It isn't much of a surprise that in the Japanese mind the sun is red, not yellow. After all, most people are familiar with the red circle on white in the Japanese flag, and at least presume that it symbolises the sun.
But did you know that in Japanese elementary schools nutrition is part of the regular curriculum? That children are taught about the benefits of healthy cooking and healthy eating? That they prepare and cook their lunch meals together with school chefs? That they serve food and clean up after lunch to leave their desks meticulously clean? That at the end of the day every child is given a cloth, and that the class mops the school floor - which is unlikely to be dirty anyway because each child comes to school with a pair of indoor shoes which they exchange for their outdoor shoes.
On 26 October 2016, visitors to the Living in Harmony - Japanese night learned not only these interesting facts. They were presented by Japanese school girl Madoka Fujimoto, who attends Aquinas College.
She also practices Aikido, a modern Japanese martial art. In an astounding demonstration the petite girl made two adult men swirl through the air as if they were weightless. Aikido techniques consist of entering and turning movements that redirect the momentum of an opponent's attack, and a throw or joint lock that terminates the technique.
There was, of course, also sushi. It was prepared on site and served with style by members of the Tauranga Japanese community.
But did you know that in Japanese elementary schools nutrition is part of the regular curriculum? That children are taught about the benefits of healthy cooking and healthy eating? That they prepare and cook their lunch meals together with school chefs? That they serve food and clean up after lunch to leave their desks meticulously clean? That at the end of the day every child is given a cloth, and that the class mops the school floor - which is unlikely to be dirty anyway because each child comes to school with a pair of indoor shoes which they exchange for their outdoor shoes.
On 26 October 2016, visitors to the Living in Harmony - Japanese night learned not only these interesting facts. They were presented by Japanese school girl Madoka Fujimoto, who attends Aquinas College.
She also practices Aikido, a modern Japanese martial art. In an astounding demonstration the petite girl made two adult men swirl through the air as if they were weightless. Aikido techniques consist of entering and turning movements that redirect the momentum of an opponent's attack, and a throw or joint lock that terminates the technique.
There was, of course, also sushi. It was prepared on site and served with style by members of the Tauranga Japanese community.
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