At the school where I work, on July 29—the last day of the first semester—we took the students to an aquarium by the ocean. The day before, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake had struck Kumamoto in Kyushu.
Even though people all over the world had learned about the earthquake in Japan through the news and were sending messages of support one after another, not a single one of them—who live right here in Japan—knew about it. They have absolutely no habit of checking the news, and many of them haven’t even learned their classmates’ names, despite being in the same class for half a year.
That is why we teachers hope to help them experience the joy of “doing things together” through school trips and events like this. At the aquarium, they took photos of each other all over the place, showing a side of themselves quite different from how they usually spend their time in class—silently staring at their smartphones.
Although progress is slow, we hope that everyone will develop an interest in the wider world and keep their eyes and hearts wide open. Starting in the second semester, I plan to have the students research news stories about what’s happening in Japan and around the world in every class and present their findings. Please keep these young people in your prayers.
Please also continue to remember in your prayers the victims of the Kumamoto earthquake, as well as the rescue workers who are conducting missions in 100°F heat while wearing helmets and protective gear. Thank you all for your prayers and support.