By Atsuhiko YOSHIDA
Holistic Education Society of Japan
Professor at Osaka Women's University
Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Holistic Education in Guadalajara, Mexico. November 2000.
Today
I would like to introduce some Holistic aspects of Japanese folk culture and
informal education, and also the recent school reform toward the more holistic.
And so, I would like to point out the significance of exploring the perennial
values in each culture from the holistic perspective to develop holistic
education for a post-modern 21st Century.
At first, Please accept my apology if it sounds in my talking that I
emphasize or underline too much of the virtuous, good and positive aspects of Japan. I do
not want to be a Nationalist. I know very well the big problems of Japanese
schools, that is why I am working as a school reformer to transform Japanese
education toward a holistic one.
However today I emphasize or point out mainly the positive, holistic
aspects. That is not only because I do not have enough time to introduce the
whole picture including both aspect of positive and negative, but also because
of three reasons which will be clear through out my presentation, I hope .
The first reason
is
very simple. We had better learn from positive aspects of other cultures in
order to be critical our own. When I speak to a Japanese audience in Japan, I am
very critical about the Japanese society and school system to reform it
(sometimes it might be too critical, as learning the good, meaningful
points of Mexican, American, Canadian holistic education.)
For instance, I have been
introducing how much Mexican culture is focusing on Sympatico and convivencia,
and also soulful like Dia de Muertos.
I translated and
introduced the Education 2000: holistic education vision which was written
through the leadership of Dr. Ron Miller, who was the first lecturer today.
I invited Dr. Jeff Kane,
who lectured earlier, to Japan and he gave many wonderful lectures in my university
in Osaka, Japan.
And special thanks to Jack Miller
from Canada, who is going to give a lecture the day after tomorrow.
He came to Japan several times and we learned very much. I translated his two books on
holistic education into Japanese.
But today, at this
international conference in Mexico, since there are no Japanese people, I am feeling my
responsibility to introduce a holistic aspect of my own culture and education
for you all.
In addition, the general
theory of holistic education, beyond cultural differences, was well mentioned by
friends such as Ron, Jeff and will be explored by Jack and other speakers. And I
came here over the sea flying a long, long way, so I would like to focus on Japanese
culture not general theory.
The
second and third reasons are more serious. And these two are my main issues which
I would like to explore today and through this conference.
One is because it seems that the common way of introducing Japanese
Education is very one-sided, that is focusing on only the formal modern
schooling system without the informal.
The other is more concerning the global, multi-cultural context in searching for spirituality or perennial value. I believe it is very important to
explore such roots in our own culture rather than to import some new method
from others. As for this point, I will come back and mention it in the conclusion
of this presentation.
Well, I have realized, in other countries I visit, that
the way of introducing Japanese education by the propaganda of mass media or
governments’ reports may be, roughly speaking, very one-sided. I mean, it
is said that Japan has developed economically very fast because of education
which is (not holistic but) very academic, intellectually centered and (not
cooperative but) highly competitive. Exam and exam and exam. And the Politicians
and Economists in economical global competition shout that view to the Japanese
education system! We need a Japanese style of education!
Dear friends, I am sorry, I can guess that the model of this kind of
Japanese education is against developing holistic education in your country, I believe.
Doesn't it?
However, the very point that I underline
here, is that it is only the half-truth that Japanese education is intellectual
and examination centered. It is a miss-understanding that Japanese education as a
whole is not academic-centered. It is true that in the modern schooling system,
specially high school and junior high school, the students have been cramming a
lot of stuff for the examination. (which is really the problem which I am
working against). However it is not the whole situation of education - including so
called 'informal education' in Japan.
The traditional culture supporting family and community life is
originally not egoistic or competitive but cooperative emphasizing connection
and inter-dependence, is not mechanistic or materialistic but soulful, aesthetic
and ecological, so it could even called 'holistic'.
Yes,
it is true that such culture is decreasing.
But
still now it has remained somehow.
Well
now, I would like to show some of them with over-head sheets and Videos to
introduce Japanese culture and education to see it in a more visible and vital way. With
children’s faces. Enjoy it!
