Hi all

Very quick message to say we had a great time in Disneyland. Exploring Tokyo today and then off home! See you all tomorrow!

Fujimedai Jr High School

Hi all

Had a day in Fujimedai Jr High today. It was an excellent day with the kids having their best opportunity yet to interact with the other students and to learn a little Japanese, including writing in hirigana and katakana. The Japanese students once again put on amazing displays and made us feel very welcome.

We had the afternoon to chill out at Tomo's pool before the hosts came to pick the kids up and spend their final night together. We had a bit of a laugh about some of the more comical moments on the trip and because everything turned out alright in the end, I thought maybe I could share a few with you. The names have been changed to protect the innocent, but when the kids return home, see if they confess to anything! Some of them are quite entertaining.

In the first week 'John' turned up to a group activity with a different wallet, loaded with Y7,000. 'John' was looked after by his host family because he had lost his wallet with his money in it... A day later, his real wallet was found... in his bag.

Vending machines are everywhere in Japan and have been a blessing and a curse. A blessing because some of the kids got a crash course in dehydration when they first arrived in Japan, and it is always handy to have the machines nearby to keep the fluids up. A curse because some kids can't walk past one without trying to put money into one. 'Bob' and 'Fred' are two such kids. During our tour of the streets of Fujiyoshida, 14/16 kids were gazing at one of the many splendid ponds of the area, but Bob and Fred, their eyes were drawn elsewhere. Ms Bray-Burns and I thought it was the awesome sight of a Japanese crane and construction crew at work a mere 5 metres away, spinning girders around with military precision. Imagine our horror as Bob and Fred wandered without pause straight past the 250 danger/no entry signs the unbelievably safety conscious Japanese had at the gate. Before they could get 5 metres though, a very friendly yet worried looking Japanese safety officer tried to usher them out of the area. A very confused looking Bob and Fred were left puzzled and quite put out, why wouldn't the guy let them get to the vending machine? That day those two redefined the phrase 'tunnel vision'.

My personal favourite, yesterday, after climbing the 414 steps to the shrine and pagoda, then completing the 3 hour tour around Fujiyoshida, a very upset looking 'Fiona' tells me, "Mr Rickard, I've lost my camera, I think I left it at the pagoda."

"Are you sure it's not in your bag?" I replied, immediately thinking back to the 'John' incident.

"Positive," Fiona said in a worried tone, "I've emptied it and everything."

Not one to see a young child's experience in Japan tarnished by the loss of her digital memories, and knowing the Japanese reputation for honesty, I volunteer to back track and look for the camera. I am immediately joined by one of our excellent hosts, and we begin running back to the shrine and pagoda. We are stopped along the way by Tomokazu, who has heard the news and has joined us to help. After I run the 414 steps to the pagoda, I am hopeful of a positive result, but no luck. The three of us then begin retracing the 3 hour tour at a clip, Tomo and our host handing out contact details to the nearby store owners and locals should anyone have the camera handed into them. Tomo contacts the principal of Shimyoshida Jr High, just in case it was left there. But in the end, no luck, the camera is nowhere to be found. Fiona is obviously disappointed, but we try to reassure her that it may turn up from the school, and at the end of the day, we have a lot of photos we can share. But the following day, great news! The camera is located, crisis averted. The camera was found... in Fiona's bag.

Then there was this evening. Just before the kids left to go with their host families and pack, Ms Bray-Burns and I took some time to have a chat with the kids about safe practises for when we are using the train, hotel, shopping etc. We also mentioned the importance of checking carefully that everything is packed because once on that bus tomorrow morning, anything left behind will likely be gone forever. With great gusto the students all communicated their agreement and set off for their host families cars with determination and purpose. Unfortunately for 'Janet' and 'Michelle', they were so keen to do a good job, they went straight to their hosts car and took off to pack... and left their bag with their togs and towels right where they had been sitting at the time of the talk. Genius.

Good times! Things that make the trip all the more special, and a little more memorable! Looking forward to Tokyo, talk to you tomorrow!

Shimyoshida Jr High and Fujiyoshida Tour

We began our day at Shimyoshida Jr High School. It was an interesting visit as it was very different to Oshino Jr High. One highlight for the kids was watching them prepare for the upcoming schools festival which will include song dance and physical events.

There is a huge emphasis placed on collective and social responsibility, and that your function is to serve 'the team'. No child ever sits out, in fact we watched one kid get drilled by the PE teacher because he 'chose' to attend the PE class wearing different uniform and therefore was letting the team down.

Watching the physical activities was amazing, students take part in a mass coreographed dance and huge skipping groups, with up to 30 kids jumping a single rope at the same time. But the one that really caught the kids eye was 'centipede'. Two rows of students are tied by short ropes to each other at the feet, place arms on the shoulders in front, and complete lap after lap around a track at a quick pace. It is deemed so important that the event is engraved into the wall at the front entrance.

After the visit, we walked to a set of 414 pretty steep stairs (Keegan counted every one!), and then went up them. I can't say the stairs were attacked by the students with the same gusto the Japanese students showed during 'centipede', but eventually, everyone arrived at the top in one piece. The humidity, caused by the typhoon the day before certainly didn't make it easy! So when the Japanese guides had a drink waiting for the kids at the top, I've never seen so many grateful faces. At the top of the stairs was a shrine and pagoda, and a stunning view of Fuji and the Fujiyoshida area.

We then walked around Fujiyoshida, visiting Shinto temples dating back to the 13th century and several of the local shops. Our guide Yuka took us to her family tea shop where the kids were treated to Roasted Tea ice cream. This ice cream may be an untapped market in NZ, the kids thought it was awesome.

Wednesday is our last day in Fujiyoshida, on Thursday morning we leave for Disneyland.