んｍｓCXｈｋば SDECｌｋ。じゃで、ｊ Produced by SHOEI GIRLS’ SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

FURUSATO SHOEISTUDENT EDITION, JANUARY 2024

The Efficient Use of School Space
Shoei is a very charming
school - the overflowing natureand the spacious grounds callupon many students every year.
However, we felt that we are notutilizing the environment to its
fullest potential. Therefore, wecame up with multiple ideas of
how we could make Shoei aplace where students are notforced to study but a place wherestudents are motivated to study
and learn.

Shoei’s campus map

Photo by Shoei
When you go a little
deeper into Shoei, you are met
with a tiny forest. It is full ofnature; however the students
cannot step one foot into theforest. The fallen leaves andpotentially dangerous creatures
make it a place which students
are forbidden to enter. However,Envision yourself studying out inthe forest with the natural setting
and background sounds serving
as a motivational backdrop. Whowouldn’t feel motivated tostudy? Other than tables andchairs, if we could set up agarden or animal shed, webelieve the forest can beoptimally utilized. Although it
may not be as realistic, having
plants or animals that students
can take care of will encouragethem to be responsible in a funway. It will also enable them tolearn by tactile and visual
learning the plants and animals
instead of just looking at thehandouts and the textbook. This
will be more memorable andefficient when it comes tostudying for the students.

Shoei’s courtyard
Photo from Shoei’s Instagram @shoei_girls_jh
In the heart of Shoei lies
a picturesque courtyard withflowers and trees blooming
throughout the year. However,
we believe that the courtyard
isn’t being utilized to its fullest
potential. The main concern thatwas raised was how narrow thepathway is, even when most
school students use it every
single day. It seems very
impractical that the courtyardsits at the center of the school,
but no more than two people canstand next to each other. Most
Shoei students have an unspoken
agreement that we are forbiddenfrom entering the lawn. However,according to a Shoei teacher, thatis not entirely true. If so, wethought that we could put thevast lawn to better usage. For
example, we could remove thesmall fence that separates thegrass and the path. That way, wecould provide a wider walking

space for students. We are alsosuggesting the installation ofbenches, envisioning the space
as a communal area forsocializing, studying, or simply
enjoying the outdoors. We also
considered using the lawn as aplace for students to eat lunch.
However, according to aschoolteacher, the school policybans eating outside a classroom
to prevent students from feelingleft out if they are displaced fromtheir seats. In response, we areproposing
acompromise:
implement a rule prohibiting
eating lunch at other students'
desks but allow for eating inopen spaces like the courtyard
and open classrooms. This way,it addresses the issue ofexclusion among students andcan provide a better, moreaesthetically pleasing lunch
space.

Shoei’s forest
with a little effort, it is possible
for us to turn it into another fun
place for learning. For instance,
if we clean up the leaves andtrees and make it neater, wecould add benches and chairs foralfresco lunch and studying.
According to a resource,studying in an outdoor space canhave countless benefits. These
include the stimulation ofcreativity, heightened focus,
increased student engagement,
stressreduction,improvedproductivity, enhanced attention
span, and has a positive impact
on your overall well-being.

Photo by Shoei
Even though these are
only our suggestions, we hope
we were able to give you ideas tochange Shoei for the better. We
believe that change does notcome easily; however, with help
from students all over the school,
we can make students’ hopes andideas come a reality.
-------------------------------------By Aoi Kayama
Suzuno Kimura
Rayna Suzuki--------------------------------------SCHOOL

2

STUDENT EDITION, JANUARY 2024

ENTERTAINER

Behind the Scenes of the Cafeteria

Shoei’s cafeteria

Photo from Shoei’s website

to check for additional orders

hardships

which

eventhesemade by the students and teachers,

veterans face. For example, whenseparating into roles of making

they don’t know the exact number

meals for students, teachers, andof students ordering the menu,

side menus. Before the fourth

especially the number that getsperiod is over, the workers getordered in the morning, they must

ready to hand out the meals forguess and make extras in order tostudents. When fifth period starts,

serve every student who needs it.

the workers bring the dishes back

Therefore, they need to consider

to the cafeteria to wash and dry.

the popularity of the meal andWhen classes finish, and students

approximately make it. Also,

have bought their tickets forsince they only have one oven in

Many Shoei students eat

some questions that we thought

tomorrow’s meals, they start

the kitchen, it will be tough work

lunch from the school’s cafeteria,

might be interesting for us Shoei

preparing for the next day. And theto make foods which require it

but have you ever wondered how

students to know!

cycle goes on and on.

