by 1998 GSE team member Keisuke Kaneshige
"Hello, my name is Keisuke Kaneshige. But I think it is difficult for you to say my name, so please call me K.C. It's my nickname from when I lived in the US as a child."
My conversations in Arkansas always began with this sentence. Arkansas, as its nickname "The Natural State" implies, is blessed with abundant natural beauty. Getting to spend a month in this wonderful place was a tremendous experience for me. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to GSE Committee chairman Matsuoka, to all those involved in the GSE program, to the members of R.I. D-2660, and, above all, to the president of my company, Mr. Kimura, for allowing me to take a whole month off from work (and actively encouraging me to participate in the GSE program).
This wasn't my first trip to America
I think the main purpose of the GSE program is to give the team members an opportunity to experience life in a different culture. Such an experience does much to make us more rounded people. With this in mind, my purpose in joining the GSE team was a bit different than that of my team members. This is because when I was an elementary school student, I lived in the United States for three years, so I have already experienced life in America and have a good knowledge of American customs. Of course, I was only a child at the time, and I went to Arkansas as a working person, so there was a big difference in the way in which I looked at things this time around. When I was a child, we lived in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., which is geographically quite different than Arkansas. Even so, compared to the other four team members, I obviously was much more familiar with American culture than they were.
So then, what was the purpose of my participation in this study tour? Since I was coming from a completely different outlook on things, just what was my goal in going? Throughout the month-long study tour, this question was always on my mind. Of course, the fact that I was looking at American culture, not as a child, but as a working adult made it a deeply meaningful experience. But, in addition to this, I came to realize, after about the first two weeks of the trip, that this study tour was a nostalgic journey during which I was recalling fond memories of a place in which I have roots. America played a big role in making me the person that I am, and as I was again able to feel and recall the culture and social life in America, I believe this trip took on a deeper meaning because it was during this trip that I discovered myself.
The purpose of my vocational study
I work in the distribution department of Miki House, a famous Japanese manufacturer of children's clothing and children's goods. The main theme of my vocational study on this trip, however, was children's education. One of the purposes of the GSE program is to give working professionals an opportunity to expand their knowledge in their field of expertise. For me, however, it was to aid me in gaining the knowledge I will need for my work in the future.
I am in charge of the distribution department at the moment, but originally, I joined the company with the hope of being involved in children's education. Now, three years after entering the company, I have been told that I will one day be moved to the publishing department (at least that's what my superior has told me). I majored in education in university, and getting to see American education firsthand is a very valuable opportunity. I was sure that this trip would do much to expand me in my field of expertise.
In regard to my working in the publishing department one day, I thought it would be nice if I could learn some things about the American publishing industry during this trip. But after arriving in Arkansas, I learned that because Arkansas is more or less "in the country," there are almost no publishers there. I learned that American publishing houses are highly concentrated in the nation's larger cities. I was surprised to learn that even though America is a tremendously information-oriented society, (with the same level of information being dispersed to the rural regions as is found in urban areas), and even though there are companies establishing ventures in the countryside and large manufacturers are moving their headquarters out of the big cities, the publishing industry is still concentrated in the larger cities. I wondered if this is because there is truly a need for them to be concentrated thus, or if they are just behind the times. Of course, if given the opportunity, I was also looking forward to learning about my present work in merchandise distribution.
Pre-departure preparations and our self-introduction video
I honestly believe that our GSE trip was, without a doubt, a great success for each of the team members, each of the Rotary Clubs involved, and for Japan and America as well, and I am not merely singing my own praises when I say this. I believe the trip succeeded due to the fact that the preparations for this GSE trip included the selection of the four of us as the team members and Mr. Nomura as the team leader. In addition, the preparations that were made before the five of us left for Arkansas also played a large part in assuring the success of our trip. But above all, it was the self-introduction video we prepared for this trip that played the greatest role in making our trip a success.
