Japan Summer Immersion Program : What I have Learned From the Trip

Wazzup Pilipinas!

DepEd and Japan Foundation Manila did not send us to this trip just to have fun, although we surely did. We had tasks to complete, assignments to finish, reports to write and present, and reflections to think about. In summary, I have learned and realized the following from my ten-day immersion in Japan:

1. Always be a good ambassador of your country. Do this by acting professionally, speaking well about your country and its people, and doing the very best that you can in everything you do. The Japanese people are known for being hardworking, and for excelling in whatever they lay their hands on. So because they give their best, they expect the same from us.

2. Always look at the time. Never be late. But don’t be too early either. We got lost in Osaka not because we were tardy but because we rode the train too early. In Japan, every second counts. You have to ride the train at the exact time stated in the schedule. Or else like us, you will end up elsewhere.

Japan: Day 8, 9 and 10 of the 10-Day Summer Immersion Program

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Let's continue with the last three days of our visit to Japan for our Summer Immersion Program sponsored by the Japan Foundation and the country of Japan as a whole.

Visiting Kitamoto High School on Day 8

Visiting Kitamoto High School was very enlightening for me. I learned that students had only one chance in pursuing their studies; so they had to give their very best in order to obtain a good high school education. Cooperative learning is highly emphasized, so they are very keen on partnering each student with someone whose grade or year level is higher. They call this the kouhai (lower year) and sempai (higher year).

In Japan, students are not publicly acknowledged in recognition programs unlike here in the Philippines where grades truly matter especially in scholarship programs at the university level. The students apply to the university of their choice, which they choose by its rank; unlike in our country where we try to determine which schools excel in the program or degree of our choice, then send our applications.

Japan : Day 5, 6 and 7 of the 10-Day Summer Immersion Program

Wazzup Pilipinas!

This post is all about day 5, 6 and 7 of our 10 Day Summer Immersion Program in Japan.

Riding the Shinkansen bound for Saitama on Day 5

For our fifth day in Japan, we had a very quick review session in the morning on what to do for our Tokyo field work and for our school visit. Then after lunch, we had to rush to the shinkansen or bullet train, that would take us to Saitama. We would spend the next four days at the Urawa Center. The shinkansen was indeed very fast, yet I felt that the ride was very smooth and even more stable than the train. We arrived at the Urawa Center early evening, and so we just ate dinner, and prepared for the activities the following day. Again, we were treated like royalty with such five-star accommodations.