such as pizza.
---------------------------------------By Yurika KonnoHinako Kato---------------------------------------

the cafeteria workers manage to

The cafeteria workers start

These workers came tomake many of those delicious

their busy day coming to school

Shoei by recruitment or due tomeals every day? We would likearoundandtransfer and they’ve worked here

to introduce you to the cafeteria

preparing for the day’s meals.

for around 20 years on average.

workers’ busy daily schedule, andAfter first period, they go aroundHowever,seveno’clock

therearesomeOne Day Schedule around Shoeifrom any students’ house. Also, as

To burn some calories, youa Shoei student, getting familiar

could go to karaoke at "Best 10"with the places around the schooland enjoy three hours of karaoke

may lead to feeling more affinity

with unlimited popcorn and drink

for Shoei!

bar for 550 yen inclusive.

Now we will present a
wonderful

one-dayschedule

around Shoei!

A picture of Museum of Package Culture

To wrap up your day, you
cannotmissouton

dinner.

“Printemps” is famous for its

After a satisfying meal of

Napolitan,

andithasdelicious pastries, you may relax

introducedonTV

programs

at the "Museum of Package

several times. There are a variety

Culture."Inside, visitors canof menus to choose from but if it'sobserve

theof

your first time, you must try out

development

been

Have you ever experienced

which is easily accessible foreveryday items like boxes, cans,their delicious Neapolitan with adifficulty deciding where to hangeveryone. However, there is one

and different polymers that peoplerich, addictive taste. You wouldn’t

out with friends? Unlike publicplace where Shoei students canhardly think twice about. You

schools where most students live

access for almost free and cancould take yourselves to havein close areas, students in private

easily gather: the places aroundsome Italian seafood for lunch at

schools like Shoei come fromShoei.

a"Sakanabaru" that serves dishes ofregret it!
---------------------------------------By Arisa Kikuchi
Yuri Kiyono---------------------------------------

many different areas. Therefore, itcommuter passe, so the fare will

seafood such as oysters, crabs thatis difficult to pick the perfect place

be free, and it won’t be too far

you wouldn’t want to miss!

Mostpeople

have

SCHOOL

3

STUDENT EDITION, JANUARY 2024

ENTERTAINERTHE ESCALATOR CASTE SYSTEM~The unspoken agreement in Shoei~
With Shoei’s long history
there is no denying some
intriguing unspoken rules among
students. We would like tointroduce the most interesting
agreement: The Escalator CasteSystem.
At one of the nearest stations
from Shoei, Takanawadai Station,
there is an escalator parallel to along staircase. Due to the immenselabor of going up the stairs, moststudents are eager to take themoving stairs. However, this is not
the case.
With the sharp eyes of theseniors and the tense atmosphere,
most junior high school students
are unconsciously forced to takethe never-ending stairs instead ofthe escalator unless they areinjured. One student in Sr.1 got
scolded in junior one by anotherstudent from the same grade, whoshe had never talked to before, forusing the escalator.
We came up with two reasonsfor this unspoken agreement. The
first reason is the need to divide
the students going up into two to
avoid congestion. According toour English teacher, Mrs.N whohas worked for Shoei for 10 years,
this unspoken agreement had
already been around when she
started working for Shoei.
However, the curious part is thatwhen Mrs. N was a student atShoei, this unspoken agreement
wasn’t around. The second reason
is because Shoei students havemassive respect for our seniors or

what we call senpai. Whether inthe halls or during club activities,
whenever we see our seniors, weare expected to bow and greet
them with the utmost appreciation
more than it was in the past. Withthe need to show respect, juniorstudents may need to take thestairs instead of the escalator.
Having thought about thisunspoken agreement deeply forthe first time, we are curious to see
how this agreement cultivates
students and if any otheragreements pop up in the future.
---------------------------------------By Karen Nakamura
Makoto Takasaka----------------------------------------All drawings by Nao Hayashi

Shoei Universalon~Hairstyles to do in Shoei~
Although school rules are an
unavoidable obstacle for us
students to dress freely, it doesn’tmean that we let it take control
over us and make limits on how
we express ourselves. Therefore,
we would like to introduce three
top recommended daily hairstyles
especially convenient for busy
Shoei students.
 Side ponytail

Take a tiny bundle of hairfrom the top of your head and tie
it like the picture on the top. The
higher you tie it and the closer thebundle is to the face, the more
outgoing and sociable you willappear. With this hairstyle, it islikely that you will have increased
opportunities
tostartconversations and make newfriends with confidence.

Chikup hairdo

This hairstyle is perfect forpeople with short, puffy hair. First,
divide your bangs into two andmake another bundle from the hairof the top of your head. Then
combine the three, twist it once tomake it puffy, and pin it to the top
back of your head. Exposing theforehead allows your facial
expressions to be more valid,
which gives people the impressionof a trustworthy and reliable
person.

