Well we’re surmising that he’s not native Japanese but rather Nepali/Indian or half, born and raised in Japan. In which case international schools are quite common.
But I personally know several native Japanese, including the children of a close friend, who wanted their kids go grow up bilingual so sent them to an international school.
I’m surprised it’s that common. I assume they have access to great schools for free. How much are they paying for the international ones?
Also, don’t they teach English at most Japanese public schools? I don’t know as many Japanese people as you do, but they all learned English in school.
English is taught at all Japanese schools, but not in a way that produces proficient English speakers. Maybe the ones you know speak decent English, but they are the exceptions.
In fact most Japanese are notoriously poor speakers, which is why there is such a booming industry for adult English conversation schools, and why “teaching English” is a such a good way for native English speakers without any other marketable skills to live and work in Japan.
In contrast to regular Japanese schools, going to an international school taught in English only, say from elementary school through high school, produces fully bilingual speakers. So while it’s not common, there are some who want that for their kids and are willing to pay the steep tuition to make their kids fully bilingual.
And of course, non-Japanese people who are living in Japan for whatever reason may want their kids to have a proper English education and thus, the need for international schools.
Thanks. I know several that fall into the above category. I didn’t specifically ask, but they made it sound like they had approximately zero native-speaking, born and raised Japanese classmates.
Yeah, the native-Japanese students in international schools is not common, but it does happen.
My own friend grew up overseas, in Singapore in fact, and is fully bilingual and so wanted the same for her kids. I met her while living in California when she moved there with her young kids to live there for two years to pick up English. Then, after returning to Japan, she sent them to international school through high school. They’re now adults and fully bilingual.
The other person I knew was a colleague at work whose father was a government interpreter, so he wanted his kids to likewise become bilingual, and she was.
Getting back to sumo, is there any significance to the fact that Hakuoho doesn’t have any sort of knot on the top of his hair>? It’s just combed back.
The significance is that he has shot up the ranks so quickly (just 4 basho since entering pro sumo) that he hasn’t had time to grow out his hair sufficiently to create a proper mage.
It’s happened before. Ichinojo. Mitakeumi. I think Endo, just to name a few.
Once his hair grows out long enough, he’ll be top-knotted just like all the rest.
Thanks, again. If Raja retires, they should give you his job.
Training at Miyagino Stable, with English subtitles.
Ishiura’s horror-themed outfit:
https://twitter.com/tachiai_blog/status/1684549179513733120?s=20
https://twitter.com/tachiai_blog/status/1684898234408284160?s=20
dude goes hard
I’ve mentioned it here I believe but prior to joining sumo Ishiura lived in Australia, speaks English, and had hopes of becoming an actor.
Takayasu can’t win a yusho, but he’s winning at life.
Went to a little thing today. Yokozuna was also there to perform the dohyo-iri. Have video but forgot to take a pic.
The other rikishi know who’s boss.
Hakuoho just had shoulder surgery and will be kyujo indefinitely. Bummer as I was looking forward to “The Prodigy’s” era of domination, but it’s best he get his gimpy shoulder fixed up fully while he’s still young.
And as expected, the Yokozuna is out of the Aki basho.
Hakuoho is learning how to sit out matches just like his teacher!
