting to watchthe children rediscovering and appreciating the fact thatbesides the Canadian students, fully one-third of theclass came from all different places in Europe, Asia, theUnited States, and elsewhere.

Departure dayOn the day of the trip, the children set off from the “air-port.” In preparation for this day, I sent out an invitationto their parents and guardians that read, “As we will bedeparting for Japan on an 11 a.m. flight on March 8th,we would like to invite those who are able to come andsee us off at 8:30 a.m. from St. Michaels UniversitySchool International Airport.” The students packed theirown luggage in a suitcase (an empty shoebox wrappedand tied in a furoshiki cloth), which they had preparedfor this day, and assembled at the airport (the schoolgymnasium). Perhaps because I had some older stu-dents there to give airport announcements in Englishand French, which made it feel more realistic, the stu-dents seemed to forget it was an imaginary trip and

An Imaginary Trip to Japan


12

Guiding Principle:I wish to have the Japanese language and culture becomepart of our students’ lives rather than simply a classroomsubject. It is satisfying to see students greet Japanese guestseasily in their own language, but even more interesting to watch them bow unaffectedly in the Japanese manner. For me, Happy Mother’s Day sounds like Happy Birthday orHappy New Year, so, I suggested in Japanese class that wemake a card saying Thank you Mother, as we do in Japan.The youngsters thought this was “cool,” and several parentsspoke to me about what a pleasant surprise this differentapproach was. By encouraging involvement from parents,other teachers, and individuals in the community we can fos-ter an open mind toward other cultures, people, and ideas.

Eiko Takuma LarsenSt. Michaels University School, British Columbia, Canada

Voices

“Immigration”

A handmade passport

On the round, round Earth In the wide, wide universeAn itty bit of kindnessCan become a whole lotta love

Because this feeling’s trueI want it to grow and spreadIf it doesn’t happen today,Someday soon 'd be O.K.

Even if I can’t put it in wordsEven if we are apartI'll try to believeIn telepathy

Rather than blaming someoneRather than shedding tearsIt’s better to love yourself

Even an itty bitty babyCries and cries with all its mightYou and me, and me and youShould search with all our mightAnd discover what we can do

モーニング娘むすめ

。Morning Musume: With a little effort, anyone can shine


13

Japanese Culture Now

The group of teen pop stars known as Morning Musume hasbrought high spirits and optimism to Japan as the country lan-guishes in a long-drawn-out recession. With sales topping 1.6million CDs for their hit single “Love Machine” in 1999, thegroup has hooked a broad fan base, from children to adults.

Morning Musume is composed of teenage girls who don’tmake the final round in the television program ASAYAN,which features aspiring young music stars auditioning for achance at fame and fortune. In other words, the group is “acollection of scraps from the cutting-room floor.” What hastransformed these girls into a group of popular teen idols istheir producer Tsunku, who composes the group’s songs andwrites the lyrics himself.

In his book LOVE ron [Theory of Love], Tsunku explains, “In this world, only a handful of people are geniuses.Ninety-nine percent of us are ordinary people, who, no

matter how hard we try, will never be prodigies. Everyone,however, has at least one strong suit. And depending onthe effort invested in those abilities, I believe anyone canexcel and even beat out the natural prodigies of the world.

Most important is how you go about finding and cul-tivating your particular strengths. If you can discover whatyou have a knack for and develop it yourself, peoplearound you, even if they think you odd at first, will even-tually come to appreciate the appeal that your special abil-ity gives you. It does not matter how many deficiencies orcomplexes you have, as long as you excel in at least onearea.”The secret to Morning Musume’s success is that the mem-

bers accept themselves for who they are, and give their all towhat they do. By keeping the group going, that is the messageTsunku wanted to send to the people of Japan.

All alone and nothing to do tonightAm I the only one feeling lonely? Ooh ahYou message me a little note, so sillyAs to make me laughBut I just can’t stop cryingOh, thank you

No one knows me better ’n me, soNo one’s gotta believe in me more ’n me!

Life is wonderful!Hey, why not try meeting someone newAnd falling in love?Ah, it’s amazing! With all your heartYou can laugh, you can cry

Some days it’s scary to talk to that someone,But I’ll gather my courage and speakAbout me

There are sunny days aheadAnd some days the rain’s gonna fallSo, hey, one day it'll all work out!

