2017/04/15 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High SchoolFirst Class: Global Understanding Skills BASIC [Class Development]
The GUS BASIC for all first year high school students has begun. The program started two years ago
with the recognition of super global high school from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology. As a program to develop the human resources that will take on the challenges
of global sustainability, the objective is to learn from the environmental leaders of the world andcontribute to the global discussion of sustainability. In this BASIC course, students will participate infieldwork to directly observe and experience environmental problems through specific regions andinstitutions. Students will learn about the complex situations in which our globe and society findthemselves, and develop their own ideas about what can and should be done. They will examine themultiple values that determine our own ideas about “what sort of society should we create for the
future?” In this class there was an explanation of how students will develop and share their ideas inthis year long course, which is part of a three-year program. Since this is an integrated program ofstudy, it will be necessary to develop an approach to continuously working on deepening our awarenessof and curiosity in the many issues that we face.
Class content

Materials
Explanation papers(Class, CDR, Hall),
SurveyStudent-centeredlearning, Inquiry-basedlearning, Explanation of
Microlab, Flipped
Learning, KJ method
2015 Sustainable
Development Summit
Sustainable
Development Goals,
UNDP
Contemporary
Keyword Sustainable
Society (TBC)
Professor Kohara
Katsuhiro, Doshisha
University Departmentof Theology
http://www.kohara.ac/
GPS Academic timerequired 90 minutes
In 2012, 21 respectedscholars published anarticle in Nature on thedemise of humanity andshocked the world.

1-1

4

15

Intro 1 Class Development,
Methods

1-2

4

25

Intro 2

1-3

5

6

Intro 3

1-4

5

13

Class 1 Contemporary Keyword
Sustainable Society

1-5

5

27

GPS Academic

1-6

6

3

Tomorrow – in search of permanentlife
http://www.cetera.co.jp/tomorrow/

1-7
1-8

6
6

10
17

1-9

7

1

Tomorrow reflections (Microlab and reports
Lecture “Maniwa’s Challenge”
Fieldwork explanation
Call for participants(Maniwa)
27-28 OctoberWorkshop
In search of sustainable
society KJ Method(ML)

Equipment,
class room
CDR 2classes

Notes
B Parallel

A HallTuesday

Hall

A

Hall

A

HR parallel

HR
Hall

A 3+4
periodA
11:0013:00
possibletime
extension
B
A

HR

B

Hall

2017/04/25 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High School
METHOD
In today’s class on methods, Mr Yamamoto introduced several of the arrangements from last year andexplained how we will continue to deepen our learning. He covered the following topics:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Micro-lab and KJ Method
Inquiry-based learning
Experience-based presentation skills development
Listening to lectures and presentations
Delivering messages
Fieldwork (Okayama, Tokyo, Europe)

Using a number of different learning styles, we will use our limited time efficiently to research andshare about the issues we are interested in. We will broaden our perspectives by listening to speakers
with a wide range of values and experiences, and learn from their ideas so we can put these to use
when we do our own presentations. In fieldwork, we will actually travel to the sites, share the newexperiences gained there, and construct our own ideas about what sorts of decisions will be important.

2017/05/06 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High School

A “sustainable’ world? From MDGs to SDGs
Today we had a full-group lecture from Mr Toda and Ms Chosa in the Hall.
In Mr Toda’s class, he put forth the following questions: Do you know what impacts the world is
feeling after the change in the American president? How is this impacting you? Do you think it isunrelated to your life? In America we have seen the birth of the America First president. There was abattle of opposing views in the French election, while democracy in Turkey is being shaken in its
foundations. Where is the world heading? Because we also live in the globalized world, we cannot but
accept that these trends affect us as well. We must be ready to act on issues that impact the lives ofothers in the world. Development continues, and the keyword of ‘sustainability’ will continue to be of

high importance. One message that remained in the minds of the audience was that ‘our happinesscannot ride on the sacrifices of others’.
We heard from Ms Chosa about some of the activities of the United Nations. For example, every 17
minutes, someone in the world dies of starvation. It is because of this and other realities of our world,that in 2000 Millennium Summit the parties agreed on 8 targets that should be achieved by 2015. These
are the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Progress towards the achievement of these goals wasquantified in concrete indicators. For example, eradiation of hunger was to be addressed – in thedeveloping world about half of the population lived on 1.25 USD per day, but this was reduced to 14%.
In order to move this framework further, a new development agenda was adopted in 2015 – this is theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The big difference between MDGs and SDGs is that while
the MDGs were focused on the efforts of developing countries, SDGs consisted of universal goals that
included the developed world. The 17 SGDs are even more detailed than the MDGs, with 169 targets– such as poverty and hunger, energy, climate change, social justice and other sustainable development
goals – to be achieved by 2030. Furthermore, with the MDGs, there was a general recognition that themost vulnerable sectors of the global population were being left behind. There was also a realizationthat global warming was having direct impacts on poor rural populations that rely on agriculture for
their livelihoods. This class helped the group consider first what we ourselves can do.
In 2030, the students will be adults – the people who will be changing the world.

