Shizuoka

I had so much fun today!  After starting my day off with a walk/run/mostly-walk around the city in the morning... scoping out batting cages and tennis courts for future exercise dates, I showered and hopped on the shinkansen to Shizuoka.  

After the typhoon, it was a clear (and super hot) day.   We could see Mt. Fuji so clearly in the not-so-distant distance.

First stop was Shizuoka Johoku High school, to meet the students in the "International Club".  This was my first ever experience in a Japanese high school, and I was really looking forward to it!  First thing I learned at the entrance, was that everyone takes their shoes OFF!  :-O  You have no idea how happy this made me!  I'm a big advocate for removing shoes before entering homes, or even work places.  It's so much more comfortable (and clean) to me.  So, this was pretty amazing.  This school was spotless by the way.

As we walked to the classroom, we admired the stunning calligraphy and artwork hanging on the walls.

The students welcomed us (US, being Takatsugu Muramatsu (film composer extraordanaire, who scored "When Marnie Was There") in English and Japanese, and then 3 students did a beautiful demonstration of writing 3 things in calligraphy for us.  It was soooo cool!  One of them even wrote my name in Kanji!  I was asked not to post any photos that included the children's faces, and I feel wrong blotting their faces out.... so unfortunately I can't include the calligraphy photos here.  But they're truly amazing!

The class then sang us their school song, which was wonderful!

Then Muramatsu-san and I performed our songs together and separately.  It was such a treat to hear Muramatsu-san play one of his own compositions from the film on the piano, solo.  I'm a big fan!

Afterwards, the girls (90% of the class was girls) hung out and asked me questions.  This was so much fun for me ~ they were all so sweet and so kawaii ~ I wish we could have had more time to hang out together.  They all spoke great English, and I could tell they were all so talented in their own way!  This definitely seemed like a one-of-a-kind, special school.

Muramatsu-san and I, posing after an interview.

Then we raced off to the Cinema for another pre-screening of the film, where we did a Q&A, and I performed my theme song.

Then off to the train station to head back to Tokyo.

Itadakimasu!

Bon appetit!

Love,

p. a.