Life is wonderful!Hey, even if you take the same old path,Try finding something newOh, amazing! Oh, make it a pathToward a meeting with that someone

でっかい宇う

宙ちゅう

に愛あい

があるLove in an Infinite Universe

(music and lyrics by Tsunku)

As a song to aid the charity program 24 HourTelevision, this tune was sung by a large numberof people using sign language while singing thewords. Released in July 2001.

I WISHI Wish

(music and lyrics by Tsunku)

This song will cheer you up when you’refeeling lonely. Many fans say it is theirfavorite. Released in September 2000.

JASRAC出 0309278-301

Morning Musume Website（zetima Online) ➮ http://www.zetima.co.jp/artist/Morning/

If you would like to obtain CDs by Japanese vocal artists, please check the following sites.

➮ amazon.co.jp（http://www.amazon.co.jp/）➮ Fujisan.com（http://www.fujisan.com/）

Phot

os:z

etim

aIn

c.

True E Book is an online system that allows you to readbooks and periodicals over the Internet just as thoughyou were leafing through their pages. Beginning inOctober 2003, the most recent four issues of the TJFNewsletter will be made available on the website in TrueE Book format. Since we will continue to publish a PDFversion of the newsletter on the website, you can selectthe file type that meets your needs—True E Book forreading or PDF for saving and making changes.

Here are some of the advantages of True E Book: 1)documents can be viewed without the need for specialplug-in software, 2) reading pages of a document feelslike reading an actual book, 3) documents can beenlarged with a click of the mouse to display small printclearly, and 4) documents load quickly.

The Hidamari site provides information, primarily forJapanese language teachers at secondary schools inChina, but much of which teachers and students in

other regions will find useful as well. It is now possibleto view the contents of every Hidamari newsletter pub-lished to date. Please take a look. In connection with theXiaoxi website, (which provides support for Chineselanguage teachers in Japan), this site aims to create aspace for exchange between those studying and teach-ing the Chinese and Japanese languages.

❖ Gomura Chizuko (Australia): This is a lesson planbased on the Queensland, Australia syllabus. Teachersfrom Queensland should be sure to take a look.

❖ Lynn Sessler (U.S.A.): This lesson plan is aimed atelementary school students. Cooperating with home-room teachers and linking to curriculum content are twoof its notable features. It places emphasis on studyingthe photo panels and using imagination without the useof textual information.

❖ Yabe Mayumi (Japan): In this lesson plan, studentscompare the photos in Deai with photos of Japan fromseveral decades ago (worksheet included). Students per-form the same activity for their own culture, thinkingabout how their culture has changed or remained thesame over the generations.

❖ Hatasa Yukiko, Hanzawa Chiemi, Kawano Yoko(U.S.A.): This is a lesson plan by Hatasa Yukiko, one ofthe authors of the Nakama textbook, using the Deaiphoto series together with the Nakama textbook. Stu-dents learn about cultural aspects of Japan, especiallythose relating to Japanese high school students. A vari-ety of activities help to emphasize cultural under-standing, and assist student practice of languagefunctions. All activities include detailed worksheets,such as floor plans for the Deai students’ rooms andmaps of their neighborhoods.

❖ Yazawa Michiko (Canada): “The Meaning of Fash-ion” is a unit plan on the theme of clothing. Afterstudying basic nouns and verbs associated with cloth-ing, students engage in content-based studies on top-ics like kimono, the pros and cons of uniforms, and


14

TJF WebsiteNewly Uploaded

View the TJF Newsletter as a True E Book!http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/ce/ce04nletter.htm

Deai Website: New Sample Lesson Plans

Hidamari website renovated and reopened!http://www.tjf.or.jp/hidamari/index.htm

their personal fashion preferences. Ultimately, this les-son gets students thinking about clothing and encour-ages critical thinking.

In the lesson plan “The Deai Students and Trans-portation,” students re-examine how they look at mapsby looking at maps of the world produced in differentcountries. Students also compare and contrast thenature of transportation facilities in Japan and their ownculture by studying the ways that the Deai studentscommute to school.

❖ Sachiko Omoto Renovich (Canada): This is anactivity plan on the theme of health. Students compareand contrast how people in Japan and Canada promotehealthy lifestyles. They discuss their own lifestyles incomparison with those of their peers and determinetheir own health levels (a worksheet for calculatinghealth is included).

