2006年度JETメンバー壮行レセプション 2006年7月28日在ヒューストン日本国総領事 加茂佳彦
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen:
Welcome to the JET Send-Off party at my home. I think by this time you have had enough education on JET, JAPAN, and how to prepare for earthquakes. After arriving in Japan, you will go through with the same kind of orientation program once again. So please do not worry about your new challenge in Japan. We all know that you deserve something really special and positive as you have committed yourselves and your most precious two years to teaching in Japanese English classrooms. Your decision will be rewarded handsomely. Having said this, I would like to give you the following three advises or comments.
#1 is that the easiest thing to do you’ll find in Japan is, surprisingly enough, to survive there. Well, summer time living might not be easiest because of the sub-tropical weather, as a matter of fact. But I will introduce a comment that was made by an American banker who had lived in the Far East in the past 30 years, including two periods lengthy stay in Tokyo. He said that Japan was the easiest place for foreigners to live, work and stay, once they get used to local ways. This man after all these 30 years never learnt Japanese language. But he said that life was easiest in Japan for foreign expatriates. You will see why. Like Texans, we are very hospitable people. You will be temporary guest workers. We don’t expect you to stay forever, but, during your official stay, you will be treated as our honored guests. Like Texans, you will find the Japanese easy to trust and win friendship.
#2 is that an easier thing to do you’ll find in Japan is to teach Japanese students. Japanese kids are lovable. They are on the whole decent and studious. I am certain that your employers, district education committees, will put you in one of their best schools where their best and better students usually come.So you don’t have any serious trouble makers at your school. Instead, young Japanese students are generally speaking curious, attentive, disciplined and conforming. Japanese classrooms may appear quite quiet, dull and stiff. Yes and no. You will see. What is expected out of your presence is undoubtedly to bring in your classroom the excitement of learning English language skills. Your rivals are not so much your partners, Japanese teachers, but your JET colleagues throughout Japan. Please outdo them by making your classrooms lively and animated.
#3 is that an easy thing to do you’ll find in Japan is to find a Japanese who love Americans. Here is a paradise for Americans. Japanese tend to misconstrue every foreigner we encounter is American. We admire American values, American culture and American people.
One thing, however, you will find NOT easy to do in Japan is perhaps to change the perception of Texas as a cactus-covered wild-west entertained by many Japanese. I encourage you to become a self-appointed Texas Ambassador to Japan. The current US Ambassador to Japan, Tom Schieffer is from Fort Worth. He also claims to be a self-appointed Texas Ambassador. Each of you can help him educate Japanese people about Texas. Texas is about twice as large as Japan. But it is yet to be on the Japanese radar. America is synonymous with New York, Washington D.C. and Los Angels. Houston is largely moribund except when a Space Shuttle is on the orbit or the Astrodome is filled with hurricane evacuees. I don’t want my fellow countrymen and women to miss out on opportunities Texas gives. I don’t want my people to let go a win-win with Houston in many fields. All the JET participants via Houston shoulder this heavy responsibility to educate Japanese about Texas and its charm, potentials and future.
So you think you have had enough. I see my wife is sleeping while standing there. OK honey, I will stop here. She got back to Houston from Japan yesterday. I wish you the best of luck for your next two years in Japan. Bon Voyage!