Jeff Lahr, a Santa Maria resident and teacher at Paulding Middle School in Arroyo Grande, is bringing a taste of Japan back to the Central Coast.

When school starts again in the fall, he can share his firsthand experiences of Japanese culture with his social studies classes, and photographs of Japanese people, food and landmarks with his fine arts class.

Getting there

Lahr visited the country as part of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program, which is sponsored by the Japanese government. The aim of the program is to promote greater cultural understanding between the two nations, according to a JFMF press release.

The trip started with an orientation June 8 in San Francisco. On June 9, he and the 159 other teachers departed from San Francisco to Tokyo, losing a day (June 10) because of the time change.

In Tokyo, Lahr and the 159 other teachers took group classes in Japanese culture, economics and government. Lahr visited some Japanese shrines known for their flower gardens, the giant Buddha statue at Kamakura, and the Sanno Matsuri festival, which is a Shinto shrine festival held every other year.

On Shikoku

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On June 15, the teachers split into 16 groups, with Lahr's group assigned to the island of Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's four main islands, in a town called Saijo, which is known as a citrus growing region.

The stay in Saijo began with host families and teachers pairing up.

Lahr said most teachers were nervous because of the unfamiliarity of the situation; it wasn't guaranteed that hosts would speak English or cook familiar foods. (Teachers were encouraged to eat as much of the food offered to them as possible, barring dietary restrictions.)

“I used to think I was a finicky eater, but I found out I could eat just about anything, and I enjoyed just about everything,” Lahr said.

Lahr was told by his students on his blog and by his JFMF training that it is good manners to exchange gifts with the host family. He gave his hosts, Reiko and Kieku Takako, a Dodgers baseball cap, See's Candy peanut brittle, a photo book of California, and stationery with woodblock prints created by a Japanese artist in Yosemite National Park

In Saijo, he visited four schools: an elementary school, a junior high school, a senior high school and a university.

“With the schools, just in general from the observations that I made, and (from conversations) with the Minister of Education for Japan, in the elementary schools there was a lot of energy, a lot of freedom, a lot of creativity,” Lahr said. “And it becomes more and more focused, more and more high-pressured, as they progress into the upper grades. The Japanese are known for their rigorous studies.”

However, classes for upper level grades ease up in the afternoon, when “clubs,” or elective classes, take place. Subjects include origami; the traditional Japanese tea ceremony; and kendo, a type of martial arts that involves bamboo “swords.” (In the photos on his blog, the students pictured in black outfits doing kendo are girls.)

“It is nice to see that a lot of the traditional culture is respected and renewed at school,” Lahr said.

One of the major differences he saw in the schools was how lunch was served. On the blog Lahr has set up to chronicle his experience, http://my-japan ese-adventure.blogspot.com, he said: “At lunch time everyone stays in the classroom. Six students, wearing surgical gowns and masks, run to the cafeteria and bring lunch back to everyone in class.

“Everyone - the students, the teacher and guests like me - eats the same thing. On this day, we ate rice, dried anchovies with pickled vegetables, and a broth with tofu pieces. No choice, no complaining, and everything on your plate must be eaten! (On the next day one of the American teachers played sick in order to skip the lunch.)”

The schools were graffiti and litter-free, possibly due to the fact that the students and teachers clean the schools themselves each day after lunch. They mop the floors on hand and knee, clean bathrooms, and maintain the landscaping outside.

Lahr thought the school system in Japan works well, although school officials he spoke with recognize the potential for improvement.

“They were very candid about the areas that they needed to improve on, but they have an excellent school system,” Lahr said.

According to the school officials, many Japanese students read and write English well, but don't speak it fluently. To that end, JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) teachers are brought in from English-speaking countries in various parts of the world to model spoken English by native speakers.

Lahr's stay in Saijo culminated with a stay at a traditional Japanese inn with hot springs, the Dogo Onsen, one of the oldest inns of its type in Japan, and a wrap-up session in Tokyo.

Lahr is grateful to the Japanese government for their generosity and the opportunity to learn more about their country; and he hopes to bring his newfound knowledge and understanding back to his classrooms and colleagues.

“Overall, my understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture has increased,” Lahr said. “I'm certainly not an expert now, but I have an appreciation for the Japanese culture and Japanese people.”

Lahr's blog:

To read Lahr's blog, visit “My Japanese Adventure” at http://my-japanese-adventure.blog spot.com.

Bettina Adragna can be reached at 739-2220 or at badragna@santamariatimes.com.