Robert Fulghum’s “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” is my all-time favorite essay. ?It talks about lessons normally taught in kindergarten classrooms and describes how the world can be a better place to live in if we all just follow easy and simple rules like children such as sharing everything, playing fair, not hitting others, cleaning up one’s own mess, washing hands before eating, not taking things that belong to others, holding hands and sticking together and living “a balanced life” of work, play and learning. It encompasses several aspects of life from the Golden Rule, love, kindness and sensible living to basic sanitation, ecology, politics and equality. Straightforward and candid as it is, the article teaches us all the things that really matter in this world. And so in the same style and fashion as Fulghum write about life’s essential points, I now share the most significant things I learned about the Japanese culture from my brief but very fun and exciting summer camp experience.

A couple of days ago, I had the most wonderful opportunity of joining an English summer camp with the first grade students of the Kirigaoka Junior High School. The camp was mainly organized to help Japanese junior high school students get used to the English language and improve their listening and speaking abilities through interaction with foreign students during several indoor and outdoor activities at the peaceful and scenic environment of Nasu in Tochigi prefecture. As one of the foreign staffs, my basic task was to lead a group of 12-year old kids in a number of fun-filled and educational activities during the 3-day affair. The event, which was packed with lots of songs, dances, games, cultural performances, picnics as well as hiking, camping and sightseeing activities, was truly a wonderful occasion not only for the young students but also for me and my fellow foreign facilitators. Little did I know that this activity would be a great learning experience for me and that it could give me so much insight and ideas about Japan and its rich and exceptional culture.

First, I learned that discipline is one of the pillars of the Japanese way of life. In the beginning of the camp, I thought that it would be challenging and difficult to instruct and command the young students knowing their juvenile, zesty and energetic character. But throughout the event, I witnessed how the kids ardently obeyed and followed the rules and guidelines of all the summer camp activities. Even the simple practice of using seatbelts during bus rides, which demonstrated the children’s discipline and their respect for the law, impressed me a lot. What’s more, every single camp activity began as scheduled showing the high regard Japanese have for punctuality and the importance they put on time. Orderliness and organization were truly evident in everything that the Japanese kids, teachers and camp instructors do. These plain observations clearly illustrated the huge position discipline occupies in the Japanese culture. It became clear to me that the great political, social and economic success of the entire country ensues mainly from the profound sense of discipline inherent in the Japanese people even at a very early age. Obviously, this acquiescent and disciplined populace helped Japan achieve its current status as one of the world’s most highly-developed and integrated society.

Second, I recognized that cooperation, team spirit and solidarity are other essential facets of the Japanese culture. The notion that any group in the camp could not take a meal with a single member missing helped prove this point. Consequently, my assigned students took efforts to gather together and call me, as their team captain, once breakfast, lunch or dinner time comes so that we can all eat simultaneously. This idea truly struck me as something extraordinary and praiseworthy since not only did it teach the values of team spirit and harmony but it also made the students appreciate the importance and worth of each individual team member. Another feature of the Japanese culture I experienced during the summer camp was the use of public or common hot bathing facilities, more popularly known as onsen. This custom might seem strange and shocking to most foreigners like me but this shared and communal bathing practice only served to reinforce the Japanese virtues of unity, cohesion and team spirit. Of course, there were still other instances wherein I observed the Japanese culture of solidarity like the many occasions in which my group of students exemplified team work and cooperation during most of the summer camp activities and games. In these events, my kids did not mind whether we win or lose as long as we were all enjoying and having fun together. This made me think that the Japanese culture places more significance on the spirit of camaraderie over actual victory. Again, these perceptions helped me understand the way the Japanese people behave toward their work, their country and their attitude toward life in general. Simply put, the Japanese people believed and adhered to the famous Three Musketeers’ motto of “one for all, all for one” in their everyday living.? ?

Third, I realized that the Japanese culture seeks to achieve a sense of balance and a holistic nature. One of the good points I noticed about the summer camp program was that it gave adequate time for the participants to play, learn and relax. During the “chat time” activity, we had fun and played several card, dice and board games with the students. In the “It’s a Small World” activity, we helped them create posters that highlight the different cultures of the world and it is during this time that we taught them simple and basic English sentences to enhance their listening and speaking skills. And when we visited the Rindo-ko Family Ranch during the last day of the camp, we were able to relax and enjoy the theme park’s scenery and amusement rides. It was interesting to note that the Japanese junior high school students zealously participated in all these activities. While they knew when it’s time to learn and to get serious, they certainly knew how to have fun and enjoy their leisure time. These observations showed the consideration that the Japanese culture gives to “a balanced way of living”. Accordingly, this special kind of concern for “a balanced life”, instilled at such a young age, would teach the kids the importance of having a holistic and well-rounded personality when they grow up to be the future citizens of the country.?

