Kitsune Matsuri: The Open Gateway

by William H Johnston

  “This is spectacular, Maeda-san. I am deeply honored to teach here.” I glanced up at the clock. “When does school start?”

  “In an hour, Tobias-san. Your translator will be here soon. Now, if you would please excuse us, I must show John his office.”

  When they were gone, I stood there a moment gazing over the empty seats. I counted the thirty desks. The thought of so many young faces staring up at me from those seats was a little scary.

  Thirty kids, wow …

  I’d just sat down in the chair when there was a knock at the door. I turned and caught my breath. The most beautiful girl I had ever seen stood just outside my classroom. She was about my age with long jet-black hair that fell to her shoulders. Her face was slender with skin the color of ripening peaches. She wore a blue blouse and long black skirt. An orange and white sash was tucked around her waist.

  “Konichiwa, Tobias-san?”

  “Ye-yes?”

  The girl smiled, her dark eyes twinkling with amusement, probably at how gawky I looked sitting there staring at her. She moved from the open door and walked toward me with the quiet grace I’d always imagined in a Japanese girl. She stopped a few steps away. “I am Michiko Yamasaki, your translator.”

  “Oh, of course!” I got up so quickly that the chair spun back. I caught my foot on the chair leg and started to fall backwards. Luckily, I steadied myself against the chalk tray before I made a further fool of myself.

  Well, this has got to be the worst first impression in the history of them.

  She giggled softly, trying to hide it. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, of course,” I said, trying to hide how embarrassed I was. “It is a pleasure to meet you … Michiko-san.”

  “Hai, Tobias-san, you can call me Michiko-Sensei when we are with the students.” She shook my hand and bowed politely. “Mr. Maeda wondered if you would care to take a tour of our school before the children arrive.”

  “Yes, please lead the way. I have a lot to learn about this school.”

  “Of course, Tobias-san.” Michiko moved out into the hallway with the grace of a gazelle, her hands clasped behind her.

  We passed glass cases that contained student science projects and moved down to a large gym with polished wooden floors. I noticed banners with years and titles emblazoned on the walls. We continued on to a small kitchen where some staff were busily working and out through an adjacent cafeteria.

  “We have one thousand students,” she began. “It is a small number compared to that of many other private schools. We have the gym, a swimming pool and an athletic field. The children have a choice to eat in the classroom with their teachers, here in the cafeteria or outside in good weather.”

  “I saw the playground,” I said dumbly.

  Come on Tobias, you can say something better than that! Ask her a question about herself!

  I fumbled through my mind with all the possible things I could ask. “What exactly will you be doing to help me, Michiko?”

  “It is my job to act as an intermediary between you and the students. I will translate and also explain any part of our culture you might not understand.”

  “I see, and how long have you been a translator?”

  “A few years. I was a student of the society myself when I was a girl. My little sister, Chikako, attends this school now.”

  “Have you assisted in any of your sister’s classes?”

  “Yes, actually, she is in your class, Tobias-san. She’s very bright, but I should warn you that Chikako-chan is a spirited girl. She loves asking questions.”

  “Well, I will enjoy answering them.” I said.

  We moved by an outdoor pool where a few children swam laps. Some girls who were waiting to swim giggled and whispered to one another as I walked by.

  Don’t pay it any mind, Tobias. You’re a strange sight now.

  “Does your family live here in the Kyoto area, Michiko?”

  She pressed her hands lightly behind her back. “My sister and I do, yes. The rest of my family is spread around.”

  “Hey, Tobi!” John approached us with a cup of coffee in hand. He stopped short and bowed to Michiko. “Oh, excuse me.”

  “It is quite all right. I am Michiko Yamasaki, Tobias-san’s translator.”

  “John Tell.”

  “A pleasure, Tell-san.”

  “Call me John,” he said with a smile.

  Above us, I heard the school clock chime the hour. Michiko glanced at me. “It’s time for school to start, Tobias-san.”

  My stomach suddenly clenched. “Already?”