Of course, we were required to attend a number of Rotary Club meetings in Arkansas as part of our cultural exchange. At first, we thought that it would be fine if our presentation consisted of our each giving self-introductions followed by our singing some songs. But when the Arkansas GSE team came to Japan, Bob Alvey and the others gave a video presentation utilizing computer-generated materials, and we all felt that we, too, needed to put together some kind of a visual presentation. So we used their presentation as a reference, and began to make our own video. I would like to mention a little bit now about the video presentation we put together. We were given 30 minutes for the presentation, and this is what we came up with.
Our presentation
First, team leader Nomura greeted everyone and introduced each of the team members. Then he used a map of Japan as he talked about the geography of Osaka (5 min.). Next, we showed the video. The part about Osaka was edited from a video produced by Osaka City (30 sec.), and this was followed by our individual self-introductions (3 min. per person for a total of 15 min.). Photos selected by each of the team members were shown while we talked about ourselves, the things we hoped to learn and our goals for the trip. After the self introductions were finished, the video played a song that we all thought would be the most appropriate for such an occasion, "Furusato" (My Hometown), during which we all sang along with the video (3 min.). In the background, we showed Osaka Castle, the Tenjin Festival, and other representative sights. Before we sang the song, we introduced it by saying, "The name of this song is 'My Hometown,' and as the name implies, it is a song which invokes feelings of homesickness in us Japanese. It was sung at the closing ceremony of the Nagano Winter Olympics this year. We have chosen to sing it here because it is our hope that Arkansas will become our second 'hometown.'" This all took about 25 minutes, and the remaining time was given over to receiving questions from the audience.
The video presentation was liked by all and highly praised, with some people flattering us by saying, "It was the most wonderful GSE presentation we've ever seen!" The final version of the video was slightly better organized than what we had come up with at first, and it was the result of repeated editing. We are all deeply grateful to Ms. Sakagami (who single handedly edited the video) for all the hard work she put into producing the video and making it the success it was.
The beginning of my month in America
On May 3, we arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas in the evening to begin our month-long stay in Arkansas. My heart was filled with expectation and uneasiness as I wondered just how much I would be able to take in during the next month.
Actually, I had previously had the experience of spending a month in the United States. When I was in university, for my graduation trip I spent one month traveling across America. I wanted to experience the country in which I had lived as a child, so I chose America, but the trip that time was a round-trip, cross-country automobile trek. I rented a car, and with a few friends, we drove from Los Angeles to Florida, and then back to Los Angeles. It was a rather selfish trip, filled with the romance of traveling across the country, and we had a lot of fun. We went where we wanted to go, spent the night at places we decided upon that day on the spur of the moment, and I gained a lot from the experience. But when I arrived in Arkansas, I told myself that I was going to make sure this trip was at least as good as the earlier one, and in fact I was determined to make it incomparably more fulfilling.
After a reunion with Bob at the airport, I got into his car and went to the hotel where we were to spend the night. On the way, when I told him of my determination to make this a meaningful trip, he said, "Don't worry! This next month is going to be chock full of meaningful experiences that you will never forget!"
We visited many places
We traveled around 7 cities in the northeastern part of Arkansas during our trip (Heber Springs, Searcy, Jonesboro, West Memphis, Osceola, Blytheville, and Little Rock) and stopped in a number of other towns along the way, and we had 8 homestays. We attended 18 Rotary Club meetings, the D-6150 district conference, a number of dinner parties, and innumerable places for our study. The month passed by in the twinkling of an eye. If I could, I would talk about all of the places I visited, but I can't; so I will just mention those that left the deepest impression on me.
Eight homestay families
It would be quite difficult to try to explain just what it's like to have a homestay in just a couple sentences, so I'll discuss my experiences and how I was welcomed into those homes by referring to the entries I made in my diary at the time. Those entries were as follows:
Our first day's plans are over, and all that remains is to wait for our homestay families to come and pick us up. I wonder what my first homestay will be like. I'm filled with anticipation and uneasiness. The homestay families are arriving here at the office one at a time. After greeting their guests, they take off for home. Ahh, it looks like my host family is here.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. My name is Keisuke. Please call me K.C. Thank you for your kindness in taking care of me for the next three days." Following our introductions, they put my huge suitcase and backpack into the trunk of their car. It's a high-class Lincoln Continental! Rotarians are different, aren't they? My host family consists of Tom and Audrey, who live in Heber Springs, whose residents are mostly retirees. They are both about the age of my grandparents.
