Keihoku School Festival

The school festival: three days of dancing, singing, and fun.  Japanese students (and teachers) work hard and long hours, and these few days to just kick back and relax before summer vacation are much needed.

Each class had a routine to perform for the school

Me and another teacher wearing the school uniform for a skit the teachers put on

Flowers arrangements from the ikebana (flower arranging) club

Each homeroom chose a class shirt.  Quite colorful.

On the first day, the first and second grade performed, as did the teachers.  Last year the teachers sang, so this year they performed skits (thus the reason for me wearing the school uniform).  The kids went crazy when they saw Nick and I wearing the school uniform.  Then at the end of the skit, we sang "Country Road".  Most Japanese know this song because it's in a very well-known Studio Ghibli movie.  Lemme tell ya, there is nothing like having 700 kids cheering for ya!

On Friday, the third grade did their performances, and they were lots of fun.  You could tell that each class had put a lot of work into shows.  One boy decided to proclaim his love for a girl onstage, and then ask her if she wanted to be his girlfriend.  When they gave her the microphone, we all heard a faint, "Gomenasai" (I'm sorry).  Ouch...

Saturday was the day that the school opened up to the public, and the classrooms sold food, or had haunted houses or other activities.  My friend let me borrow her yukata (a cotton kimono for summer), and the kids just loved it.  Maybe it's the actress in me, but I just love putting on a costume!

Ethan was a big hit with the students.  They girls all called him handsome, and the boys would compare their heights to him, then ask him how old he was.  Later, Ethan told me it a good thing that he's not a vain person, because all that attention wouldn't go to his head.  Haha!

Unfortunately, Nathan had to work that day, but Takuya came along and shot the pics of me and Ethan.  It was lots of fun, and a perfect way to kick off the summer holiday.