  “Don’t be nervous, Tobias-san. The children are as anxious to meet you as much as you are to meet them. Would you like to wait back in the classroom, and I will bring them up?”

  “Yes, yes, that would be perfect,” I said, still feeling unsure.

  After Michiko had gone, John caught my arm. He was grinning from ear to ear. “Got yourself a nice translator I see.”

  I glared at him, unamused. He laughed and held up his hands.

  “Hey, now. I was just trying to get you to relax!”

  “Oh, sorry, John. I guess I am a little tense.”

  “It’ll work out fine, Tobi, you’ll see. I’d better get a move on myself. Don’t want to be late.”

  He was about halfway down the walkway before he stopped and glanced back at me. “Good luck!”

  Every step thundered like a cannon in my ears as I walked down the long, empty hallway. The tense churning in my gut became a searing fire. I wanted to turn and run, but I knew I couldn’t. Back upstairs I stepped into my slippers and took a seat at the desk.

  For a brief moment, I felt the stillness of that empty classroom. Then I heard the muffled sound of small shuffling feet and soft hushed voices outside the door. I took a deep breath as the children padded silently into the room.

  They were all about ten years old. The boys wore dark blue coats, shirts and slacks with green ties. The girls wore pleated blue dresses and white blouses with green neckerchiefs. All wore the yellow hats kids in Japan used for traveling to school. They removed the hats as they entered and hung them in the cubbies before taking their seats.

  Dozens of dark, almond-shaped eyes twinkled up at me with expressions of awestruck curiosity. I could see the question churning in their collective little minds. “What is this big western man doing at the front of our classroom?”

  Standing there with their eyes burning a hole in my skull, I realized how strange it must be for them to have a western teacher and how very foreign I was here.

  I may as well be from Mars.

  Michiko stood directly to my right. “We are ready, Tobias-Sensei.”

  I took a deep breath. “Michiko-Sensei, would you please introduce me?”

  “Certainly, Tobias-Sensei,” she said facing the children.

  “Kon’nichiwa kodomo to yoi asa. Suwatte suru koto ga arimasu.”[6] There was a scuffing as they all took their seats and slid their chairs forward.

  Thirty pairs of dark black eyes stared straight at me even though Michiko was the one to speak. “Ohayō gozaimasu, Tobias-Sensei!” A pause. “Good morning Tobias-Sensei.”

  “Ohayō gozaimasu Tobias-Sensei ne!” They all chimed in unison. “Good morning, Tobias-Sensei!”

  “Do you have anything to say, Tobias-Sensei?”

  I’d hoped Michiko might buy me some time to collect my wits, but there was no delaying the inevitable. As I stood up, the chair creaked and a few giggles trickled through the classroom.

  Somehow, the sound of their laughter calmed me. I bowed toward the group. “Hello, everyone. I am Tobias-Sensei. I am here to help you all better understand and speak English. I will devote all my energies to make this class successful for each of you.”

  There were a few muffled whispers from the back of the room as Michiko translated. I zeroed in on a particular little girl with her hair tied up in braids and bright pink bows. She was leaning over to whisper something to a boy beside her.
<
br />   Ah, a talker. Let’s see what we’ve got here.

  “Let’s start with you, young lady, the one with the pink bows in your hair. Please stand up and introduce yourself.”

  As Michiko translated my request, the girl blinked and looked up at me with surprise in her dark eyes. She scrunched her thin button nose, and her cheeks turned bright red. She stood straight as an arrow and bowed. “Chikako Yamasaki, Tobias-Sensei!

  Ah, so this is Michiko’s sister! She looks just like her. She even has the same orange sash.

  I smiled to myself. “Did you have a question, Chikako-chan?”

  “Anata wa Tobias-Sensei, doko kara kitano?”

  I waited a moment for Michiko to translate. “Where are you from, Tobias-Sensei?”

  “That is a very good question, Chikako-chan.” I reached behind me and pulled down a world map. “I am from the United States. I come from a little town in California called San Tolosa. Do you know where California is?”

  “Hai!” They all said in unison.

