An Exhilirating Undoukai Experience

It was a fun and exciting day for the teachers, parents and especially the students of Asahi Higashi Shogakko and Shiba Hinotsume Shogakko as they held their annual undoukai last June 7.

Jeremy Vader Kurane, Grade 4, Shintaro Amano, Grade 4, Satoru Watanabe, Grade 2, and Nahid Caguimbay, Grade 1, all of Japanese fathers and Filipino mothers, were among the exuberant faces in the crowd who really enjoyed this undoukai experience. Competition is alive and well even among school kids. Also, it was bonding time in a grand scale for mothers and children!

Mothers Jovy Amano and Jackie Watanabe yelled their hearts out in cheering for their kids' performance. You'd think that mothers ran the races and played in the games, too, at the rate they shouted, yelled and jumped up and down.

"Mas maganda at mas masaya ang undoukai ngayon kesa noong nakaraang taon," said breathless Jovy.

"Parang katulad din ito sa atin sa Pilipinas na may sports fest, nakakatuwa," Jackie expressed in delight.

Relays, rope pulling, pyramids and dance presentations were some of the episodes in this event. A nutritious and satisfying "o-bento" was part and parcel of the undoukai.

Undoukai or "exercise meet" is a common happening and required regimen of Japanese education. It is a yearly, traditional event wherein team spirit and sportsmanship among the students are given emphasis and free rein.Undoubtedly, a fitting time for parents to show support for and participate in their children's education.

*published in the July '08 issue of "Education", Philippine Digest Magazine*

*photos by Florenda Corpuz*

Japan Chairs ASEAN Youth Leaders Summit

The Japan-ASEAN Youth Leaders Summit was held last October 29 at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center.

It was organized as part of the Country Program in Japan under the 34th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program 2007(SSEAYP2007), a diplomatic and cultural course aimed at cultivating the spirit of cooperation among Asian youth participants.

Her Imperial Highness Princess Akishino graced the said event and talked about her experiences when she joined the 14th ship for SSEAYP. She also extended her heartfelt appreciation to the ASEAN embassies and the Japanese cabinet office for making the event possible.

"I am happy that this program includes the Japanese youth to promote cultural exchanges with other ASEAN youths," said the Princess.

Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Office Akihiro Nishimura delivered the opening remarks. The representatives of ASEAN embassies also rendered their speeches and signed the banner with a slogan "Bon Voyage," the symbol of strong and close friendship of ASEAN youths.

The opening ceremony was immediately followed with performances of youth participants of Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Lao P.D.R.,Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines and Japan, respectively.

Apart from this, they will also be involved in activities like institutional visits and home stays in participating countries, discussion groups, cultural presentations, and other goodwill exchanges.

This year's Philippine delegation, "Pagsikat" led by NYC Commisioner Raul Dominic "Dino" Badilla are among the more than 300 Asian youth leaders who will sail the seas onboard Japanese luxury ship Nippon Maru in a cultural exchange program that would last for six weeks.

The program ended with a remarkable presentation as youth leaders and the audience joined together in singing "We Are the World."

Exhibition booths of participating countries were also displayed at the reception hall of the venue.

The SSEAYP is done annualy and is sponsored by the Japanese government and supported by the ASEAN countries.

BRIEF SSEAYP HISTORY

In 1974, the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) was inaugurated, based on a joint statement issued by Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. Brunei Darussalam joined in 1985, Vietnam in 1995, Lao P.D.R. and Myanmar in 1998, and Cambodia in 1999.

*published in the Dec '07 issue of "What's Up", Philippine Digest Magazine*

*photos by Florenda Corpuz*

Yokohama - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

Enchanting Yokohama, on the western coast of Tokyo Bay, is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture and Japan's second largest city with a population of over three million people, both local and foreign residents.

It served as one of the first ports in the country that opened doors for foreign trade in 1858. Though it suffered a massive decline during the Great Kanto Earthquake, Yokohama, phoenix-like, rose from these havoc and almost completely recovered in 1929 through the strenuous and united efforts of its people.