"So, K.C., you're a teacher, right?" The self-introductory information they received must have a mistake in it, I thought. When I looked at the pamphlet, it said I was a teacher or had worked as a teacher (I was just in the education department at university), and that I was working at a publishing company (actually it's a children's clothing company), but there's nothing I can do about the mistakes now. After clearing up the mistakes, the car arrived in front of a big house.
"Well, we're here. For the next three days, this house is your home. Try not to worry about anything, and just relax. And if you need anything at all, just let us know." It's a huge house. You would never think that just an elderly couple lives here. The outside is brick, with a large front lawn, and there's a large garage in the middle section of the house. A typical American home. After being encouraged to go in, I was momentarily enveloped in feelings of nostalgia. Thoughts of my childhood in America flooded my mind.
They took me to one of the rooms in their house. It's my room. Most American homes have a guest room, and this is such a room. It's about 20 tatami mats in size (Japanese rooms are often sized by the number of rice straw mats it takes to cover the floor space), with a double-bed, dresser, and even a sofa. There are pretty pictures on the wall, and photo frames on the dresser and table. It is very common for American's to place pictures of their loved ones around the home like this. When I asked who the people were, they answered happily, "This is our daughter, and this is my mother, and --" Americans sure are proud of their family.
Tom spoke up, "Well this is your room, so why don't you open your luggage, and change into something more comfortable. If you want to organize your things, that's fine, or if you're tired and want to rest, that's fine too. If you're not that tired, we can have something to drink together and talk if you'd like. And we can show you around the house."
I was a bit tired, but communication is important, so I decided to talk. I listened to Tom and Audrey while enjoying a Coke. "The drinks are in here, and you can have whatever you like. And the snacks are on this shelf here, so have what you like. Anyway, think of it as your house, and try to feel at home." Maybe I seemed a bit nervous, since they emphasized that I should relax.
They showed me around the house. First, my bathroom. In America, the toilet and bath are in the same room. Like a hotel room in Japan, but much larger. I was shocked to learn that the guest room has its own private bathroom! After taking a peek at their bedroom, I was shown the dining room and living room. The rooms are so spacious, with no resemblance whatsoever to the small, cramped rooms in Japanese homes. When we went out onto the veranda from the living room, there before me was a forest and a lake behind it! I was speechless. There is a barbecue grill on the veranda. I wonder if they're planning to cook steak on it tonight.
"I hear that Japanese like fish, but how about meat?" they asked. I guess they have their own image of what a Japanese person is like. I had to try to dispel their misunderstanding even though it was dinner time.
In the basement there is a playroom with a billiard table, a huge stereo system and wide screen TV. It's their room for enjoying movies and music. There's also a soft, cushy sofa. In the next room, which resembles a garage, is the downstairs refrigerator and a big motorboat. It seems that they go to the lake sometimes. Next to this room is a small room. It's the computer room. Audrey uses it mostly, and it seems that in America, even grandmothers surf the Internet and get information. I can really sense how much America has become an information society.
"Well, it's dinner time. What would you like to do? Are you hungry? If not, we can eat after you've rested a while. When do you usually eat dinner?" they inquired. I wanted to eat dinner at a normal hour since I usually get home late from work, and eat sometime between 11:00 and 12:00 at night. I knew they were both hungry since it was their dinner time, so we ate right away. When I told them when I usually eat, they were dumbfounded.
