Yesterday we had the practice ceremony for graduation. All the bowing. Also, the handball team got cheered on for their upcoming nationals game in Kobe. Our handball team is pretty amazing. One of the girls, R, was selected for the Japan national team and played in the world championships in India. She got into a university on a sports scholarship and is aiming for the 2020 Olympic team. She got a lot of awards.

Today was the real thing. Everyone was in their black suits except two of the third year teachers who wore kimonos! I don’t know where the teachers parked because both of our parking lots were empty for the parents. In the gym, the portable heaters were going full blast, but it was still really chilly. There was a board with messages from past teachers and local important people like the mayor and principals from other schools. The chairs were sectioned off with the front portion between for the graduating third years, for the second and first years, for the parents, for the third year teachers, and for the rest of the teachers. On the stage, on either side of the podium, were two tables: one for the principal (who made it despite his illness), vice principal, and head office man, and the other for the alumni group chairperson, a PTA person, and someone else whose sign I couldn’t read ha.

With three other teachers, I sat at the reception tables for each third year class. Basically I had to greet the parents and check off their child’s name. I had to have them point or say the class number though. I can actually read some of the kanji now, but not all ha. The whole ceremony took about two hours. First, the third years walk in with their homeroom teachers in a line, really slowly while music plays. (Not Pomp and Circumstance that they play in the US). Each class had a different color of Gerbera Daisy in their pockets. As each row of five fills, they bow together and then sit. Second, we sang the national anthem with one of the students on the piano. It’s a really pretty song! It was my first time hearing it. All the bowing again. Three times! Once to the flag of Japan, once to one of the tables, and then to the other table. It’s called out when we have to stand and bow too, learned some new vocabulary. I had to be careful not to stand at the wrong time.

The students’ names were called by their homeroom teachers as they said “Hai” (yes, present) and stood up. Each class sat down after the last girl’s name. We also sang the school song. Then there was a speech by the principal, the alumni chairperson, and the PTA head. One of the second year also did a speech and started crying during it. There was another song sung by all the students. A third year student did the next one and there were full out tears and sniffles as all the third years joined it. Being a sympathetic crier, I had already started crying too. A parent also gave a speech to the teachers to thank them. The third years did a final song together.

Between each thing, we had to stand and bow and sit again. At the end, the teachers went over by the entrance and kind of formed a path where the third year students had to walk out through to more music and with everyone clapping. More tears because now I got to stare directly into their crying faces. Some laughed with me together at our tears. Since they turned the heat off before the ceremony, it was so cold in the gym now. I was shivering and trying to suppress my teeth chatters. It’s only about 36 F out plus really strong wind! I was jealous of the parents with their coats, scarves, and lap blankets.

Many teachers handed out snack presents to the other teachers. Students are giving teachers presents and flowers. The bond between teacher and student is really strong here. I even got asked to take a couple photos with the girls.

After work we had our end of the school year enkai at Hotel Amuse in a small banquet hall with the other teachers, school alumni and PTA people. I had gone home and switched my jacket for a sweater which was okay, but I also switched to boots to walk in because I assumed we’d be taking off our shoes. Nope. Oh well, K-sensei had sneakers on so I wasn’t too out of place ha. We started with some speeches. The food was pretty good, and there was a lot. All the courses: sashimi, spring roll thing, salad with ham, dumpling thing, pasta with clams, meat with tater tots, udon, and strawberry mousse for dessert. Plus all you can drink tea, orange, cola, alcohol free beer, and normal beer.

It was my first time experiencing the drink pouring culture. The two youngest teachers started first and it just progressed. I got my tea filled by many different people and went around with Ichigo-sensei to pour drinks for others. I guess you’re supposed to pour with two hands and the label facing up, but I just did whatever ha. It makes it really hard to eat though! She had to stand up and greet the pourers every couple seconds. Quite interesting. Not too many tipsy folks by the end. Then we finished with the school song, and speeches, plus clapping. Not super sure why one of the teachers who started the clapping took a battle stance and said “Ous” (which has a whole bunch of meanings) before counting off the number of clap rounds. It was hilarious though.