The latest country we have been learning about is Japan. The learnt about Japanese history, geography and culture. They learnt the proper way of greeting people is bowing.
The pupils got to know about sushi. This is typical Japanese food and it is eaten with chopsticks.
One of our students brought in lots of Japanese books, and the unusual thing is that you read them from back to front. He also brought in a load of pokomens for us to have a look at.
The pupils also painted the Japanese cherry blossom tree. The cherry blossoms were added on to the tree by using the tips of the fingers.
The children made Koinobori (carp fish). Koinobori are fish-shaped flags flown in Japan on Children’s Day.
Children’s Day on the 5th May is a holiday just for kids! Every kid is special and on Children’s Day celebrates the happiness of kids.
Kokeshi Dolls are handmade wooden dolls from Japan. The artist that makes each doll signs the bottom of the doll . Here are examples of our pupils Kokeshi dolls made of paper.
Origami is the japanese word for paper folding. ORI means to fold and KAMI means paper. Together, they form origami. Origami is an art that has been handed down from parent to child for generations.
We spent some time making a boat, a samurai hat, a closed box and some even managed the famous japanese crane.
We are reading a very famous book from Japan, about a girl who made loads of paper cranes out of origami.
“The Thousand Paper Cranes” is the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who was two years old when she was exposed to radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War 2.
Sasaki soon developed leukemia and, at age 12 she began making origami cranes with the goal of making one thousand, inspired by the “Senbazuru Legend”. This legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish or recovery from illness or injury.
Unfortunately she folded only 644 before she became too weak to fold anymore, and died on 25 of October 1955; in her honour, her classmates felt sorry and agreed to complete the rest of the paper cranes for her.
The Children’s Peace Monument is a monument for peace to commemorate Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of child victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