While Audrey was getting dinner ready, Tom and I talked while watching TV. Tom got out a photo album, and we talked about our families, America, Japan, how crazy it is for Japanese to work such long hours, and lots of other things. I went and got some souvenirs I had brought from Japan. I brought mostly things that gave a feel of Japan (but didn't take up much space in my suitcase), such as Japanese folding fans, toothpick holders, scent bags, etc., and when I gave him some of these things, he was overjoyed. Also, when I showed him how to fold cranes with multi-colored Japanese paper, he was thrilled. Audrey stopped what she was doing, and came in to join in the conversation, so dinner was a little late. Then dinner was made, and---
And so my homestay experience began. Up until I joined this GSE program, I had never once had a homestay. Had it occurred in Japan, I still would have been nervous staying at the home of complete strangers, yet I was going to do it in America where I was unable to speak fluently in English. When I first thought about all of this, I was worried, but looking back on things now, I can see that those concerns were completely groundless. Of course, compared to staying in a hotel, I had to be careful about things much more. I had a difficult time asking to have something washed. And even though I was tired out by the day's events, and would have preferred to have gone to my room to rest, I had a difficult time knowing the right timing to say, "Well, I think it's time for me to get some rest." Still, I'm sure that I received much more in return.
And what I received was the chance to see "American culture" firsthand by living with American people. If I had spent my whole month living in a hotel, I would not have been able to learn much about American culture. Being able to get an inside look at an American home is surely a valuable experience. I was able to see just how important the family is to Americans, and to see how precious their time together as a family is. Of course, work is work, and they pour their energy into their jobs and make the most of their time at work. But when work is over, they leave their work behind ,and enjoy eating dinner together. Their days off are not for resting their bodies; they are for spending time with their family. This is because they are taking time away from relaxing with their family when they go to work on the weekdays.
It's sad that here in Japan, such an outlook is lacking in the older generation, at least. Seeking self-realization in one's work is not a bad thing in and of itself. It's only natural. But if that is the only thing you pour your energy into in life, isn't what my host family said true? "K.C., I think such a lifestyle is too unbalanced." The purpose of one's life is found in working to make your life fulfilling and productive, and your job, family and friends all play an important role in this.
I realize that there are various value systems in the world, and when we Japanese think of wanting to leave behind our "footprints," or legacy for later generations, we have the idea that we can do that by devoting ourselves to our work. But when I heard the following words, I found my value system beginning to change. "K.C., isn't the greatest legacy you can leave behind your children?" These words were spoken by Ron in Little Rock, and when he spoke them, it was as if I had been hit in the head with a hammer. No matter how successful a person is at his job, even if he becomes a company president, prime minister or president, if he doesn't raise his children properly, he will be filled with regret. But if a man raises his children in such a way that they can stand before anyone and not cause him any shame, regardless of how successful he may or may not be in his job, that man can leave this world satisfied and content.
I think I was able to have such deep conversations because of the fact that I was able to have homestay experiences. Even more than all of the places I was able to visit during my study, I think I learned more from my conversations with my host families than from anything else.
Tom and Audrey in Heber Springs, Comer in Searcy, Steve in Jonesboro, Bruce and Kay in West Memphis, Danny and Melinda in Osceola, Bill in Blytheville, Ron in Little Rock, and Paul and Rebecca, you all received me with southern hospitality and that special American goodness, and I will forever be grateful to you for all you did for me. I want to take this opportunity to say again, "Thank you very much! I will never forget you all!"
During my GSE trip, I visited a total of 18 educational facilities. They were quite varied, from kindergartens, day-care centers, elementary schools, middle schools, junior high schools and high schools, to universities, children's museums, and educational research centers (or something like this), and I learned many things from my visits. I cannot introduce all of them to you, but I would like to share with you those things which made the greatest impression on me.