2017/05/13 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High SchoolContemporary Keyword ‘Sustainable Society’ – thinking from the Bible
Today we were happy to have a talk by Ohara Katsuhiro from Doshisha University Department of
Theology.
Why do we look to the Bible on this topic? His topic began with this message: Searching through the
Bible will not find the answer to sustainable society. However, it will draw your attention to the factthat sustainable society has been a major question for humanity for a long, long time.
Introduction: When I was a high school student, the focus was on economic growth, and there was
not even a notion of ‘sustainability’. But at the same time, Nausicaa, Hokuto no Ken and other anime
were popular, illustrating the dangers of civilization crashes resulting from the mistakes of humanity.

Issues from Jesus’ dinner table: In the Bible, it is shown that in the eyes of God there is no distinction
between people, as Jesus invited excluded people for meals. Food is a large point within the idea ofsustainability. In anthropology, the traditions surrounding food reflect social order in very simple terms.
From the times in which a family would surround the fireplace for meals, to the contemporary practiceof solitary meals, we can see how looking at food can illustrate the changing of the times and how
people’s thinking is part of that change.
Rethinking creation: Searching for the path to relativizing anthropocentrism. In the Bible, when God
created the Garden of Eden, he instructed the first humans to ‘eat from every tree in the garden, but nomatter what, you must not eat from the Tree of Good and Evil. If you eat from this tree you will die.’Our lives are surrounded by temptation. Scientific technology is one of those temptations. As we cansee with nuclear power, if we just follow our desires, we will not bring only happiness but danger as
well, and we may even take life.
From the Supremacy of Economic Growth to the Land of Rest – the practice of energy
consumption and recycling: In the Bible, the Sabbath and heaven place importance on rest. In theage of the internet, no matter where you go it is difficult to find rest. And energy is constantly
consumed on our planet. We need to rethink the importance of rest. How can we get rest, how can werecover ourselves, secure the time to look objectively at ourselves. This is a big theme for our own
personal sustainable lives.
The big story, to be told in a loud voice: Pope Frances called for an extremely important ecologicalconversion in 2015. He stressed the importance of sustainability, and emphasized the fact that if
environmental destruction and global warming continue as they are now, the first victims will be thepoor and weak of the world. When we consider sustainable society, we must be cognizant of the weakpeople in society. I would like you to paint your picture, as only high school students can, using
creativity to follow your perspective.
Finally, our speaker entreated us to takefull advantage of the opportunity to
study at Doshisha International,
absorbing the essence of the Bible,
assuming a piquant existence, like the
sharp tingle of wasabi in our lives.

2017/06/03 -GUS Basic/ Ⅱ Other Activities-1st Year High School and 3rd Year High School

Film Tomorrow-Demaine – In Search of Permanent LifeOn Saturday June 3, as part of our GUS BASIC studies, we watched the film Tomorrow-Demaine –In Search of a Permanent Life.
“There is a danger that humanity will go extinct. And maybe not in the far future.” So stated 21
scientists in the influential magazine Nature in 2012. The article argued that If we continue our current
lifestyles, humanity will not survive.
This film is about Melanie Laurent, an actress who heard this fact, and since she had just become amother, decided that she needed to do something for the not only her own children but the children of
future generations. The documentary is the story of her travels around to meet people who had started‘new lives’, in search of new policy approaches.
“I am not talking about saving the world, I had to start with things around me”. The documentary takes
us on her travels, starting from her own garden to the people who have expanded their fields out into
the city. First it is necessary to think about food in general, then there are 100% renewable energy
towns, economic models such as regional currency and green economy, and democracy not dominatedby global capitalism. In the end, it will come down to a vision of education that is ready for the future.
It is important to do whatever we can, no matter how small. Like-minded people will come together
around the beliefs. These relationships expand and can influence decision making. The many examples
of how this works were a strong message supporting our SGH studies.
The actress Melanie Laurent is also a highly-acclaimed director, whose films have been shown theCannes International Film Festival. Featured on the front of fashion magazines, she is also a role model
for women in society. She set out on a journey with the journalist-activist Cyril Dion, exploring issuesof food, energy, money and education. This is a set of surprising encounters with “people who havestarted new lives”. The documentary shows a new lifestyle of shared linkages with the world.

