Shoes, Chopsticks, and Buddha – Adventures in Japan

Shoes must be taken off at the door, and chopsticks are used to eat food. Along with 200 other American teachers, I faced these cultural experiences while traveling Japan for three weeks as a guest of the Japanese government and a member of the Fulbright Teacher program. Our purpose on this trip was to be immersed in the culture and to learn about the Japanese educational system.

The "shoe cubby" at a Japanese junior high school

One of my first lessons upon arriving in Japan dealt with footwear. When entering particular Japanese buildings, such as schools, homes, and temples, outside shoes are exchanged for inside shoes. These inside shoes normally resembled slippers, and the slippers never went outside. Japanese people prefer to keep outside dirt out of their buildings. Zones at entryways provide a convenient place where shoes can be swapped.

Japanese students take off their shoes as soon as they enter their school buildings. Shoe cubbies are provided at entryways where their inside slippers wait. The shoe swap takes place, and then students head to class. When the students need to go outside, they switch their shoes again. It’s a never-ending process of taking shoes on and off. As a visitor, I was expected to do the same. Inside slippers were provided for visitors, but I brought my own. My large American feet were not easily accommodated by small Japanese slippers.

My school lunch, including the cuttlefish

Eating with chopsticks is another expectation of a visitor to Japan. I admit that before going to Japan, my ability to eat with chopsticks was poor. But, with nary a fork in sight, I had to quickly master the chopsticks. During a visit to an elementary school, I ate with a group of first grade students in their classroom. They all watched the “American sensei” to see if I could use my chopsticks. Thankfully, I managed the entire meal without a major faux pas, but oh, those kids just waited for me to stumble. Later I realized that I should’ve been more concerned about what was on the menu that day. I ate the school lunch, and the main item was cuttlefish. A Google search revealed that the cuttlefish is a mollusk related to squid and octopus. Thank goodness the cuttlefish on my lunch tray had been deep fried. I have a theory about eating on the road -- I can eat anything, no matter how scary, if it’s deep fried.



One of the many Buddha statues seen in Japan

One of the main religions in Japan is Buddhism. In my mind, I had a picture of what Buddha looked like, so I felt confused by the myriad of statues that I saw in Japan. Which one was Buddha? In time, and after asking questions through various tour guides and translators, I learned that the statues of Buddha do not always appear to look the same. His physical appearance varies from statue to statue. After gaining this bit of information, my sight-seeing in Japan was clearer.

And so, with my shoes off, my chopsticks in hand, and recognizing the Buddha a bit better, I felt more confident with every day I spent in Japan. As those three weeks continued on, I also began to understand and appreciate the people of Japan more.

A Teacher's Tips for Traveling with Kids

When I’m planning to hit the road with my family, I employ a few strategies straight out of my classroom to help ensure a successful vacation. Traveling can be stressful and expensive venture, but a few well-placed strategies can help the entire family have a good time and get the most out of the money being spent.

Happy, busy kids make for a great vacation!

1.  Front Load: Before we leave on a trip, we fill our kids’ minds with information about the places we’re getting ready to visit. We borrow books from the library, search for videos on YouTube, and visit the websites for the sights that we’ll see. When the kids are armed with knowledge ahead of time, they’re more engaged when they actually arrive at each sight on the trip.

2.  Practice Makes Perfect: If little ones have never been to any type of amusement park, then how can they be expected to enjoy and appreciate a place like Disney World? This is true for a whole number of places that might be visited on a vacation, such as museums, historical sights, and hiking trails. To maximize the experience for my family on vacation, we search out local sights in our own area and visit those in the weeks before our trip. Are we heading to the mountains for some hiking? Then we hike local trails to get in shape. Will we visit zoos and amusement parks? We look for the local equivalent and spend a few days visiting there. Is a week on the beach on our calendar? Then we spend plenty of time in the local pool so the kids are used to the water. This practice gives kids experience with the type of vacation that’s been planned, and as an added bonus, we get to take advantage of the local opportunities that our area has to offer.

3. Pack the Essential Gear: Whether driving or flying, we pack plenty of onboard entertainment for our brood. This includes books, toys, small games, coloring books, and personal electronics. We have a good supply of snacks and drinks ready, too. Coming prepared helps keep everyone happy and content.

4.  Schedule Play Time: It’s important to schedule time for kids to play. Kids need downtime just like adults, so we search out a playground, swimming pool, or other area where kids can be kids. This gives them a chance to mingle with other kids, both local and from other vacationing families.

5.  Do Your Homework: Before leaving home, we spend time doing research. We visit websites, read tour guides, and get a good idea of what we’ll do and the activities we want to participate in. We don’t wait until we’ve arrived at our destination to make a game plan. We leave the house with a good idea of what the vacation will hold, knowing that we may have to tweak our plan when we arrive.

6.  Divide and Conquer: Depending on the ages of the kids in the group, time is sometimes better spent by one parent taking older children in one direction and the other parent taking the younger children in another. This gives everyone an opportunity to participate in activities that are age and interest appropriate. It also gives family members a break from one another, which can be a welcome change after a week or more of togetherness.

7.  Know the Audience: It’s important to choose a vacation spot based upon the interests of the family. If no one in the group is very outdoor-sy, then a week-long camping trip in the mountains is not appropriate, even if it sounds like it will be spectacular. We get the biggest bang for our buck by planning a trip that fits our family.

8.  Be Ready for Anything: Even the best laid plans go awry. We’re always ready to change the game plan when necessary. Is rain interfering with a day at the beach? Then we search out a museum or an indoor arcade. Oops, someone forgot to pack underwear? We’ll just visit the nearest store. It doesn’t matter if the itinerary changes or if we decide to come home a day early. It’s our vacation and we can do what we want.

Let older kids plan and lead for a day.

9.  Pack Light: We try to leave all the unnecessary items at home. We also buy supplies along the way, especially when when we’re flying. Consumable items like diapers, food, sunscreen, and sometimes even beauty products are better purchased once the final destination has been reached. When we stay in one place for awhile, we explore the option of renting equipment for baby or the beach. If possible, we do laundry halfway through the trip so that we don’t have to drag as many clothes along. All these things make the luggage less cumbersome and it means we’re hauling less.

10. Put the kids to work: Older kids can play the role of tour guide. Have them plan and lead certain parts of the vacation, or give them a budget and let them plan a day. This gets them actively involved and helps them to see what’s involved in planning and financing a vacation. It also gives them a chance to put some of the things they’ve learned at school to good use. It’s a great experience to have kids put their knowledge to work for the family.

While you’re working out the details of your family vacation for this summer, try to employ some of these strategies to get the most out of your money and to help everyone in the group have a good time.