Due to general Boards trauma (I exaggerate, my friends. Don't worry!), I found myself preferring to procrastinate by mindlessly scrolling through Facebook rather than further challenging my mind by consuming the written word. Basically, I was a lazy blob and this is the first book I've read in 2016. And in reminiscence of the 400-word book review the ISC Board compelled us to write in 20 minutes, I have decided to review it.
The book, of course, being...^that thing you see in the title there that is too long for me to type out again. Set during World War 2, it's a memoir by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (Totto-chan) about her unique preschool experience. The title invokes imagery...sorry, I'm fresh off my English 1 paper...ahem...the title makes me think of a childish, imaginative mind looking into the unknown. And that (surprise, surprise) is exactly what the book is about. The author, however, said the title was inspired by an old Japanese expression referring to people being "over by the window" as "out in the cold" or alienated.
Totto-chan was indeed alienated. She was a curious little thing, that wanted to spend all her time in elementary school listening at the window to the street musicians outside. This enthusiasm was seen by teachers as being "a disciplinary problem", and led to her being expelled.
Her mother never told her she was expelled, never made her feel like a failure. She quietly admitted her into Tomoe School, an enterprising endeavour by Sosaku Kobayashi to educate all children in a very organic, encouraging way. In this school where classrooms were old railway coaches, only one rule was followed: everyone deserves respect. Respect for their likes and dislikes, respect for their disabilities, their passions, and respect for their place in society. The headmaster (Kobayashi) enforced this rule universally. He was extremely supportive of all of Totto-chan's quirks-he never criticized her or corrected her. He taught her (and all of Tomoe's small student body) to learn from everywhere-nature, music and art. He taught them to love and respect everyone without prejudice. He was exactly the mentor every kid wishes they had.
Tomoe also allowed the children freedom to learn whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. This way, their natural curiosity was fulfilled. They were taught to explore everything from nature (outdoor cooking expeditions) to differences between them (they swam naked-making every child, disabled or otherwise, comfortable with their body). If every quality glorified in the school songs of the world were to come together into one school, Tomoe would be it (much more so than Hogwarts. There-I said it).
There was a strong sense of community in the school. Everyone knew every single peer of theirs, and their parents too. The headmaster interacted with every child and inspired them equally. Every child felt like they fit right in. The community is so strong, in fact, that Tomoe alumni meet up every year where Tomoe used to be, and they boast a long list of achievements too. They have among their ranks a research physicist, a television personality (the author herself), a graphic designer and a high-school dropout who's Japan's foremost authority on Far Eastern orchids. This repertoire is as diverse as one would expect.
The reason this book did so well in the Japanese mainstream (sold 7 million copies) is because it differs so much from traditional Japanese customs-which, by my limited understanding-are pretty orthodox. It was probably a welcome change from rigorous schooling systems, tedious exams and constant pressure to study (sound familiar?). It made them question whether things were working ok, whether consistently high scores on standardized tests meant the Japanese were doing schooling better than the West was.
In fact, this book borrows heavily (again, by my very limited understanding of things) from Western culture, in that Totto-chan and her schoolmates are politely encouraged to live outside the social norm (a very non-Japanese thing to do). Learning is what's important, not the systemic impartment of knowledge through outdated curricula. They learn "body rhythm"-a universal skill-through the Western art of Eurythmics (also a great band. Check 'em out.).
Although the school burned down at the end (owing to America's bombs), the book ends on a positive note. The headmaster stands next to his son and muses on what kind of school to build next.
I loved this book. It brought peace to my soul. Forgive the cheesiness, but it really did. It made me feel warm inside, like hot coffee on a winter day (mmm...winter). I wish I'd read this book as a kid, or during hopeless times where one lacks purpose in life. It would have dispelled that feeling right away, for the world is just too beautiful to be ignored like that.
According to me, the internet creates a very similar, albeit less wholesome, safe space to Tomoe for Totto-chan. It provides a platform for ideas, it nurtures curiosity, and if you are with the right crew, it asks us to love everybody-regardless of race, gender and sexuality. I know it has opened my mind to all kinds of differing ideologies and systems.
