Japan - News/General Discussion

Tu_triky wrote:Eloquently said. :applaud:

And painfully true. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:
And painfully true. :sweat:

well in our increasingly obvious attention deficit order plagued society...i'd have to agree.

Huh? What? What was that you said ? :beaten:

bmwracer wrote:Huh? What? What was that you said ? :beaten:

see...i forgot to take my Ritalin.

Japanese students face chopstick test

It's no secret that the Japanese are obsessed with education but in addition to the usual reading, writing and arithmetic some students will soon be tested on their ability to use... chopsticks.

Applicants to a private high school for girls in Sasebo in southern Nagasaki Prefecture will be asked to hold and move various small objects including beans and marbles with chopsticks as part of the entrance exam.

"This is simply one factor to assess whether these girls can handle chopsticks correctly, which is really the most basic element in education," said Katushi Hisata, the vice principal of Hisata Gakuen Girls' High School.

"It's surprising to see how many children don't know how to hold chopsticks correctly, which is a part of the Japanese culture's beauty," he told AFP by telephone, adding that only 20 percent of elementary students use chopsticks correctly.

The westernization of Japan's eating habits means that use of the knife and fork is increasingly common, while a growing number of children with working parents eat alone, leaving them less well versed in chopstick etiquette.

The school's vice principal accused celebrities appearing on television food and cookery shows of using chopsticks wrongly.

The school, built in 1902, has space for 40 students in each grade, and has traditional classes in tea ceremony, kimono-fitting, etiquette and cooking as part of the wider curriculum.

"We are aware that this kind of exam won't make students jump up and come running to us, because this is unlike normal high schools that advertise success rates of students entering prestigious universities," Hisata said.

"But we do know that education is not only about having brains, but also etiquette," he added.

bmwracer wrote:Japanese students face chopstick test

It's no secret that the Japanese are obsessed with education but in addition to the usual reading, writing and arithmetic some students will soon be tested on their ability to use... chopsticks.

Applicants to a private high school for girls in Sasebo in southern Nagasaki Prefecture will be asked to hold and move various small objects including beans and marbles with chopsticks as part of the entrance exam.

"This is simply one factor to assess whether these girls can handle chopsticks correctly, which is really the most basic element in education," said Katushi Hisata, the vice principal of Hisata Gakuen Girls' High School.

"It's surprising to see how many children don't know how to hold chopsticks correctly, which is a part of the Japanese culture's beauty," he told AFP by telephone, adding that only 20 percent of elementary students use chopsticks correctly.

The westernization of Japan's eating habits means that use of the knife and fork is increasingly common, while a growing number of children with working parents eat alone, leaving them less well versed in chopstick etiquette.

The school's vice principal accused celebrities appearing on television food and cookery shows of using chopsticks wrongly.

The school, built in 1902, has space for 40 students in each grade, and has traditional classes in tea ceremony, kimono-fitting, etiquette and cooking as part of the wider curriculum.

"We are aware that this kind of exam won't make students jump up and come running to us, because this is unlike normal high schools that advertise success rates of students entering prestigious universities," Hisata said.

"But we do know that education is not only about having brains, but also etiquette," he added.

wow. 20 percent?

Wow..... I can use chopsticks, but I have no idea if i'm using them "correctly"....

Anime Dad wrote:Wow..... I can use chopsticks, but I have no idea if i'm using them "correctly"....

If you have food stains on your shirts and/or pants, then no. :hehe:

I can usually get food from plate to mouth.....

I have trouble with soup though. :bonk:

Anime Dad wrote:

I have trouble with soup though. :bonk:

the soup...hehe.

some ppl usually dip in a sponge and then squeeze out the soaked up contents to get around that problem.

Ah, the sponge, of course :)

Note that Mr Miyagi always carries chopsticks, even if it is for fly-catching practice ;)

Anime Dad wrote:Ah, the sponge, of course :)

Note that Mr Miyagi always carries chopsticks, even if it is for fly-catching practice ;)

Actually Mr. Miyagi carries chopsticks to stir his martinis well, as illustrated by your avatar.

Chopsticks have many uses ;)

Anime Dad wrote:Chopsticks have many uses ;)

looks like the chopsticks come in handy to fish out the stuffed olives from the bottom of the martini class.

Tu_triky wrote:

the soup...hehe.

some ppl usually dip in a sponge and then squeeze out the soaked up contents to get around that problem.

or just lift the g*ddamn bowl. :beaten:

Tu_triky wrote:

the soup...hehe.

some ppl usually dip in a sponge and then squeeze out the soaked up contents to get around that problem.

But soup also comes with a soup spoon, non? Helps you slurp less, too. :D

Wynter wrote:

But soup also comes with a soup spoon, non? Helps you slurp less, too. :D

It takes a woman to get to the heart of a problem ;)

Anime Dad wrote:

It takes a woman to get to the heart of a problem ;)

Boy, it takes a woman to make the world go 'round and 'round. :P

Although, you could also use chopsticks with a hole drilled through them - like a straw ;)

Anime Dad wrote:Although, you could also use chopsticks with a hole drilled through them - like a straw ;)

Then why not just use the straw? I've bought firm unbendable straws before. :P

Drilling holes... I'd do it.