  “Very good!”

  “Tobias-Sensei?” Once again it was Chikako. I was expecting another translation, but Michiko spoke up and scolded the little girl. “Chikako-chan sore wa kanari jūbundesu! Hoka no kodomo-tachi ni chansu o ataeru!”[7]

  Whatever she said, it struck the girl like a bee’s sting. I could see that she wanted to ask more questions but immediately plopped herself back down, pouting.

  The rest of the morning went well after that with students rising to introduce themselves and ask questions. Most of the questions were about me, what sorts of food we had back in the States and if I lived next to Disneyland.

  After introductions were complete, we broke into small groups, and the children read aloud to one another. I went around listening and reading with each of them and got a good sense of their reading skills.

  Mr. Maeda was right. They’re about a grade lower than they would be back in the states with English, but they seem to have a good grasp of the basics.

  When the children lined up to go play at recess, I followed them down to the playground. I approached Michiko and her sister where they sat at a small bench beneath one of the many trees planted outside.

  “Do you two mind if I join you?”

  “Of course not, Tobias-san.” She patted the girl’s shoulder. “Chikako-chan ga ue ni idō shite kudasai.”[8]

  The girl smiled up at me as she kicked her feet in the open air. I plucked out the thick thermos that Aoki had prepared for me and cracked it open.

  A warm steam escaped along with a fragrant aroma of vegetables and broth. I poured out the yellow liquid with its thick clusters of warm noodles and chopped vegetables mixed with tofu. There was plastic wrapped rice packed beneath the lid. Just like the Japanese. No meal in Japan was complete without the staple of rice.

  Chikako glanced over at me. “Your ramen smell good, Tobias-Sensei. Anata wa sono jibun de tsukutta nodesu ka?”

  Michiko translated, “She wants to know if you made that.”

  “No, no. My host mother, Mrs. Yoshida, made this for me.”

  She seemed pleased with this answer, quickly finished eating, and ran off to play.

  “I apologize for Chikako-chan. She is overly inquisitive.” Michiko chuckled, shaking her head quietly. “What do you think of Japan so far?”

  “Well, it’s turned out to be very different from what I had expected. I took a walk on the Philosopher’s Path just after arriving, and I fell and hurt myself. I guess that gets things off to an auspicious start.”

  She laughed. “Hai. Well, my father once told me that Japan is like a great tree. It grows, and the branches spread out in ever changing patterns of color and vibrancy. Sometimes the tree is full and golden and sometimes bare and sickly; yet, for all the seasons, its roots are still as strong as the day it grew from the ocean’s depths.”

  “Your father sounds like a wise man.”

  “He was …”

  Our English lessons began back in the classroom after recess. The textbooks and plans that I had been given were very detailed. I pronounced words, and the children repeated them back to me in English. It was slow, tedious work and after a long couple of hours, their attention had waned. Even Chikako’s head slumped against her arm as she stared down at her workbook.

  This isn’t good. If I can’t keep their attention the first day, I’ll have no end of trouble in the months to come.

  I glanced out the window at the warm colors of green hills.

  I know! We’ll go outside!

  I stood up from my chair. “Michiko-san, I believe we shall do something different and move outside.”

  She stared as if I had sprouted an extra head. “Tobias-Sensei?”

  “We’ll go outside to learn. Come on, kids. Pack up your things.”

  As they lined up single file, Michiko caught my arm. Her face was grave. “This is very unusual, Tobias-san. I am not sure it is what the regular curriculum would suggest.”

  “I know, but they need to get out. Just bear with me.”

  She sighed and said no more. Outside, the air was warm. I assembled my charges beneath one of the large trees.

  “You have been listening to me teach English. Now it is your turn to teach me a little Japanese.” As Michiko translated, I watched the children sit in stunned silence.

  They looked as if I had unhinged the very top of Mount Fuji itself. After a minute, however, a hand rose up in the back of the group. It was Chikako once again.

  She pointed to her cheek— “Kao.”

  Michiko translated— “Face.”