-------------- start video --------------
At
First I will show a traditional festival in autumn, harvest season, which is
held every year just in my home town in big city Sakai, Osaka. This video is not
an old one, just this year. Still now except for the center of metropolis in Tokyo, Osaka,
Nagoya, such a folk festivals are common all over Japan.
Please
feel how powerful the culture of community is to educate children and teenagers
out side of schooling. It is vital and soulful.
My
children who are 7 years, 5 years and 3 years old visited this shrine to celebrate
growing up. Just beside this shrine there is a kindergarten where my son had
learned.
-------------- end video --------------
Now
I will show some symbolic letters, words which are common and suggest Japanese
folk philosophy.
Here is 和 <wa>
---------------- over head slide -----------------
This means Harmony, or peaceful and gentleness.
This is one of the most important words in Japanese.
For instance, in 5th C, when the first nation dominated all over the Japanese
island, I's
name was Yamato, this ‘great harmony’ . 大和
Since
then, this letter has been the symbol of Japanese folk and language.
The concept of Wa is very
interesting. Wa: means the harmony of the Universe, harmony of the all living
kinds and all human being. The harmony of cooperation.
和して同ぜず
And it is said that the
Wa: harmony is not Dou sameness.
It means that In harmony
there are differences, diversities rather than sameness.
To create harmony, we
need different kinds of levels and parts, just as in chorus, in a symphony,
you know, if all parts are same, we can not make harmony.
So, Harmony is not
uniform sameness, but dynamic harmonization of differences, in other words
wholeness through diversity.
I believe that this is one
of the important points for the concept of holistic, that we distinguish this
kind of wholeness Wa from sameness or uniformity or totality.
It has been expected that
this concept Wa is the first principle of the Japanese folk.
Next, 不二
---------------- over head slide -----------------
Do
you know the sacred mountain Mt. FUJI. Still nowadays most Japanese people
feel something sacred or spiritual when we look at Mt. Fuji.
And
the meaning of the word Fuji is these letters.
This
letter means ‘two’.
And
this letter means ‘not’.
So
Fuji means not two, not dual, not divided, not dualism but monism,
So, oneness, wholeness that means that to beyond the dualistic view point such as body/mind,
material/spirit, subject/object, nature/human, good and evil.
So in Fuji-oneness every
thing are inter-connected, inter-dependent, inter-penetrated.
This non dualistic
concept is also the core of holistic thinking, I believe.
And I would like to show
one more set of letters.
---------------- over head slide -----------------
(Slide shows 4 groups of Japanese calligraphy symbols, each group containing 2 characters or letters.)
The
4 words mean
human, time, space, society which are the main-concepts of our view of the world
and human being.
What does this letter mean? This letter means
‘between’
For Japanese, human being
is originally between individual and individual person. In the between-ness,
humans exist fundamentally. Time exists between time point and time point, space
also the same way. Society is between human and human.
Making sense?
Every thing, every being exists in between-ness. But, in ordinary thinking,
there is nothing between this thing and that thing. More exactly speaking, the
nothing between them is not nothing but the origin or fundamental realty. The
fundamental or infinite reality is not the visible existence
In our world view, we
focus on such a invisible reality
between visible things, using the word ‘AIDA’=betweenness
Even though, in ordinary
life, we are not necessarily aware of such a profound level, The common use of
‘AIDA’=betweenness helps us to be aware of the relationships and interdependence
between A and B.
Human being, Society,
space and time, are always in the relationships between. As Jack Miller defined
Holistic education as the education focusing on relationships, to be aware of
and transform the relationships between different kinds, so the common use of
this language every day might be supporting holistic education very
informally, unconsciously.
It
is important to understand that the Japanese school system developed since the
end of the 19th century has been based on or supported by this kind
of cultural informal education outside of the modern formal schooling system.
陰陽の表
---------------- over head slide -----------------
Here
is a table which maybe you are used to in holistic references.
Maybe
it is not necessary to explain in detail.
