It's almost time for classes to start again here at Nishiki, and that can mean only one thing: School festival. You've no doubt seen our posts from previous years about our schools' festivals. They're unique, loud, intricate, and probably one of the easiest ways to see the differences in school culture between Japan and America.
This year I'm going to give you two looks at the festival - today I'll show you the behind-the-scenes setup photos, and this weekend you'll see the festival through the eyes of the visitors who come to enjoy the students' hard work.
As a refresher, at my school the first year high school students (US 1oth graders) put on a skit, usually a lip-synch or dance, for the other students to watch during the first day of the festival. The second-year students decorate and in some cases transform their classrooms for visitors to tour through. Finally, the third-year students set up food stalls and cook Japanese festival foods like fried noodles or grilled octopus dough balls. I'm personally looking forward to the apple-custard filled fish-shaped pancakes this time. Finally, classes are named according to year level and class number. Thus, class 11 are first-year students, class one. Class 23 are second-year students class three, and so on.
The festival lasts for two days, and it takes about a week to get ready. Students begin hauling supplies - cardboard, paint, markers, etc - to school the week before. Now, a mere 24 hours before the opening ceremonies, students are scrambling all over the school to put everything up. Here's the scene:
Much like in the States, students can vote on who they think exemplifies a particular character trait. Unlike in the States, categories include "cutest glasses," "most girly boy," "most boyish girl," and "darkest tan."
Students hang hand-made decorations for their food stalls out of the 2nd floor windows.
The students of class 21 are turning their room into a "Frozen" themed haunted house. Here's this morning's progres...
...and this afternoon's.
There's the Olaf we know and love.
Other second-year students discuss plans for thier classroom decorations. There are rumors of a small roller coaster for class 26.
Always rainy Kanazawa doesn't deter the students from setting up their food stalls in the central courtyard of the school.
Outdoor shoes aren't allowed indoors, but indoor slippers aren't allowed in the gym. Class 14 ditches their slippers in the hallway so they can set up their chairs for the opening ceremony (Japanese school gyms don't have bleachers, so it's a bring-your-own-chair policy.)
Class 32 sets up decorations for their food stall.
The art club prepares for their open house, where they'll sell handmade postcards, stamps, and keychains.
Class 31 has decorated their garbage cans, and sits around waiting for more work.
Students from class 31 set up a face-in-the-hole facade for their grilled octopus dough balls food booth.
Class 11 practices the dance they'll perform tomorrow.
Girls from class 38 weigh out ingredients for their recipe.
A cook shows the students of class 33 how to make the fish-shaped pancakes.
The junior high school members of the band (percussion section) practice for the opening ceremonies. The band members are some of the only junior highers who participate in the festival directly - it's primarily run by high schoolers.
The high school building with courtyard below. You can see first-year students on the fifth floor resting between dance practice. Below them on the fourth floor, the second-year students decorate their classrooms. Underneath the building on the ground floor, the third-years practice cooking.
Class 22 hangs tinfoil balls from their classroom. They insist that by tomorrow it'll be a movie theater.
With the day almost over, it's time for me to head home. I'm sure the students will be here late into the night working to finish everything. Then tomorrow, I'll get to see the completed product (and you'll see it in a few days when I post the second half of this blog.)
Thanks for reading!