  I tried to mimic Chikako, but the word came out wrong. “Keyoh.”

  A few stifled giggles. Another hand came up. “Ashi!”

  “Foot.”

  I repeated, and again it wasn’t quite right causing more giggles.

  Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  I persisted until the bell rang at the end of the first day.

  Exasperated, I raised my arms. “You are dismissed.” They didn’t need any more encouragement and scattered to the winds.

  That didn’t go as well as I had hoped.

  “Tobias-Sensei!” Ryuto Maeda suddenly appeared behind us. “I will see you and Michiko-san for a moment in my office.”

  Immediately, apprehension turned to dread. Maeda was sitting behind his desk when we arrived. He motioned to the chairs across from him, and Michiko and I both sat. He didn’t say anything, just rocked back in his chair with his hands folded together. I couldn’t bear to face him and instead stared down at my hands. I felt his eyes on me. Even that dragon seemed to glower at me from his fish tank realm.

  Finally, Mr. Maeda sat forward. “Normally, I would have asked someone else to speak to you of this matter, but you are still unfamiliar with the way we do things here. As such, I would like to know what you were thinking taking the children away from their normal studies.”

  I stammered for words. “I didn’t mean to cause problems, Maeda-san. The children were losing interest, and I thought getting out might spark the learning experience.”

  “Is that what you would do in your schools in the United States?”

  “Well,” I hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

  “Did Michiko-san not inform you that such a thing was not what we do? We occasionally take children outdoors to learn, but the teachers always check with me first.”

  I glanced over at her. Michiko sat silently, fingers clenched tightly together. She’d tried to warn me, and I’d ignored her better sense.

  I bowed as deeply and apologetically as I could. “It is not her fault, Maeda-san. I was too wrapped up in myself, and I am the only one to blame.” I deepened my bow until my head was practically between my knees. “Please, forgive me.”

  He frowned at me before finally addressing Michiko. “Mā, Machiko-Sensei?”[9]

  She was silent a moment, and when she spoke she still did not look directly at him. “Kare wa Nippon no, Maeda-san o manabu to shite i ta.�
�[10]

  Whatever she said, it caught Maeda completely off guard. Thick eyebrows rose against his wrinkled brow. “Nani desu ka? Majide?”[11]

  She glanced back over at me. “Hai, kare no hōhō wa, Maeda-san, hijō ni irei nodeshitaga, kodomo-tachi ga manabitai to omotta. Watashi wa, kare wa karera ga onajiyōni manabu koto ga dekiru to omoimasu.”[12]

  Maeda sighed and sat back in his chair. “Michiko-san tells me you were trying to learn Japanese. It speaks well of your character to want to understand our language. However, I want you to check your daily lessons with me from now on. I would also like to track any progress you make in learning Japanese.”

  “Yes, yes, of course!”

  “Excellent. Now, I would like to invite each of you to join me and some of the other teachers at a gathering tonight. Seven-thirty sharp at the Peach Blossom Bar in Fushimi-ku.”

  “I’ll be there! Thank you, sir!”

  He nodded. “You may go.”

  When we were outside, I turned to Michiko. “What did you say to him?”

  “I told Maeda-san you were trying to learn Japanese.”

  “Thank you, Michiko.”

  She shook her head. “I hope you consider my suggestions in the future, Tobias-san. Here we have a saying, ‘The nail that sticks out is hammered down.’ Remember that. It will help to avoid further conflicts.”

  Hearing the icy chill of her tone made me feel even more ashamed. “I am sorry, Michiko, I should have been more attentive. After all, I’m here to learn from you.”

  “Well it’s done now. We all make mistakes.” She sighed and glanced down at her watch. “I should go find Chikako-chan. Wait here.”

  I knew enough of Japanese sensibility to understand Michiko was angry but couldn’t say half of what was on her mind. When she was gone, I slumped back against the wall and bowed my head.

  I should have listened to her.

  “Tobi!” I heard footsteps jogging behind me as John’s familiar form came running down the hall. “I’ve been looking for you, man. What happened?”