The
point I would like to point out is that
If
you look into only the side of school system, you will fail to look at the other
side of education that is informal, community based education penetrating into
the life of children, early childhood education.
Such
a folk spirit is polished in the spiritual tradition, especially the well known
Zen Buddhism. And from the point of view of holistic education, the “Way of
Art” related with Zen is a very interesting and important practice - Tea
ceremony art, calligraphy art, flower arrangement art, some martial arts and so
on.
Most of them have a history of over 500 years, some of them started in China,
many others were created and developed by Japanese Zen masters.
The influence of the way of Zen arts has been penetrated into our way of
life and cultivates our sense of beauty. It is true that these influences are getting
weaker and weaker, but still now it continues and somehow is in revival.
Now lets see tea ceremony in one kindergarten in my home town
with video
---------------- start video -----------------
Dr.
Yoshiharu Nakagawa, ***who is , point out
Traditional Japanese Zen arts are forms of holistic education in that
they offer integrated ways of self-transformation of the whole person with body,
mind, heart, and spirit. This transformation process leads not only to personal
mastery and self-actualization but also to the deepest communion with nature and
Universe……In Zen arts, the training and mastery of art and personal
cultivation of inner self are one and the same.
Training in the way of arts is not only getting a certain technique or
form, but also in so doing, pupils learn how to express or manifest their own
soul in the form. Based on his in-depth studies in Zen arts, Kurasawa concludes
that
“the
way of art is the way from form and art to the soul
and the way from the soul to
form and art”
Hasumi tries to define it as follows...
As
for the tea ceremony,
Okakura
Tennshin***
And
as for calligraphy, here are three of my students and all of them learned
calligraphy not only in the school, (yes, even in public schools they teach
calligraphy in a secure way) , but also after school, from a specialist master of
calligraphy. Those letters which I show right now by overhead, are written by
these three students. In the workshop this evening we are ready to share it, so you
can have the experience.
To
learn letters with calligraphy is very holistic, I believe. We can learn very
vital alive letters. It is not only a sign but very imaginative, soulful.
For
example the letter of mountain, river
---------------- over head slide -----------------
Steiner***
Well,
so now, you can understand what I meant before.
As above, it is only the half-truth that Japanese education is
intellectual and examination centered. It is a miss-understanding that Japanese
education as a whole - including informal education rooted in culture - is
academically-centered.
So it is terrible to introduce and understand and model Japanese
education only from the aspect of the modern schooling system without understanding
such a historical background and informal education in the culture itself.
Now you can tell the government that it is dangerous to look at the
school system without a cultural context.
1.
Turning
point: the current stage of Japanese schools
Yes, it is true that these days such a culture is decreasing and is less influential in modernized civilized society. Briefly I will summarize the school system in 20thC Japan.
1)
The end of modernization to
catch up with Western civilization
Japanese schools in 20th C. had been effectively organized to catch up with
the Western Europe and U.S.A as soon as possible. It had been focussing on
transmitting scientific and economical knowledge which is directly useful in industry,
technology, science and academics.
It had been effective because formal school systems have been balanced by
the informal education (cultivation) in family and community culture, which I
mentioned and emphasized today.
Since the late 80’s when industrialization and civilization was achieved
and cultural/spiritual informal cultivation became less and less influential,
serious problems in the school system began to manifest more and more.
Cf. The number of school refusers: over120,000
2)
Now not only holistic teachers are shifting in this direction, but also administrators in the ministry of education seem to be becoming aware of
it.
From the year 2002, the ministry of education has decided new curriculum will emphasize integrated learning and whole personal activities including hands-heart-head, doing-feeling-thinking, body-mind-soul.
For instance, the three key-words for the government reform plan to be applied
from 2002 are
a)
‘kokoro-no-kyoiku’:
education for heart, soul, or inwardness
b)
‘sogo-gakushyu’:
integrated leaning or holistic leaning
c)
‘tokushyoku,
koseika’: uniqueness of each school as well as individual person
After 2002,
every school will get the time for integrated learning and each individual
school will be given more room to decide its own curriculum
I
will show one of pilot schools for integrated learning in Japan with Video. This
is a public school in Ina city in central Japan.