©MOVEMOVIE – FRANCE 2 CINÉMA – MELY PRODUCTIONS2017/06/10 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High School

Film Tomorrow-Demain - In Search of Permanent Life
Reflections
In today’s GUS Basic class, we divided up by class to do reflections on the film we watched last week
Tomorrow-Demain – In search of Permanent Life, in micro lab format. After dividing into groups,
students did an exercise to recall the main story by sharing memories and impressions in response to
the Keys shown below. The Key and the responses to each will be used later in our on-going studies.
Our understanding of the film was deepened by the recognition that we all gained different impressions
from different parts of the film.
Key 1: Transition Permaculture
Key 2: Urban FarmKey 3: Incredible Edible (Vegetables for All) Movement
Key 4: “Nine seeds” Seed Bank
Key 5: Economy Trend Fund
Key 6: Biomass Energy
Key 7: Jan Gehl Urban Designer How should cities be designed?
Key 8: Renewable Energy
Key 9: Zero Waste Project
Key 10: Carbon Neutral
Key 11: Reunion Island
Key 12: Lille Posheco
Key 13: Regional Currency
Key 14: Barrie (Business Federation for Local Economy)
Key 15: Helsinki Finland’s Educational Revolution

2017/06/17 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High School

Looking for ‘tomorrow’ close at hand – Okayama Maniwa city’s approaches
Recently we had a film showing and talk by Kohara-sensei from the Department of Religion.
Continuing on from this, today we had a lecture from Sato Yasuko on the Maniwa city and theapproaches it is taking for ‘tomorrow’. Each year we visit Maniwa city in Okayama prefecture for
GUS Basic fieldwork.
In “Tomorrow – searching for a permanent life”, we met the story of Melanie, a mother who heard
scientists proving that humanity will collapse if we continue in our current daily lifestyles. She visits
people around the world who have started new lives, but in the end, she does not give us a clear answer
to the question of what we should do. The lecture by Kohara-sensei focused on perspectives onsustainable society from the Bible. The 20th century wave of consumerism that has washed over theworld will end, and the 21st century will give rise to new values – this is the story that he challenged
us to tell. This is exactly the story that we are trying to tell, the answers that we are searching for in
our studies. The story of Maniwa city’s approaches included doubts about the feasibility of their new
approaches, but when peoples’ ideas were adapted and the challenge of reclaiming prosperity was
taken up, they created an example of how it can be done. This experience gives us a large hint into
how we might tell the story of the 21st century.
Maniwa city became famous when it was introduced in the book Satoyama Shihonshugi by Motani
Kousuke. The first chapter deals with the local revitalization and economic rejuvenation efforts,
starting from zero, taken at the frontier of the global economy. The region came to be known as the
Big Jump to Biomass Town. Maniwa is an isolated settlement in a depopulated mountain area. To easethe pain of depopulation, the local administration decided not to fight against the current conditions,but rather to reassess what the community already had and to discover new values in those things.
As Ms Sato said, we should not be looking
to go somewhere to find something new;instead, she has focused on how we cantake back the things that we already haveat hand. This does not mean taking backthe same type of economic developmentthat society believed in during the 20th
century; the important point is rather that
we need to recover prosperity in our lives.
We continue to think about what we cando, and what kind of society we want tolive in.

2017/07/01 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High SchoolFirst semester wrap-up: In the micro-lab
Today was the final class of the GUS BASIC High School First Year group. Students divided byclasses and prepared a summary of the semester’s work in micro-lab format. Ideas and lessons learned
were added to the list of topics that had already been collected on large sheets of paper. They also
summed up their reflections on their work to date, and brainstormed on objectives for future studies.
We got the impression that in one semester, the students developed their awareness, ranging from thelarge global-level issues to the environmental problems they see in their own daily lives. After thesereflections, information was provided about the call for participants in the fieldwork planned for
Maniwa and Tokyo. Students will be striving to increase their interest and commitment to the learning
goals they have set.
The main topics raised so far include:
•
•
•
•
•
•

