Tokyo Weekender - February 2016

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EDUCATION SPECIAL DEMONS OUT! HAPPINESS IN! by Brian Christian The age-old holiday of Setsubun isn’t just one for the kids: it’s another opportunity to greet the still new year, full of beans I have never been sure about February. Such a cold, contrary month. Perhaps it is simply because we have tired of winter that it seems to drag. Despite being the shortest of them all it’s not a month that hurries itself. Spring might be on its way but it remains tantalizingly out of reach, just around the next corner, just over the next hill. At this time of year I can’t help feeling like an impatient child on a long car journey: “Are we nearly there yet?” In Europe our very wise forefathers had an interesting attitude towards the rather dark, cold period that followed their tenth month, December: they disliked it so much that they tried to ignore it completely, making the depths of winter a monthless period and, figuratively speaking, stopping the clocks until the emergence of better weather in March. It was only around 700 BC that the workaholic Romans decided that we couldn’t continue to have a 304-day year and simply write off the grim bit as if we were in some sort of snug hibernation. Thus Februarius was born: the month of purification, suggesting that even in days of old they were no strangers to the New Year detox. For all our worldly modern-day sophistication, I feel sure that we can learn much from the folklore handed down to us through the ages It may seem odd here in Tokyo— where February is one of the driest, sunniest months (and often the coldest)—that the ancient Britons called it Salmonath or month of mud—hardly one for the tourist brochures! Another equally unappealing old English name for it was Kalemonath, or month of the cabbage, perhaps taking us back to that dreaded post-Christmas detox and those ghastly green “health” drinks that make their annual appearance on office desks around the world at this time of the year. The arrival of February in Japan is both ominous and auspicious. Ask any child. Setsubun ( 節分 ) on the third day of the month, the eve of spring according to the old Japanese lunar calendar, sees the spirit realm at its closest to our human world. It is a time to take care—strange things might happen. You wouldn’t want a wandering demon to sneak through your door and take up residence for the year ahead. In the dim, dark, distant past you might have banged a drum or lit a bonfire and burned evil-smelling sardine heads to frighten off unwelcome visitors, but these days mamemaki (まめまき) or bean-throwing is the preferred method of exorcism. Of course, once any itinerant ogres have been sent on their way, it makes sense to eat up the beans but you must make sure that you eat just one for every year of your age, plus one for the year ahead—especially as they now tend to come sugar-coated! I like the notion of Setsubun. For all our worldly modern-day sophistication, I feel sure that we can learn much from the folklore handed down to us through the ages; so often there are messages worth listening to in these archaic rituals and customs if only we are prepared to hear them. Had a bad year? Not happy with the cards that fate has dealt you and hoping for better luck this time round? Then do something about it! It’s up to you to bang that drum and throw those beans because the alternative is to let your demons walk all over you. At the start of this cold, contrary month, just when all our New Year resolution is beginning to weaken, maybe a bit of bean-throwing is just what we all need to get us back on track. Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! Bring on the Year of the Monkey! FEBRUARY 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com
A HOME FOR BOLD LEARNERS EDUCATION SPECIAL The British School in Tokyo is dedicated to developing students who combine academic excellence with resilience, independence, and a spirit of adventure The British School in Tokyo has enjoyed an enviable reputation for the provision of high quality education since first opening its doors in Shibuya more than 25 years ago, and the past year has seen its star continue to rise even higher, culminating in a richly deserved place on the short list for British International School of the Year 2015. An accredited member of the Council of British International Schools and one of only a small number of schools worldwide to have been independently inspected according to the UK standards for British Schools Overseas, BST has once again been adjudged to be Excellent (the highest rating) in every area. We regard this as a very welcome endorsement of the high standards we set for ourselves. Following the notable achievements of our previous graduates and their success in winning places at some of the top universities in the UK, the Class of 2015 were keen to emulate their predecessors. This year’s talented group of A Level students certainly set the bar high for those who will follow them. Remarkably, 51% of all entries were awarded A*/A grades and a very creditable 76% achieved grade B or better. These results are a long way above the UK national average (in UK schools just under 26% of entries were awarded the top two grades) and easily surpass our own three-year average scores. It is especially encouraging that our students continue to win places on extremely competitive courses at top-rated universities, including Edinburgh, Imperial, King’s and UCL. This year, for the first time, BST musicians are studying at both the Royal College of Music and Trinity, while for the fourth year running one of our talented A Level artists will be studying at St Martin’s. Emphasizing our international outlook, our students have also taken up places at universities in Canada, India and the United States and, closer to home, at Doshisha in Kyoto. Young Students here know that education is not simply about passing exams. people today see themselves as global citizens and they recognise that A levels offer an academic passport that can take them anywhere in the world. There is certainly increasing interest in the USA and a number of current students are looking towards Australia and mainland Europe. Most universities worldwide are very familiar with Britain’s public examination system and are more than happy to accept students with A levels or their equivalent. In fact, the specialist nature of these courses means that students with better grades can expect to earn significant credit—sometimes up to a whole year’s worth of study. At Harvard, for example, you will need to have at least three A/B grades to matriculate (earn a place) but three A grades will merit a full year’s academic credit; Boston College will offer two courses of credit for A/B grades, while C grades will earn one semester’s credit, and Princeton clearly states on its website that A/B grades will earn Advanced Placement credit. It is a similar story across the world. As an international school of more than 900 students aged 3-18 BST is, of course, much more than an A Level school. All examinations are important, and many parents are impressed by the rigor and structured progression of our particular brand of British education. That said, students here know that education is not simply about passing exams. Sport, music and drama are woven into the fabric of school life, and we see both community service and adventurous activity as real strengths. From their early years in our Nursery and Reception classes, children are given countless opportunities to develop the independence and resilience that will enable them to take the next step in their education—wherever it might take them, with confidence— and a smile. For more information please visit the official website: www.bst.ac.jp Address: 1-21-18, Shibuya Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-0002 www.tokyoweekender.com FEBRUARY 2016
Page 1 and 2: FEBRUARY 2016 Japan’s number one
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Page 5 and 6: Join the Conversation, Join the Clu
Page 7 and 8: Something for the weekend...A cockt
Page 9 and 10: GALLERY GUIDE | WEEKENDER | 9 DU KU
Page 11 and 12: y Alec Jordan www.tokyoweekender.co
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Page 15 and 16: NAKATA | FEATURE | 15 According to
Page 17 and 18: World Valentine Festival Valentine
Page 19 and 20: ICE CLIMBING | FEATURE | 19 morning
Page 21: EXPAT LIFE | WEEKENDER | 21 We Buil
Page 25 and 26: PROGRAMS CURRICULUM Our Aoba-Japan
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Tokyo Weekender - February 2016

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