Thanksgiving is not just for Americans

Today was an absolutely lovely day! November 23 is National Labor Day in Japan so there was no school so we had a day to SEE Miyako. We had been taunted by amazing pictures and glimpses of the sea for 3 days, but today we FINALLY got to be tourists. It was a whirlwind day, so fast. Off the bus, on the bus, off the bus, on the bus.... but we covered the whole island and how. The Superintendent of Education of Miyako (Kugai-san) even gave up his holiday to take us around and show us his island. Stunning scenery, perfect weather (it has been raining everyday here and it did not rain a drop all day!!)
Click on the photo above for a few highlights.

At the end of the day, we raced back to City Hall to have a Q & A with the PTA. They had as many questions as we did about life and schools in each others' counties. Their biggest concerns were a. discipline in schools, b. teachers neglecting important things in order to "cover" what is needed for the college entrance exams, and c. the frighteningly high suicide rate among Japanese teenagers. Contrary to my original assumption that this is a result of pressure to succeed (get into good high schools, pass exams, get into good colleges) the reality is that the majority of teen suicides in Japan is because of bullying. This issue came up again and again as we visited more schools and spoke with more concerned adults. They are earnestly seeking answers to this difficult issue.