Mr. Ninomiya

We are running in and out of the house with hardly a minute to spare. Mostly my things, like teaching, but Leiya has been a good sport and sort of taken over my ladies' classes to just talk about what she has been doing and feeling while she's been in the States the past two years. It is eye opening to me too! She talks about classes, the grading system, teachers, drug and sex prevelancy, parties, sports, all the things that seem to her to be different from Japan. Very interesting, occasionally worrisome, but all in all she opens a window into Amercan life for Tetsu and me and my students.


A week or so ago Pamdora asked me about Ninomiya Day and why it was called that so maybe I'll explain that before I sign off. As I understand it, in the 1700's there was a famous Japanese economist and philosopher named Kinjiro Ninomiya who taught peasants mathematics or something. Throughout Japan he represents the work ethic of perseverence and hardwork. There is a statue of him carrying a load of kindling while reading a book which is seen throughout Japan often on school grounds. I'm not sure why he's so important in my city but there is a large shrine named after him and the children spend some time studying about him in grade school. Maybe he's like Abraham Lincoln who walked 20 miles to school in the snow everyday and studied by candle light (or whatever the stories were.) Ninomiya-san may also have lived in Nikko at one time. (I have a feeling my Japanese friends reading this blog are going to correct me on this this week!)

Anyway, when we were taking Leiya out to dinner a couple of days ago I noticed a statue of Ninomiya-san in the parking lot (why the parking lot?) so I whipped out my camera and took a picture! Doesn't he look diligent studying his book while traipsing through the wilds of the parking lot with his kindling bundle on his back.