Tagged as the "maritime city", Yokohama has a blend of eastern and western mystique that is very evident in some of its enticements like the ever-popular Chinatown, which is the largest Chukagai in Japan, with more than 300 restaurants and souvenir shops that offer authentic Chinese cuisine and wares; the famous Yamate district, known in the city for being the foreigners' neighborhood.

Not only that Yokohama is historic, yet modern, but its architectural marvels also entice tourists to visit the place. Among its premier attractions are the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise featuring 14 electrifying rides and a three-story aquarium with more than 500 different kinds of fish; Yamashita Park with its gushy display of the Bay Bridge and ships passing through the port; Landmark Tower, the majestic emblem of Yokohama with its 296 meters tall; Yokohama Cosmo World, an amusement park with its 112.5 meters Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel; Minato Mirai 21, a futuristic district constructed entirely on reclaimed, man-made land boasting its posh hotels, shopping centers, restaurants, convention centers and public parks.

There is Sankeien, a genuine Japanese garden famed for its seasonal flowers: the plum blossoms, cherry blossoms and azaleas; Silk Museum which is one of the rare silk museums in the world; Marine Tower with its 106 meters height and one of the tallest inland lighthouses in the world; Yokohama Park with its beautiful and myriad tulip blossoms; Nippon Maru, a retired four-mast exploration ship.

Night views in Yokohama are also stunning and romantically breathtaking, and are even considered as Japanese Night View Heritages.

How to Get There:

From Tokyo Station, take the JR Tokaido Line, JR Yokosuka Line or the JR Keihin Tohoku Line and get off at Yokohama Station.

*will be published in the Aug '08 issue of "Let's Tour Japan", Philippine Digest*
*Photos by Din Eugenio*

Paninita sa mga Dayuhan, May Limitasyon Ba?

"Sumimasen, gaijin toroku sho motte imasu ka?" ("Excuse me, do you have your alien card with you?"), karaniwan nang maririnig ang mga katagang ito kung ikaw ay masisita ng mga immigration officers o di kaya naman ng mga lokal na pulis na nagkalat sa Tokyo at iba pang lugar dito.

Ang mga paninitang ito ay kadalasang nangyayari sa mga pampublikong lugar tulad ng mga "eki" (train station) at "shotengai" (shopping districts), dahil na rin sa patuloy na pagsuyod ng Immigration Bureau, Justice Ministry at kapulisan sa humigit-kumulang na 260,000 illegal migrants na nandito kabilang na ang mahigit sa 25,000 undocumented na Pilipino.

Marami sa mga Pilipino na nakaranas nang masita ay nakaramdam ng diskriminasyon at kahihiyan dahil sa ginagawang ito ng mga otoridad. Tila ba'y masyado na nilang nasasaklawan ang karapatang-pantao ni Juan dela Cruz at ng iba pang dayuhan dito. Sa mga ganitong pangyayari, may limitasyon ba ang kapulisan sa pagsita sa bawat dayuhang kanilang paghihinalaang overstay?

Ayon sa dating direktor ng Ministry of Justice Immigration Bureau na si Takefumi Miyoshi, walang limitasyon ang otoridad sa kanilang ginagawang paninita sa mga dayuhan at ito'y pinapayagan sa ilalim ng batas.

"This is the last year for the Immigration Bureau to implement their policy of reducing into half the number of illegal migrants here in Japan that began in January, 2004. That is why they are carrying out this policy in whatever possible way they can like questioning and accosting foreigners in public places," saad pa ni Miyoshi.

Oo nga't tumutupad lamang sila sa kanilang mga tungkulin ngunit nararapat lamang na pag-aralan din nilang mabuti kung paano nila ito isasagawa nang hindi naman masyadong nasasaklawan ang karapatang-pantao ng mga Pilipino at iba pang dayuhan na legal namang namimirmihan dito. Ang Japan ay isa ng multi-racial country kaya't natural lamang na marami ng mga dayuhan dito. Kahit tayo'y mga dayo lamang sa bansang ito, aba'y may malaking pakinabang din naman ang pamahalaang Hapon sa atin kaya't nararapat lamang na tayo'y tratuhin ng tama at patas.


