konnicha wa

In June 2007, I participated in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholarship Program. JFMF annually provides American primary and secondary school teachers and administrators with opportunities for professional development through short-term (3 weeks) study visits to Japan. The program is designed to provide educators with first-hand opportunities to experience Japanese culture and education through school visits, interactions with teachers and students, and home stays.
After a brief orientation in San Francisco, I travelled to Japan, where I met with experts in education, government and business, and visited historic landmarks. After several days in Tokyo, participants are divided into groups of 20 to visit selected communities throughout Japan. There, I visited local schools and universities, interacted with Japanese teachers, students and parents. The highlight of the program is a short home stay with a Japanese family. The program concludes with debriefing sessions in Tokyo where participants share with each other their experiences and observations.
During my school visits I observed Japanese students in art classes k-12 create original artwork, some of which reflects the influence of Anime’ / Manga. Anime’ is Japanese animation and Manga is Japanese comics. Nipher art students will study a history of Anime’ / Manga and the impact both have had on mass media worldwide, as well as examine key elements which attribute to giving Anime’ /Manga its’ distinct look. Using this information as resource material , students will create murals which reflect the art and culture of modern Japanese society.