the culture of consumerism
global currency
Biomass Maniwa
SDGs (goals)
Renewable energy
Sustainable society2017/09/02 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High School“You should definitely be interested and participate!” 2016 Field Work
Participants
The day after the first classes, GUS Basic classes also started. Today was an opportunity to hear apresentation about the experiences of our school’s third year high school students, who are also thefirst batch of SGH Fieldwork participants.
The first group to talk participated in the Biomass Tour to Maniwa city in Okayama prefecture. Going
to see the sight for oneself is completely different from learning in the classroom. Seeing how biomass
power generation is related to environmental problems in concrete terms stimulated real interest in theissue. This experience also heightened students’ interest and expectations for the Tokyo and European
fieldwork to follow.
The second talk was by the group that had taken part in the Tokyo “International Organizations Visit”.
Hearing about the issues from the people who actually deal with them in their work brings a new senseof reality. This was a rare and valuable opportunity to hear the opinions direct from these people. After
having visited the embassies of Germany and Austria, the participants found themselves even more
excited to visit the countries to see and hear the realities for themselves.
The last presentation was from second year high school students who visited Europe on the “Learn
from Environmentally Developed Countries”. It was a real adventure to travel to Europe with people
who share the same interests. Having the opportunity to talk directly with the local people was avaluable experience. Learning about new things was a wonderful stimulation, but it was also valuable
to get direct exposure to food and other areas of culture.
Listening to the presentations, it was clear that the students had grown in many ways – seeing howquestions from the classroom can be answered in the field, how gaps in understanding are filled fromdirect experience, as well as broadening the perspective on the issues we are thinking about. The final
message stressed that people who are interested in these complex issues should definitely apply toparticipate. Throughout the talks, the basic message of enjoying and studying together came throughloud and clear.
Anyone interested in the program is encouraged to apply.

2017/09/09 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High School

From the Student Council: Towards the Food Drive
Today the Student Council members involved in the planning of the Food Drive gave a presentation
about their work. Food is one of the most important issues of sustainable society. The central members
include several GUS third year students. Hearing about the Kyoto Food Bank directly was one of the
motivations for wanting to set up a similar activity at the school.
A Food Bank is an effort to collect foods that can still be consumed, free of charge, from companies,
shops, farms and households, and deliver them, also free of charge, to people that need them. The
system and organization are run as a completely voluntary effort. The average per capita food loss inJapan is equivalent to two rice balls. In one year, the total is a staggering 6,320,000 tons. This is twotimes the entire global amount of food aid that is provided.
In Japan, one in six people suffer from lack of food, so efforts to find, collect and redistribute food thatis needlessly discarded is an important social contribution. The small effort to contribute even on canof food to someone who is hungry could have even bigger meaning. How do we change our daily “It’sa shame to waste”, to a “thank you” from someone who needs food? This question moved everyone.
The Student Council is working to build up peoples’ awareness of this issue from zero. As a first
outreach effort, they will set up a booth at the Cultural Festival, collecting food and delivering it toplaces where it was needed. They expanded their network of people who want to make a difference,and expressed their desire for the lower grades to continue on with the effort. But first, please stop byat the Cultural Festival Food Bank booth and learn about what they are doing!

2017/10/07 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High School

GPS-Academic Returning Results
The results of the GPS-Academic held in the first semester are out. The personal results were returned
to each student. GPS-Academic is different from tests that measure your standard academic
performance. This is a Global Literacy and Skills Test administered Benesse i-Career, and looks at adifferent selection of the individual’s strengths and unique characteristics.
Looking at the evaluations with deep interest, students surely had lots of different feelings as they
compared and discussed the results with their friends. It was not a matter of having done well or poorly,but rather what sort of intellectual strengths does the individual have and how could those be brought
out in that person’s studies. It is also a chance to consider how the individual might change in thecourse of following those studies. Everyone reflected on the results through the following 5 steps.
STEP 1 Reflect on intellectual strengths measured in the test, considering the balance of criticalintellect, cooperative intellect, creative intellect
STEP 2 Consider how these three intellects can be brought out in studies
STEP 3 Reflect on normal activity along different problem-solving processes
STEP 4 Learn about the gap between one’s self evaluation and the test evaluation
STEP 5 Reflect on descriptive and narrative questions, deepen thinking by knowing diverse ideas
The SGH system is designed to nurture the capacity to solve problems in ways that no one else hasthought of through the collaboration of people with a diversity of values. We believe that the students
must continue to grow through finding their own interest areas and understanding their own intellectual
strengths.