---------------- start video -----------------
In
addition, I would like to mention about why the core of leaning is animals. I
think it is reasonable. Because for Japanese folk soul, it is very easy to be
friendly with animals and to feel sympathy and empathy and care for them from
our soul. We have many folklore stories about soulful communication between
animals and human beings. Not only with animals but also flowers and trees in the
forest, we have been communicating as the living being who shares the same spirit or
Buddha nature.***
See the practice Ymanouchi Giichiro’s school with forest in
Japan which Jack Miller introduced as holistic in his books and recent article
in Encounter. Such leaning seems to be similar to John Dewey’s
progressive education styles, however this kind of soulful connection makes a
difference between these two, in my opinion. Am I making sense for you? Today I
cannot get into this point any more.
Anyway, not only
progressive or holistic educators but also the ministry of education itself
recommends this kind of integrated learning. For us holistic educators the
integrated learning is not enough because we would like to include more of the spiritual level, but it is
a good chance for us to develop holistic education.
Although it is impossible to access to any specific religion in public schools
in Japan, we can develop soulful schools with soulful teachers
cultivating our spiritual culture. We have such a potentiality.
Now
it is time to conclude. I would like to conclude my presentation briefly.
Today I introduced some holistic aspects of Japanese culture. To tell the
truth, before I encountered holistic thought or the holistic paradigm emerged in
North America, I had not been realized there were such holistic or spiritual values in
our own culture.
I, and maybe most of our generation had been looking at our traditional culture
as only irrational, pre-modern, out-dated, feudalistic. Yes, this is half of the
truth.
Our old tradition has the problematic aspects which I did not mention enough
because of the reason I gave at the start.
My point here is that thanks to Holistic thinking, we are now very aware
of exploring our own culture to find out our own roots on which our holistic
education can based, rooted.
That is one more important reason why I focussed on our own folk culture,
and I chose the title: 'exploring holistic education in each own culture', for my
lecture in this international conference held here in Mexico. The case of Japan
is only one example, a case study. I believe that to explore this concept is very important for also Mexican culture and others.
For instance, the last year when I took part in this conference, I met
the Mexican holistic educators who are challenging to get bilingual education that
is not Spanish and English but indigenous, native Mexican languages and
Spanish. I was inspired very much by those Mexican educators here. I realized
that the task of Holistic educators in Mexico and Japan are very similar because
we are confronting American-European styles of modernization in non American-European culture.
And
also, we can learn from North American holistic educators, in this context, especially
in the challenging multi-cultural society. When I was in Toronto,
Canada in 98-99, I learned very much in this multi-cultural city how much they
are challenging to respect difference, each own culture, and to respect each other, especially each spiritual tradition in depth.
Yes,
indeed, it is very important and also difficult to explore and respect for our
own cultural roots without falling into exclusive nationalism or mere nostalgic
“good old days” thinking.
In
not falling
back, here again, the concept of Holistic is very
valuable and useful, I believe. Why?
In
conclusion, I'd like to tell three points of the reasons why.
Secondly,
on the other hand, the concept of Holistic, which has created and spread in late
20th C, is based on post-modern sciences or epistemology which is not
returning to pre-modern but searching for a further way beyond the limitations
of modernity without denying it. As far as keeping this context of ‘holistic’,
we can not go back to the pre-modern.
And
finally, the word of ‘holistic’ is also a sharing among such cultures. English
speaking, Spanish speaking, HOLISTA verdad, and Japanese - we are also using it
without translation, HOLISUTIKKU, and in the Korean language also. Because we are
sharing this same word, holistic, we can meet each other - as you and I
gathered together in this international conference. I mean, thanks to the word
holistic, we can create a global trend hand in hand that is beyond nationalism
while meeting face to face to understand each other.
Yes, Sure, That is why I came here and why this international, global conference on holistic education in Mexico is so, so valuable and meaningful and wonderful for you all and me!!! Thank you.