I will probably be reviewing more books, now that I'm done with my Boards. So, after a year, life will be injected back into this blog! Stay tuned, my readers! (all...7 of you)
The book, of course, being...^that thing you see in the title there that is too long for me to type out again. Set during World War 2, it's a memoir by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (Totto-chan) about her unique preschool experience. The title invokes imagery...sorry, I'm fresh off my English 1 paper...ahem...the title makes me think of a childish, imaginative mind looking into the unknown. And that (surprise, surprise) is exactly what the book is about. The author, however, said the title was inspired by an old Japanese expression referring to people being "over by the window" as "out in the cold" or alienated.
Totto-chan was indeed alienated. She was a curious little thing, that wanted to spend all her time in elementary school listening at the window to the street musicians outside. This enthusiasm was seen by teachers as being "a disciplinary problem", and led to her being expelled.
Her mother never told her she was expelled, never made her feel like a failure. She quietly admitted her into Tomoe School, an enterprising endeavour by Sosaku Kobayashi to educate all children in a very organic, encouraging way. In this school where classrooms were old railway coaches, only one rule was followed: everyone deserves respect. Respect for their likes and dislikes, respect for their disabilities, their passions, and respect for their place in society. The headmaster (Kobayashi) enforced this rule universally. He was extremely supportive of all of Totto-chan's quirks-he never criticized her or corrected her. He taught her (and all of Tomoe's small student body) to learn from everywhere-nature, music and art. He taught them to love and respect everyone without prejudice. He was exactly the mentor every kid wishes they had.
Tomoe also allowed the children freedom to learn whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. This way, their natural curiosity was fulfilled. They were taught to explore everything from nature (outdoor cooking expeditions) to differences between them (they swam naked-making every child, disabled or otherwise, comfortable with their body). If every quality glorified in the school songs of the world were to come together into one school, Tomoe would be it (much more so than Hogwarts. There-I said it).
There was a strong sense of community in the school. Everyone knew every single peer of theirs, and their parents too. The headmaster interacted with every child and inspired them equally. Every child felt like they fit right in. The community is so strong, in fact, that Tomoe alumni meet up every year where Tomoe used to be, and they boast a long list of achievements too. They have among their ranks a research physicist, a television personality (the author herself), a graphic designer and a high-school dropout who's Japan's foremost authority on Far Eastern orchids. This repertoire is as diverse as one would expect.
The reason this book did so well in the Japanese mainstream (sold 7 million copies) is because it differs so much from traditional Japanese customs-which, by my limited understanding-are pretty orthodox. It was probably a welcome change from rigorous schooling systems, tedious exams and constant pressure to study (sound familiar?). It made them question whether things were working ok, whether consistently high scores on standardized tests meant the Japanese were doing schooling better than the West was.
In fact, this book borrows heavily (again, by my very limited understanding of things) from Western culture, in that Totto-chan and her schoolmates are politely encouraged to live outside the social norm (a very non-Japanese thing to do). Learning is what's important, not the systemic impartment of knowledge through outdated curricula. They learn "body rhythm"-a universal skill-through the Western art of Eurythmics (also a great band. Check 'em out.).
Although the school burned down at the end (owing to America's bombs), the book ends on a positive note. The headmaster stands next to his son and muses on what kind of school to build next.
I loved this book. It brought peace to my soul. Forgive the cheesiness, but it really did. It made me feel warm inside, like hot coffee on a winter day (mmm...winter). I wish I'd read this book as a kid, or during hopeless times where one lacks purpose in life. It would have dispelled that feeling right away, for the world is just too beautiful to be ignored like that.
According to me, the internet creates a very similar, albeit less wholesome, safe space to Tomoe for Totto-chan. It provides a platform for ideas, it nurtures curiosity, and if you are with the right crew, it asks us to love everybody-regardless of race, gender and sexuality. I know it has opened my mind to all kinds of differing ideologies and systems.
I will probably be reviewing more books, now that I'm done with my Boards. So, after a year, life will be injected back into this blog! Stay tuned, my readers! (all...7 of you)
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