The thing that impressed me most was the extent to which computers have become a way of life in America. Of course, university students are using computers, but I saw computers in elementary schools and even in kindergartens! There is just no comparison to Japan in regard to the degree to which computers have pervaded the American educational system. In elementary schools, there are one to two computers in each classroom, and there are even computer classrooms for the children to learn to use computers. The classrooms I saw contained about 30 computers, and the students also use computers in their language and arithmetic classes. In elementary school, more than just teaching the children how to use computers, the computers are used in the various classes as part of the students' classroom education, to stimulate student interest and to make the classes more effective (teachers are using a system that enables them to adjust their approach to match the ability of each individual student, meaning that they can proceed with new points or go back and review until the students understand). The schools are placing emphasis on helping their students become familiar with computers so that they will not lack the skills needed to succeed in the computerized society of today and the future. Depending upon the school, some schools are using computer textbooks prepared by the state (!!!) and others are using software they have decided upon after looking through all that is available on the market. I was really shocked to find that the state goes so far as to even put together texts for the children to use in computer classes, and I felt very strongly how far behind Japan is lagging in this regard. Moreover, as is to be expected from America, the curriculum is also humorous and no less interesting than commercially produced software. Also, when the children use computers, the class is not standardized, but, rather, the computers can be set internally to adjust to the level of the individual student. This means the students can learn without being forced. It appears that in such a class, students can go back over their weak areas and practice until they master the point, and in the average class some students become extremely proficient in using a computer.
When the students get into junior high school, their abilities expand to a higher level. Before I discuss this point, I would like to mention a little bit about American middle schools. A middle school is somewhere between an elementary school and a junior high school. In Japan, it would be the 4th and 5th grades, or just the 6th grade, or even the 6th and 7th grades. It depends upon the school's locality. Of course, there are regions that do not have middle schools, but almost all the school districts in Arkansas have them. It seems that the middle school was developed in order to help eliminate the differences in the level of education between schools for those students graduating from elementary school and entering junior high school. Originally, due to the fact that elementary schools for white and African American students were often segregated to some extent, these schools were established with the goal of getting white and black students to study together. Today, the effectiveness of this policy is evident. When students of the same grade level are gathered together from all the schools in the region, it is easy for experimental educational programs to be tested out, and this way of doing things has been evaluated highly.
Anyway, in these middle schools, the computer education is a little more advanced. The students learn how to use the Internet, communicating with schools all over the world, and even carry out joint projects with these other schools (such as studying the weather conditions at various schools, or linking up with cooking classes from other countries and giving reports based on the information gathered from around the world, etc.). At this level, the students grow familiar with computers.
Then, when the students enter high school, they begin to learn to type, and the schools offer classes to teach them how to use Microsoft Word and Excel, PageMaker and other different software programs. Also, some schools even have their students put together their own graduation albums on their computers, which helps to raise the students' computer skills to an even higher level.
And in university, it is assumed that all the students can handle a computer, and all the students are recommended to bring their own laptop computer to school. These days, the computer has already become a tool that enables people to do what they want to do. America (which has a highly developed information society) is very different from Japan (which still has to encourage self-study of computers). I couldn't help but feel that, as one might expect, America clearly understands the good points of computers, realizes the need for students to be able to use computers, and has developed programs to meet this need.
When I shared my surprise at seeing how far ahead America is in regard to teaching children about computers, one elementary school principal said to me, "It's ironic that, despite the fact that Japan is a leading country in the field of computers, America is far ahead in regard to computer education." This visit to America made me feel very keenly that in many, many respects, the Japanese educational system could learn from the American system, which has taken into account the latest technological advances.
Besides this, American schools make use of a wide variety of educational approaches, and the difference between the American way and the Japanese way, in which the students are made to sit and listen to textbooks being read and to do meaningless group presentations, is so very, very clear. In the social studies classes, in order to learn about other countries, each class studied about one specific country, and at the end of their studies, they held a kind of cultural festival based on the country they studied. Family members and people working in the field of education are invited to these festivals, and the students give presentations.
In mathematics classes, the students are divided up into small groups, and they make up games based upon the various mathematical principles (such as figures, or numerical formulas, etc.). Then they hold a kind of mathematics festival. They set up different booths, and invite their family and friends to come and play the games they made. Such free ideas are wonderful, and I would love to tell you more about what I saw, but I must end with this summarized explanation.