❖ Mieko Fedrau (Canada): This Deai activity wasplanned to provide students with an oral presentationactivity before the oral final exam in the final year of theInternational Baccalaureate Japanese AB Initio pro-gram. The presentation topics include “First impres-sions,” “Where the Deai students live,” “Introducing aDeai student,” etc.

❖ Ryumon Akiko (Australia): Learners will learnabout the Deai students, compare the Deai studentswith themselves, and then write a letter to one of theDeai students.

❖ Pamela Carpenter (Australia): Students learn abouthow Yu spends her lunchtime by predictions based onYu’s photo panels and by reading what she reports abouther lunchtime. They gain first-hand information abouthow Yu and her friends spend their lunchtime and aninsight into the level of language required to “belong”to such a group and the topics it might discuss.

❖ Ayumi Dalpadado (Australia): Reading and lis-tening to the Deai students’ self-introductions on CD-ROM 2, students present the personal profile of theirchosen Deai student to the class. After researching the

places mentioned by the Deai students on the CD-ROM, students also write a postcard to their class-mates in Japanese.

This newsletter is published and distributed by

Shinjuku Dai-ichi Seimei Bldg. 26F 2-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-0726, JAPAN

ISSN 1342-4238

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Nakano Kayoko

Editing and Translation: Center for InterculturalCommunication

DTP: Iino Noriko (The Japan Forum)

Design Format: Suzuki Hitoshi

The TJF Newsletter follows the practice of placing the Japanese surname first.


15

Bulletin from TJF

Do you need photos for your class?Then, send in your requests!

TJF has plans to add to the Photo Data Bank(http://databank.tjf.or.jp/intro_e.html)photographs depicting the daily lives of ele-mentary school students in Japan, particu-larly annual events like school entranceceremonies and sports days. If there is aphoto you’d like us to provide, please sendyour request to [email protected]

The TJF photo contest began six years ago as an effort to haveJapanese high school students present images of their daily livesand lifestyles through photographs and short messages to peersoverseas. These photographic and text messages have been madeavailable overseas through the publication of The Way We Are,compiled annually from the entries submitted to the contest.Here I would like to look back at how the “we” in this project hasevolved over the years.

At the first stage of this project, the “we” meant, needless tosay, the Japanese high school students. The photographers por-trayed the ordinary day-to-day lives of their subjects and them-selves through photographs, and the emphasis at this stage of theproject was specifically on introducing images of Japanese highschool students to audiences overseas.

As these photographs from Japan reached students and otherreaders overseas, the Japan Forum gradually began to receivephotographs of high school student readers responding in kindto what they had seen. In The Way We Are we began to introducesnapshots of students overseas as well. This showed that the pro-ject was not only transmitting overseas messages of Japanese stu-dents but had developed a new interactive dimension. Theproject had developed to the stage of casting aside the rigidJapan-vs.-overseas framework. Now the “we” in The Way We Aremeant high school students living on this same globe in thesesame times. Assuming importance at this stage of the project wasthe nurture of a shared consciousness of “we” in this sense, alongwith the opportunity to think about the commonalities and dif-ferences among ourselves and learn to live better with them.

We need to rethink ourselves in the context of our relationsand associations with others in a way that will allow us to reallyface others and deepen our understanding of them. That processcan begin, however, by looking at our relations with those whoare already close to us. Before attempting to establish under-standing of cultures overseas or people raised against the back-drop of other cultures, we realized, it is important to make thisproject highlight the process by which Japanese students culti-vate relations with others close to them. Establishing links withpeers of the same generation overseas has to be an extension ofthat effort. The “we” in the photo collection title, in other words,has also come to mean the two people—photographer and sub-ject—who deepen their relationship in the course of creating anentry for the photo contest.

The students are part of a larger, overlapping “we” whichsometimes means “me and my friend,” “students in my school,”“students in Japan,” or “students living on this same globe inthese same times.” Today as well, these meanings of “we”aresimultaneously carried on in the TJF photo contest. The inter-twining of these meanings demonstrates precisely the nature ofcultural exchange and of international understanding. TJF willcontinue to work to create forums where young people can getideas to build various forms of solidarity among themselves inwhich they feel themselves to be part of “we.”

f eNakano KayokoSecretary-general

From the Editor

Shinjuku Dai-ichi Seimei Bldg. 26F2-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo 163-0726, JAPAN

The Evolving Meaning of “We”

Feature: The Way We Are 2002 Completedc “Oideyasu”(“Welcome” in Kyoto dialect) they all...

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