Japan Day 46: Elementary School and Karaoke

Today, we were able to visit the elementary school of Showa, where we saw many classes in action. The kids were doing a lot– from playing on melodica in music class to doing English worksheets. (I tried to help one student with her worksheet, but the teacher called me out!) I was especially impressed by the woodshop class. They were making chairs today, and I though that they were very high quality! I could totally see them being sold in Ikea or something, and I was also surprised to see so many kids wielding saws and other equipment with no fear. (This must have been the inspiration for The Machine Girl!) We also had lunch with some fourth graders. They couldn't speak English, but they were very nice to me. I said that I liked pineapple, and they gave me a slice for dessert!

After the schedule program ended, I went with some people to karaoke! It was very fun! Karaoke in Japan is basically having a private room for yourself and friends to sing. We each payed about ¥100 for 30 minutes in the room and ~¥400 for one required drink. It was pretty cheap (at least compared to the U.S.), but one of my coworkers told me that the price quadruples after 7pm! I am glad I got to experience karaoke in the country where the term was coined!