On the whole, I felt that the teachers I met at the various schools were all quite free to do what they wished, but I think the educational administration also has something to do with it. With each of the schools developing their own unique curriculum, if they can gain the parents' sympathy and attract more students, the amount of money they receive from the school district will increase. And if the school districts can attract more students, they will receive more money from the state. This type of system provides fertile soil for each community to develop its own unique educational approach. American schools have now entered a era of competition.
At the same time, schools still need more money for education, so they have contracted with Pepsi Cola to place drink machines in the school cafeterias. Pepsi gives the schools from between several tens of thousands of dollars to several hundreds of thousands of dollars just to put the machines in the cafeterias. It seems that the children grow to like Pepsi products, and begin drinking them at home as well. This arrangement helps create a present and future consumer base, and the schools are also glad to receive the money. What an American way of mutual cooperation! Here in Japan, we don't have the need to go to such lengths to raise money for our schools, but it can also be said that neither do we have the rich, fruitful education system that America has.
Also, the average school has facilities and programs for the physically and mentally challenged, and the children learn to live side by side with them and to create a pleasant and friendly environment for them (for example, the school buildings are designed to make it easy for the physically challenged to get around). Also, exceptionally good students also have a special class set up for them (the Gifted and Talented), and in some schools, there are special classes (Intensive Learning Centers) provided where teachers can work with those students who are not adequately stimulated and who cannot keep up with the rest of their class. All of the schools I saw were unique enough that they would be the subject of conversation here in Japan, and they could teach us much. It is unfortunate that I can only introduce a few of these schools in my report, and I am sure that I learned more about education during my one month in Arkansas than I did during my entire 4 years in the education department of my university.
In addition, to a person like myself, whose job is related to children, I was able to glean many meaningful things from my trips to a day-care center, children's museum and other places -- things that, in the future, I hope to see promoted in cooperation with the government and self-governing bodies here in Japan. Wherever I went, the people at those facilities encouraged me warmly saying, "We would be glad to cooperate with you in any way we can to help Japan." It brought tears to my eyes. Without a doubt, such experiences will have a great influence on how I live my life.
In addition to the places I mentioned already, we also visited hospitals, factories, farms, a newspaper, TV station, city hall, and other places during our study tours, and I made many good memories. I was made to think about the differences between medical conditions in Japan and America, shocked by the vast scale on which agriculture is carried out there, and able to walk around inside a TV station. We even had the chance to visit the state capitol building and meet with the governor.
In regard to my work, I hope my company seriously considers moving into the American market. I am sure that it is possible for Miki House to succeed there. In particular, I had the chance to meet a children's clothing buyer, who works for the third largest department store chain in America, and had a chance to talk to him about this possibility. Many of the host families with whom I became good friends, when I told them that I would like to return to America someday with Miki House, said, "If there is anything I can do to help, let me know!" I was so happy to hear them say this, and I believe that someday I will have this opportunity.
On May 31, after one month in Arkansas, we left on a morning flight for New York, a bonus trip from D-2660. It was very sad saying good-bye to everyone. As I think now of Ken, the Arkansas GSE committee chairman, and Larry, the vice-chairman, my eyes are filling with tears. But, I-- no, WE, have made up our minds. One day, without fail, we will return to Arkansas.
The night before we left for New York, we attended a farewell party at a hotel. At that time, we were asked about how we felt as a result of the GSE program and what we had gained through our study trips. The following words came naturally to my lips. "I want to be a bridge between the United States and Japan." It was here, in these words, that I think I found the answer to what I was looking for in this trip to find myself.
As I think back on it now, Inazoh Nitobe (a famous educator and leader in the League of Nations) said a similar thing, and I kind of feel like I'm copying his words, but the era is different. At that time, Japan still did not know much about America, and America did not know much about Japan. Today, things are different. Our countries have an abundance of knowledge about each other. Yet despite this, all kinds of problems still result from tiny misunderstandings. It is because I live in just such an age that people like myself, who are familiar with the cultures of both America and Japan, must become bridges between our two countries.
With this goal held firmly in my heart, I want to grope along and find my own way in life. But, I do believe that one day, I will go to America again -- I will return to Arkansas.