Fourth, I discovered the great appreciation the Japanese culture has for nature and everything that comes from it. This could be understood from the fact that Japan is gifted with so many lovely and picturesque places. Our hiking activity in Kenkatura highlighted this thought even more as everywhere I turned, I saw abundant greeneries, flourishing trees, clear and sparkling brooks, natural freshwater streams and magnificent cascade waterfalls. But the important thing I learned was not only did the Japanese recognize the beauty and value of nature, they also know how to take good care of their environment. They respected their surrounding and worked to preserve and enhance its beauty and splendor. This truly overwhelmed me and made me appreciate the Japanese culture even more as unfortunately, I come from a society where little importance is put on conserving and keeping the natural environment. I firmly believed that if the other cultures around the globe can only learn the same respect the Japanese have for the sanctity of nature, our world will be a much better and sustainable place for us and the future generations.

Fifth, I found out that what makes the Japanese culture vibrant, thriving and brilliant was the fact that Japanese people are always eager to learn and search for new ideas and knowledge. My students were not afraid to ask me questions all throughout the summer camp despite their struggle with the English language. They used hand signals, drew symbols or did anything they can think of just to communicate their ideas. This inquisitive nature truly amazed me and gave me the impression that perhaps, it is this very nature that made the Japanese famous for countless fresh and innovative ideas and technologies. Presumably, the Japanese people’s curiosity to ?be familiar with the world around them and their strong motivation to discover modern things and come up with breakthroughs and inventions helped generate their country’s rich and vivid culture.

Lastly, I learned that the Japanese culture, although unique in its own, is also very much open to embrace and acknowledge other cultures and backgrounds. This was evident during the international cultural night held on the second day of the camp. In this activity, all the groups staged various performances representing the cultural background of their respective team captains. There were Korean chants, Indonesian tribal dances, Indian presentations, Thai songs, Chinese hymns, French acts and Malaysian performances. For my part, I taught my group a very famous, cool and hip Filipino song and dance rendition much to the delight of the whole audience. Albeit the difficulty imposed by the language barrier between me and my students, I was able to teach my kids simple Filipino lyrics and their accompanying dance steps mostly because of their enthusiasm and receptive attitude toward my own native culture. This openness and welcoming behavior concerning other people’s backgrounds truly astonished me and made me believe that the traditionally isolated and strictly homogenous Japanese culture has finally evolved into one with a more global and tolerant character. Of course, this recognition of a more open and receptive Japanese culture could be corroborated by the country’s current active involvement and participation in various global affairs and dealings whether in the realm of economics, politics or social order. Evidently, this idea was supported by the cultural exchanges and celebrations I witnessed during the summer camp’s international night.

The fact that I learned all the above things from the incredibly short time I spent with lively and cheerful Japanese kids makes my recent English summer camp experience all the more interesting. I do understand now why Robert Fulghum said in his critically-acclaimed essay that life will be more meaningful if we just hold on to the basic lessons we can learn from children. What Fulghum failed to mention, however, is that observing young kids and their behavior can likewise be an opportunity and means to better comprehend and appreciate the culture of the society where these children belong to. Certainly, I get to know the Japanese culture and the Japanese way of thinking more deeply from the interactions and exchanges I had with the vivacious and modest junior high school students in the summer camp. The lessons I learned from these kids will surely help shape my future view and perception of Japan, its culture and its amazing people. Through this experience, I now have a wider appreciation and enjoyment of the people, things and places around the country I consider my second home. Without a doubt, I will always cherish every moment of this encounter ? an experience that will forever remain in my heart and in my memory.

Culture is often defined as “the way of life for an entire society” that includes art, codes of manners, dress, food, language, religion, rituals, norms of behavior and systems of belief. As such, words like samurai, sumo, sake, sushi, tempura, kimono, ikebana, kabuki and manga easily come into mind when one speaks of the Japanese culture. While I agree that these things are popular representations of Japan, I do believe that more than these well-celebrated icons and symbols, the Japanese people and their values and ideals are the real wealth of the country’s culture as I just learned and discovered from my very recent summer camp experience. Indeed, the Japanese people’s exemplary discipline, their incessant search for knowledge and new ideas, their spirit of camaraderie and sense of commonality, their appreciation and passion for everything that the world offers and more importantly, their unwavering respect for the law, for nature and for other people, regardless of race and religion, are the points that make the Japanese culture genuinely unique, fascinating and remarkable. All these things lead me now to sincerely look upon the country and its culture with utmost reverence and admiration. These are also the same things that every single nihonjin in this nation should truly be proud of and which the country can rightfully offer as its legacy and heritage to the whole world.