Saturday, February 8th
Arakawa Ward Okumiya Elementary School (6th grade classes 1 and 2, total of 64 students, 45-minute lessons x 2 classes)
This time, Director Sugimoto of Shokoji Nursery Yoshidamachi gave a lecture at Arakawa Ward Okumiya Elementary School on the theme of "By listening to talks about the differences between Japan and other countries, such as their appearance and culture, children will become interested in other countries and develop an interest in volunteer activities." The event was also positioned as a valuable opportunity to learn about the current situation in developing countries and think about what we can do, and the school conveyed the message, "Thank you! Let's be thankful for the things we take for granted now."
"Rethinking different cultures and Japanese "ordinary" practices"
In his lecture, Director Sugimoto spoke passionately about the differences in cultures and lifestyles around the world, interspersed with stories of his experiences there. Furthermore, when the children watched a video of the children dancing the Soran Bushi dance at the same school and witnessed the children performing the Japanese national anthem and "Tulip" (part of the performance), they exclaimed in admiration, "Wow! So cool!", "They're great dancers!", and "Africa and Japan are no different." Despite differences in country and culture, it was a moment when smiles naturally spilled over the children's faces as they realized that children from all countries share the same trait of being energetic, honest, and cute.
"What overseas experiences teach us about the value of "ordinary" things"
Director Sugimoto spoke about how, through his experience living abroad, he realized that the things we take for granted in Japan are actually very important and precious. He said that his experience of seeing the reality of daily necessities such as food, electricity, and running water being very expensive and difficult to obtain overseas made him "re-evaluate the small blessings that we don't notice when we're in Japan." Please take a moment to reexamine the things in your daily life that you take for granted, such as having food, electricity, and clean running water. Doing so will help you cherish your daily life even more and fill you with warmth in your heart.
"Warm learning fostered through "kind and gentle childcare""
Shokoji Nursery School values "kind and gentle language" education, which aims to nurture children's hearts and independence by caring for each other with warm smiles and kind words. The content of this lecture is deeply connected to the idea of accepting different cultures and enjoying differences. Through Director Sugimoto's talk, the children were able to realize not only the beauty of other countries' cultures, but also the beauty of the "ordinary" things in their own country. Under the spirit of "kind and gentle language," children can feel at ease and expand their potential, which leads to daily learning and growth.
Gratitude and hope for the future
This lecture was a valuable opportunity to look at the diversity of the world and the value of the "obvious" things that we tend to overlook in our daily lives. Director Sugimoto's passionate talk, based on "kind-hearted, kind-spoken childcare," brought smiles and gratitude to the children, and surely sowed the seeds of hope and growth for the future.
Why not notice the small blessings in your daily life and create a better future with heartwarming smiles and words?
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