*published in the July '08 issue of "Beyond the Horizon", Philippine Digest*

Odaiba - Its Ultramodern Attractions

Where else can you find a man-made island that is an architectural and engineering marvel and a complete futuristic city by itself? Originally constructed as a fort on reclaimed land to defend the city from foreign invasion in the 1850s, Odaiba is the extensive, gleaming artificial island in Tokyo Bay, that is now one of Japan's premier tourist attractions and futuristic business districts.

Derived from a series of six island fortresses, Odaiba was built in 1853 by the Tokugawa shogunate. It underwent massive development from the late 1980s. In 1996, the area was rezoned from just a business district to allow entertainment, pleasure and leisure pursuits.

Odaiba bloomed and was reborn as a tourist and leisure zone, showcasing large hotels, shopping malls, museums and theme parks. Several large companies also moved their offices to the island. Transportation links improved with the connection of the Rinkai Line into the JR East railway network in 2002, and the eastward extension of the Yurikamome to Toyosu in 2006.

Among the many enticements and allures of Odaiba are the magnificent Rainbow Bridge, highly regarded as the symbol and pride of Tokyo Bay; Odaiba Ferris Wheel, Palette Town's highlight and one of the world's largest with its 115 meters height; Tokyo Big Sight, Japan's largest convention center wherein big events are held throughout the year.

Other attractions include the Fuji TV Building, with its exhibitions of popular Fuji TV programs and souvenirs; Decks Tokyo Beach, a three-storied shopping mall that features various stores and restaurants; Aquacity Odaiba, an emporium with a 13-screen cinema complex; Museum of Maritime Science, with its seafaring related exhibits from the past and the future; National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, a highly interactive and bilingual museum that displays space exploration, information technology and the likes; Telecom Center, headquarters to the information highway with its large satellite antennas on the observation deck; Oedo Onsen Monogatari, a hot spring theme park; Palette Town, a shopping and entertainment complex; Venus Fort, a mall in the style of an 18th century South European Town; Mega Web, a showroom, where one can see the latest offering from Toyota.

Even access to Odaiba can be considered an attraction because of its futuristic architecture and city planning.

How to Get There:

Serving Odaiba is the automated Yurikamome Line from Shimbashi and the privately owned Rinkai Line running between Osaki and Shin-Kiba.

Ferries also operate between Tokyo and Odaiba; city buses are also available; it is also possible to cross the Rainbow Bridge on foot by getting off at Shibaura-futo station on the Yurikamome.

*published in the July '08 issue of "Let's Tour Japan", Philippine Digest*

In the Eyes of a Visually Impaired Student

He may appear physically imperfect than most children his age, but his positive outlook in life makes him confident, even unafraid, in dealing with the challenges of his everyday life as a visually impaired student.

Kazuya Sakamoto was born premature, weighing only 600 grams. His mother's vehicular accident during pregnancy lead to his early birth and is also believed to be the cause of his visual impairment. Medical doctors say, visual impairment is vision loss that constitutes a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from disease, trauma, or a congenital or degenerative condition that cannot be corrected by conventional means, including refractive correction, medication, or surgery. There are two categories of visual impairment, those that are partially blind, and those that are totally blind. Kazuya is partially blind.

When he was about one year old, Kazuya underwent eye surgery. Unfortunately, the doctor diagnosed that his blindness, although partial, was already in grave condition so that going under the knife was no longer an option. For 10 years now, he has been suffering from partial blindness. However, this didn't stop him from hoping that one day he would see the beauty of the world with his two eyes. He regularly visits his doctor for eye care.

Now on his 5th grade in Saitama Kenritsu Mogakko, a school for the blind and the disabled, Kazuya attends a special class of 5. Each one of them is assigned a teacher that would monitor their daily performance. He started schooling there when he was only 3 years old. They learned about the institution through their city office which also provides for his school allowances and expenses.

