Hokkaido Tobetsu High School

Our school visits in Tobetsu began at the Hokkaido Tobetsu High School, an agricultural school. We visited the school greenhouse where they were growing strawberries and flowers. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used in the production. Students do not handle the pesticides but did handle and apply the fertilizer. After picking some strawberries, which were sweet but most likely drenched in toxins, we were taken back into a classroom and greeted by the International Volunteer Club. In Japan, students join clubs – after school activities – not mandatory but highly encouraged. The students in this club made a presentation of the projects they are involved in; “Crean up Project in Tobetsu”, “Make Flower Beds in Park” and “ Donate Blood”, very similar clubs that we have in the United States. The students then demonstrated some Japanese children’s games for us. The next day pictures of the American teachers trying to play the games showed up in the local paper. We then joined a domestic science class, where students learn about early childhood education. A huge paper mache figure of Totoro, my favorite anime character, stood watch over the class. Several students presented their hand puppets that they had made accompanied by sweet songs that told children’s folk tales like the three little pigs. Several girls taught each pair of American teachers how to fold origami cranes and kubatos(hats).