Sports Festivals and Responsibilities

Today, I was able to go to work with a regular t-shirt and sweatpants because of the Sports Festival preparation. This is my second Sports Festival but for some reason, this one seems more exciting. It could be because around this time I had just arrived so I wasn’t used to anybody yet. Even so, it’s like a holiday without being at home because I’m able to lounge around in comfortable clothes or just stand around and chat and watch the students do a practice run of the festival. It’s one of the most relaxing days at Japanese high schools and the students get to relax and spend time with each other outside of the classroom. I’ll get to the actual Festival another day, but something ridiculous happened.


So, after the morning schedule of practice, I decided to go to Hotto Motto and come back. I come back, sit down with my drink, prepared to eat it when the boss (who was currently not in our office) told all of the Guidance Counselor teachers to come meet him in a certain office. I’m in the Guidance Counselor’s office, but I’m assuming that I don’t have to go so I just tell them to tell me whatever happens. They leave to see what’s going on. I’m half-way into my lunch when one of the teachers comes back and tells me that two students were caught smoking, while a third, an accomplice was seen trying to alert them to a teacher coming so they can escape. Yes, it’s as serious as it sounds, unfortunately.


So, at first I was told that three students were caught smoking and two of them were caught while the other one escaped. Then I find out that they were all spotted, tried to run, but were caught by the Guidance Counselor Boss. They brought in the accomplice and demanded answers. He sat right in front of the fridge, while the G.C. Boss was directly in front. On the desk was his written statement. He was accused of being the lookout and telling them to escape when they saw the boss coming. He completely denied it and said that even if he made the hand waving motion to tell them to get away, then he did it unconsciously. See…that would make sense if the G.C.Boss who found those three didn’t see him do it. Therein lies the problem, doesn’t it? In any case, he got yelled at for a while, was told to write down his story on paper and get out. He was only a small fry…an appetizer, if you will.

The next kid that comes in, he’s the third grader (senior) who is graduating this school year. He’s not a bad kid at all, a little headstrong, I guess. Not really judgmental, more like, you have only like two chances to prove to him that you’re cool, otherwise he won’t give you the time of day, kind of guy lol. He’s into baseball as well and is the star pitcher because he’s very good. He was one of the kids caught smoking, but I’m guessing they didn’t interrogate him in this room, so I didn’t see that.

The second kid caught smoking comes in looking simply bewildered and/or blindsided. It was as if he was confused about what was going on. I’m assuming it’s a bit worrisome if you get caught smoking and you have to have your parents come and take you home. That’s what happens to all of the kids, when something this serious happens. He didn’t stay long in here, but his school bag was packed to the brim with all of his books but his school slippers stayed here. I’m not sure what was going on with him, but he’s a second grader, so he has the chance to make stupid mistakes, but I’m not sure what’s going to happen since he’s the main cause of this, or is he?




The mother of the last student came in. She and her son sat next to each other, the side closest directly in front of the wall, while the Boss and a different teacher sat across from them. Her son was of course, one of the kids who were caught smoking so he’s in trouble as well. He and his mother had to sit there while the G.C. Boss yelled at the student for being stupid. He asked him if this is the kind of behavior a senior should have and why did he come to this school since it seems it certainly wasn’t to graduate because he’s being an idiot and all that. I think the saddest sight wasn’t that this “manly” student was near tears, but how his mom was trying hard not to break down and sob. Like, she was crying, but it wasn't sobbing. I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m wondering; why the hell is the mother crying? Well, this is what happens when you decide to have teachers act like a surrogate parent. The teacher/parent can yell at student, thereby the parent indirectly. The parent should take more responsibility but she knows she’s at fault because at the end she thanked the teachers. It’s a painful embarrassment for the biological mother.

I’m sure that’s not the only reason why when the G.C. Boss was done yelling at them, they were both crying though…but this is the third time this student got his mother called in to the school because of bad behavior. According to the school rules, that’s grounds for immediate expulsion. I’m sure they were well aware of that too. Another sad thing about this is that he’s a senior and since he wasn’t a bad student, he already had a job lined up after graduation, but he got the job through the school, so does that mean he no longer has a job ready for him? I don’t know. So, at the end of the day four students’ lives were interrupted because the G.C. Boss (who is a smoker) would never mistake a cigarette scent.

This is the full story. The 2nd grader was the one who bought the cigarettes. He bought them that morning at the damn convenient store. Why the hell are they selling cigarettes to high school kids?! The mandatory H.S. uniform is essentially an I.D. card in and of itself, is it not? Not to mention, yes there are cigarette vending machines everywhere, however, you have to scan your ID card in the machine before you can buy them. Despite that, the idiots working at a convenient store will gladly sell them to high school kids? Whatever. So, he manages to get the cigarettes from there in that morning. Shows them off to the older kids and of course he would. That dynamic of wanting to seem cooler to slightly older people doesn’t change. If only it was something more positive because the next thing they know, they’re busted and a kid might get expelled. Who is at fault anyway?

Honestly, I can’t blame the kids. These nicotine-addicted teachers smoke all the time on school grounds! Whenever the teachers have no classes or if it’s during lunchtime or something, you can always see them hanging out together and smoking. Not to mention, Japan still has that belief that you look cool when you smoke. I’m pretty sure the States discarded that notion by the mid-late 90s. Even so, one stupid mistake by a convenience store clerk potentially resulted in a student being kicked out school, thus losing his job offer. Who is responsible for this? Could it be the kid for purchasing them in the first place? Could it be the idiot who sold them? Could it be a social problem? So many people need nicotine that almost everywhere we go has some kind of smoke room, or if there isn’t one, you can smoke where you sit. Could the youth who are clearly influenced by all of these factors be responsible for his response to his own culture? I don’t know.