Though partially blind, Kazuya is very active in school. His academic performance is above satisfactory and he is also into in sports, especially marathon. He is a consistent "Best in Penmanship" awardee.

But just like any other visually impaired handicapped, he went through periods of adjustments. He was self-conscious and aloof during his early years in school but as time passed, he was able to overcome the feeling of inferiority and got fully accustomed to his educational setting and the people around him.

On the other hand, his mother Jocelyn also had her share of adjustments and difficulties. She works in an obento yasan on a graveyard shift. Straight from work, she takes her son to school and fetches him after class. Being the devoted mother that she is, she makes sure that she ardently attends to the needs of her son.

"Kailangan ang mga magulang ng mga batang may kapansanan katulad nila ay matiyaga, mahaba ang pasensya at malawak ang pang-unawa. Huwag sila mawawalan ng pag-asa dahil darating ang araw matututo rin ang mga bata sa sarili nila. Mahalagang isaisip at isapuso rin ng mga magulang na ginagawa nila ang sakripisyong ito para sa kinabukasan ng kanilang mga anak," Jocelyn said while holding back her tears.

She firmly believes that sooner than expected, her son would learn to stand on his own and live normal life.

Actually, Kazuya can attend a regular school but he opts to stay in his school because of the love that he has for his classmates and teachers.

His visual impairment is not a hindrance for him to stop believing and dreaming big. And with a firm attitude of courage and perseverance and the spark of knowledge in his eyes, it is not impossible for Kazuya to succeed in whatever endeavor he chooses.

He aspires of becoming a pilot someday.

*published in the June '08 issue of "Education", Philippine Digest*

*photo by Florenda Corpuz*

Hakone - Owakudani ni Yokoso!

Protected by diverse forested mountains and spectacularly accentuated by abyss ravines and glens, Hakone is situated between the Izu Peninsula and Mt. Fuji. Its mild and cool climate and an aura of being cocooned in a special nature's hideaway is the enticing call of Hakone. It is considered a top fave destination among the locals and foreigners alike, offering myriads of attractions including its famous national park, Owakudani.

Owakudani or "The Great Boiling Valley" is a dormant volcanic hot spot made up of sulfurous steam vents that spurt upward and hot springs that bubble out. Divided into 2 parts, the Jikokuzawa and Enmadai, it lies in the ancient crater of Mt. Kamiyama which was formed some 3,000 years ago after its eruption.

Once known as "Oojigoku" or hell, it was renamed "Oowakudani" before the Meiji emperor's visit in 1876 since it was not appropriate for the emperor to go to a place called hell.

Roaming around the vicinity can give one a sight of the marvelous smoking volcano and a smell of themysterious whiff of sulfur. From the parking area, it would take 30 minutes to go up in the mid section ofthe volcano. There one can find a tourist hub that offers various souvenirs and kuro-tamago or black jewel eggs which are a Hakone specialty.

These eggs are cooked in the boiling mud and are believed to be good for the health. Its shells are a marbled black because of the chemical reaction with the sulfurous water but the inside is just delectable. Japanese legend has it that every single black egg eaten will add seven years to one's life thus making the kuro-tamago an unusual favorite Hakone treat. So, beware of eating too many of these black eggs, or you might live to a hundred and five!

Another must see enticement of Owakudani is the statue of Jizouson, the guardian deity of longevity and child-raising and is known in the area for its transcending spiritual power.

Travelers can also come by exhibits and check on Hakone's natural history and geography at the Owakudani Natural Science Museum, open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There are also some souvenir shops like the Owakudani Kanko center and Yu-land that sell traditional handicrafts and genuine native products of Hakone. Aside from the kuro-tamago, palatable foods can also be enjoyed at restaurants like Yunohana.

A breathtaking scenery experience of Mt. Fuji and Nagao Pass also awaits one in Owakudani.

How to Get There:

Take the Hakone ropeway to Owakudani, or take the bus from Odawara Sta. on the JR line, Odakyu line for Kojiri via Owakudani for 45 minutes. And get off at Owakudani.

*published in the June '08 issue of "Let's Tour Japan", Philippine Digest*