Ribbon rope hairdo

With this hairstyle, you canquickly transform into an angelfrom a fairy tale. To become one,first make two thin long braids
from the side of your head, about
4cm above your ears and tie thembehind together. Make sure you
don’t pull too hard or tie it
somewhere too high. Put on a
black ribbon, preferably a longend one, and you havesuccessfully become a fairy taleangel.

Being
happywithyourself is key to having a goodlife at Shoei. Hairstyles help you
have more confidence in yourself;
it’s not only about the impressions
from other people. The threehairstyles we briefly introduced
may become a great help to yourconfidence.
--------------------------------------By Yui Kamiyama
Nao Hayashi---------------------------------------SCHOOL

4

STUDENT EDITION, JANUARY 2024

ENTERTAINER

Ranking School Bathrooms
We humans are alluniversallyconnectedbybathrooms and our use of them.
However, it has come to ourattention that Shoei’s are subpar totheir could-be potential, and what
better to do than to rank them?
Here, we would like tointroduce the best and worst
bathrooms in Shoei, curated bythose we interviewed. Now, after
a thorough examination of theinterview results, the answers
varied throughout each grade.
After all, every grade has different
access to specific bathrooms andaccordingly, we scrutinized that asingle unified “best bathroom”
could not be found.
Despite the doubts, themodernized bathroom on thebottom floor of the White House
easily took the medal with awhopping margin of votes. Itssterilityandmodernization
succeed beyond the other ones, it
being one of the few bathrooms in
Shoei with an automated warm
seat. As we went to investigate,
the ambiance and technologicalaspects of the bathroom exceeded
our expectations and weresublime in all categories. We also
took note of efficient flushing andsanitation system, and the bright
lighting that visually exceeded theothers.
Anotherhonorable
mention that gathered many votes,
is the bathroom next to ClassSr.1-1, which has exceptional
cleanliness and accessibility.
On the contrary, the worst
bathroom by far is the one on thelowest floor of Greenhill House. It
had over half of the votes, which
seems reasonable with its
yellowish interior and musty
atmosphere. To say the least, there

The bathroom on the bottom floor of the white house
Photo by Suzuno Kimura
has been talk about a small bug
infestation and the locks, sinks,
and flush noise malfunctioning.
The most amount of heat you
could receive is that ofthermoresidual warmth, whichshows the stark differencebetween the best ranked.
We hope that soon, Shoei

can bring about a more holistic
approach regarding
their bathrooms and thus, maketheir bathrooms multifaceted inboth aesthetic and utility.
---------------------------------------By Tomoka Ando
Haruno Takeuchi----------------------------------------

Romanticizing School
School can be a very boringand stressful place for students
like us. However, we believe thatby romanticizing school, we canmake school life better, and aplace where we can look forward
to going. We have come up withseveral ways you can makelearning at school and studying
at home more exciting.

 Taking Pretty Notes
Use colorful pens and markers to
not only make visually appealing
notes but it is also helpful inorganizing information. By
doing so, it will help you focus
in class more and prevent you
from sleeping through class.
 Buying New Stationery
By
investingincute,personalized stationery such ascolorful pens, markers, andunique notebooks, you can makenote taking an enjoyable process.

 Have a Clean Desk Setup
A messy desk will reduce yourproductivity and your motivation
to study. By using organizers,
you can store your stationery andother study materials. A clean
desk equals a clean mind!
Making small changes toyour life to romanticize school isa simple and enjoyable way to
boost
motivation,enhancelearning,
andmaintainproductivity.
-------------------------------------By Yuna Ueno--------------------------------------

FURUSATO SHOEI
Published by a group of 14 students of Shoei, a private high school in Minato City, Tokyo, in cooperation with the not-for-profit Global
Education Information Center(GEIC).
Publisher : Shoei Girls’ Senior High School Sr. 1-1A
Project Supervisors : Erika Nakajima and John Healey, English Department
Editor: Rayna Suzuki
Assistant Editor: Suzuno Kimura
Staff Writers : Tomoka Ando, Yuna Ueno, Hinako Kato, Yui Kamiyama, Aoi Kayama, Arisa Kikuchi, Suzuno Kimura, Yuri Kiyono, Yurika
Konno, Rayna Suzuki, Makoto Takasaka, Haruno Takeuchi, Karen Nakamura, Nao Hayashi
Contact : 〒108-0071 2 Chome-26-5 Shirokanedai, Minato City, Tokyo
URL : https://www.shoei.ed.jp/