Last month I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Japan. This has been a ten-year goal for us to visit and experience the country of Japan, so it was exciting once we were able to make it there finally! We ended up leaving our kids home during our trip, but after only a few days in the country, we quickly agreed that we needed to set a new goal to bring our whole family back in ten years because Japan is incredible!
Here is a quick rundown of what we learned and experienced while we were there, through the eyes of a global learner-
Children independently riding and navigating the train and subway systems in the busiest parts of the city to get to and from school and extracurriculars on their own.
Family-friendly everything.
Many school groups out on field trips during the weekend (when they do not have school). All of them were dressed in school uniforms and acting incredibly respectful.
Everyone having a deep respect and reverence for their cities and communities, working together to keep them clean and tidy.
As well as students having the same respect and reverence for their schools and spending time cleaning after the school day is over. (Could you imagine that in the U.S.?! That would be incredible!)
Very safe and clean streets, which make walking and biking very easy and accessible for adults and children alike.
Respect from everyone in the community for the disabled and elderly or anyone that
Students attending tutoring sessions in their free time outside of school, not just for extra help, but for extra learning hours.
One big recurring theme I saw was the respect level for all ages and abilities from all ages and abilities. Learning about the culture and more about the school systems in Japan was so eye-opening to me and influenced how I move forward with my kids and how I view and use the educational system in the United States.
Have you ever traveled somewhere and had it completely changed your perspective?