After lunch, we walked over to a local elementary school. It is a merging of 5 schools — declining population in Tokyo has lessened the need for schools — and is a very modern building of six stories (swimming pool on top) and a large track/playground area on roof of third level. We arrived at recess/clean up time when all of the children were supposed to be sweeping but most were running around and acting like kids anywhere. The hard floors and acoustics made it very noisy — most of our group were very shocked at the noise level. Sounded like normal to me.

We went to the cafeteria first where several sixth grade students were cleaning up and stacking chairs. Then we walked through several of the classes, most of which are open to the hallway. We saw some primary kids doing math - they put their hands on their head when they're ready to start a timed test.

Math class; 2nd grade

Then we went through the music class, and outside to see the track and playfield area (which is on the roof of the primary wing. There's a swimming pool on the top floor roof!) We climbed stairs again to get to the 5^th and 6^th grade rooms

Sixth graders with construction

and then retired to a room where we were served tea and listened to the vice principal.

They have 5 periods a day of 45 min each and then "club activities" which include cooking, drums, crafts, sports, etc. It was interesting but hard to hear what we were being told by vice principal who did not speak English and our guide had to translate. We got to see some of the "club" activities before we left.

Drum club; after school activity

Teachers are well paid here compared to the average population, but the elementary teachers sure deserve it. Music and Art specialists only — p.e., and everything else is taught by each teacher with class size up to 40. After 40 they are required to divide into two classes. Students attend school closest to their home until high school, then they can select any in the area. Some high schools are more geared to college entrance, or arts, or business, etc. It is said that the students work so hard through high school to qualify for the "right" college, that when they get there it's "party time" with very little work done.

(I walked back a bit early with Willis (one of our group) who says the students when he went to school (in the 20’s) were much better behaved. He’ll be 87 next month. I hope I’ll still be on trips like this when I’m his age!) We had a good view of the Tokyo Tower between the buildings on the way back.

View of Tokyo Tower between buildings

It looks much better in the sunshine.

After dinner our evening lecture was on the economy of Japan and the changes over the years. Basically they have gone from an agricultural economy to a technological society in 50 years. Quite an accomplishment — but they’re looking at many problems now too.

Afterwards, Mabel and Helen and I walked down to the AM/PM to stock up on junk food, etc. Mariners lost second game — guess I’ll go to bed.

Saturday - Oct. 20

Today is the "free day" where many people could go wherever they wanted or sign up for an optional tour. These are guided by "volunteers" who offer to take us around, mostly for the opportunity to practice their English. The options were for gardens or art museums so I signed up for the Edo Museum which has the history of the city before it became Tokyo. (One of those words that always show up in crossword puzzles — edo)

We were each assigned a guide at 10:00 in the lobby of the hotel and then we all scattered in different directions. There were 6 or 7 of our group going to the Edo museum and we all walked together to the nearest subway stop. Then we took the train to the museum. It is set up very well to show the period with many small models of the old cities and houses.

It started 450 years ago in the small harbor village of Edo when a shogun named Tokugawa founded the military castle and a brand new city for his new regime. Hills were leveled, land reclaimed from the ocean, and aqueducts and roads were constructed. Separate quarters of the city were designated for the warriors, townspeople, etc. and never allowed to change from one class to the other. In time the town became the center of Japan where people, money, and goods accumulated — mainly because the shogun required the military lords to keep their families here. Basically they were held hostage to guarantee loyalty.

In 1657 the Meireki fire burned 60% of the city — densely packed wooden structures spread the fire rapidly. Much was rebuilt but many of the panels and paintings are dated by what they show of the area that wasn’t rebuilt. By the 18th century, during the time of the 8th shogun Tokugawa, the city’s population had grown to about one million. The Nihonbashi Bridge marked the beginning of the five major highways that led to all corners of the land — a replica of this bridge is at the beginning of the tour through the museum - and mileage in Japan is still counted that way. The bridge is very wide — and the streets were often also wide to serve as fire breaks.

Although most of the population lived in very small wooden houses there was a 60% literacy rate — but few books; so the booklender (library) was a going concern.

After our tour of the museum we met at the entrance, hit the gift shop — fascinating little lady doing tiny petti point type work at the entrance

Demonstrating petti-point in gift shop

and six of us had lunch together. (First they tried to seat us in the area where we would be sitting at low tables on the ground but luckily one of our guides objected. Whew!)

Although we had wanted to go to the Oriental Bazaar, our guide said it was too far (actually she just wanted us to see her painting in the art shop at Ginza) so we went to Ginza for the window shopping — much too expensive there for most of us. However, when we arrived it was some sort of holiday complete with crowds and parades — our guides said they were people from Okinawa (who she thinks are very loud). They were certainly enthusiastic! Pounding drummers and dancers were quite a sight! We lasted about three blocks with the crowd, etc. and decided to head back to the hotel. I needed a nap.

At dinner we were told that we will be leaving at 8 in the morning — luggage down by 7, so tonight is packing and getting ready for Morioka.

Sunday - Oct.21

Since today was our big "travel" day, I don’t think any of us slept well last night. We knew we had to have our luggage down to go on the truck to Marioka by 7 so most of us were afraid of oversleeping. Oh well, we all made it and got checked out and ready for the cab ride to Tokyo station by 8. (This is a good group - no one's ever late for anything, and none seem to be overly obnoxious, which is always a big help.)

Then we caught the 9:00 train — the famous "bullet train" going 240 kilometers per hour (150 mph) . We left the hotel early to make the 9:00 train and it is very comfortable — we watched the cleaning operation because we were a bit early and the seats all turned around automatically so they were facing the right direction.

We are on the way now to Morioka and will have 12 stops along the way. You can feel it pick up speed in the long stretches and really flat out move with very little sway or clickety clack.

Our group inside the train

We were all a bit disappointed in our lack of view because we are on the bottom of a two level train. Since there are walls all along the track we can’t see much at all. From what we understand the top level is considered "first class" and is very expensive. I looked up there and they were all sleeping — what a waste!

Our train finally arrived in Marioka at 12:35, and we were met by our new guide, Yukiko. Our Tokyo guide went back on the return trip of the train — so now we start over with a new person.

Yukiko told us we could save time by having our city tour before our orientation — so we drove around to look at a very old bridge over the river and see the salmon spawning , (not many there to see), and to see a lovely garden that used to belong to the local shogan, and then up to the viewpoint over Morioka and their local volcano, Mt. Iwate.

Mt. Iwate overlooking Morioka

Then we stopped to see a huge schrine where there were several children dressed in finest clothing because they are celebrating being 3, 5 or 7 — the Shitzegosan(?) celebration.

These are specially celebrated birthdays for children in Japan because in the past the infant mortality rate was so high, many did not make it to those birthdays.

We then arrived at the hotel for orientation and a video on Morioka. It seems we will have a choice of three different places to eat every day for lunch and dinner. It’s a bit confusing, but we will figure it out I’m sure. We finally got checked into our rooms — our big luggage had already arrived — and we are a bit disappointed because the rooms are smaller and not as nice as the place in Tokyo. Got spoiled, I guess. I did get 2 pillows this time though.

After dinner I walked down a couple of blocks with Liz and Nita from Boise. They were trying to find the 100 yen store — I found it after they had gone on ahead. But I guess they found another one anyway. Too tired and too worried about room in suitcase to shop much — maybe tomorrow.

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