2017/10/14,21 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High School

TASTE THE WASTE
Today we watched a documentary film produced by the German media about efforts to find solutions
to the global scale problem of food loss, based on fieldwork with many people involved in the manydifferent aspects of food products. The first scene, set in Vienna in Austria, introduced “dumpster
divers”, young people who go around at night on bicycle to supermarkets to gather discarded food.
But these are not poor people. They are people who are doing what they can to reduce the amount offood discarded so that they can contribute to the reduction of people who are starving. It is difficult tobelieve that in reality that 30-50% of the food we are supposed to eat is discarded before it arrives on
our tables. Discarding food results in rising food prices, and the methane that is created by disposingof food in landfills increases carbon dioxide by 25 times, contributing to environmental destruction.
These all make the lives of disadvantages people more difficult.
Learning about the problem of food loss, the student council took the lead in the Food Bank activities
at the Cultural Festival. They learned that much food that could still be consumed is thrown away inJapan as well, and the film made us think about what we could do to help this problem. The video
asked what choices the consumer should make. As consumers, we all make choices about what foods
we want to eat when we are shopping. Most people probably have the experience of looking for foods

that are not close to the expiration date, or looking for the largest, reddest tomato in the basket. The
video challenged us to think about whether these decisions, which seem normal, are really the actionsof consumers who are concerned with making the right choices. Large firms set standards that are toostrict in order to meet the needs of the consumer. The producers are squeezed by these firms, whichmeans that the amount of food products in the stores is too much, and the produce that is lined up on
the shelves is overly beautiful. Much food that could still be consumed is discarded when the expiration
date nears or if the color and shape are not pleasing. This creates huge amounts of waste. The imageof food being compressed in the garbage was a shocking a sad sight for all.
The film also introduced many different efforts being made to address the
problem. There were American farms trying to sell directly to consumers,
German bakeries that recycle leftover bread to produce energy, a German
biomass electricity generator producing energy from fermenting food waste
and Japanese entrepreneurs safely producing animal feed. But we were still
stuck by the words of a farmer who said that the food that is produced forhumans should be consumed by humans. The question is not only about how
food waste can be more effectively disposed of, but also about the morepressing question of how it can be reduced. Consumers need to understandthat their behavior is wasteful and extravagant. We need to reassess the
structure of food production and delivery to make better decisions for theenvironment.
2017/11/04 -GUS Basic Lecture -1st Year High School

The Conditions for Social Coexistence
Today’s GUS Basic welcomed Mr Jinushi Akihiro, from the NGO Sora, which is located in
Seikamachi, near our school. He After go involved in activities to help handclapped children when hewas studying at Doshisha University, as a volunteer living with the handicapped children. He has been
involved in these activities ever since. His talk today was a chance for us to think about how we cancreate a society that cares for people who are vulnerable.
Knowing that the class had previously watched the movie “Tomorrow – In search of permanent life”,
he reminded us that in the movie there were many suggestions about how to take a different look at
our lives to consider what sustainability might look like. There were also ideas about problems of thecurrent economic system that focuses on large corporations, and productivity and production. His talk
today highlighted the important missing element of that movie, which is the fact that there are many
people that are not able to enjoy the convenience and hopes of this society – that is handicapped andother disadvantaged people. The number of handicapped people around us is not small. Recently, thenumber of people being diagnosed with handicaps and receiving special assistance has grown. He also
explained the related dilemma of society’s segregation of people with handicaps. He was talking
about special needs schools and special needs classes. These people require assistance, that is for sure;but is the increase of these facilities really a good thing for society?

Mr Jinushi raised two questions:
The form of development we should strive for: What does a society where each individual is takencare of under a democratic system look like, where everyone can coexist?
What is necessary for kindness: Society that has people we want to help, and society where we are one
step ahead of needing to help people?
Mr Jinushi explained his desire to expand his network of friends that have hopes for a society in which
everyone, in all corners of the world, can coexist. His talk drew on his own experiences, asking thestudents to make the most of opportunities during their youth to see an experience many different
things inside and outside of school.
About NPO Sora
Sora conducts a range of activities with handicapped children, including provision of and assistanceto facilities for parents with babies, and care programs for children with advanced handicaps and theirguardians. They provide spaces that meet the needs of the childrens’ handicaps, as well as school
activities during the summer, winter and spring breaks. There are also trips and local activities plannedon the weekends during the school year. These activities are planned and implemented with highschool and university volunteer staff. Recently the organization has gotten involved in child poverty
reduction, providing study support and child meal centers. NPO Sora website:
http://sorasupport.sakura.ne.jp/

2017/11/11 -GUS Basic Lecture -1st Year High School

The Fukushima Disaster: Before and After
In today’s GUS BASIC class, we had the chance to welcome for the second time Mr. Oshima Hidetoshi
from the Mainichi Shimbun Osaka editorial office. His talk today covered the questions ofenvironmental pollution and destruction and how we can protect the environment. His talk was basedon his experience covering nuclear issues in Japan. Mr. Oshima reported on the Monju High Speed
Nuclear Reactor in Fukui during 1990-1993, and since then has continued to write many articles about

nuclear power. At that time, nuclear energy seemed to be a dream industry for resource poor Japan.
However, through his reporting Mr. Oshima quickly became aware of the problems and impending
downfall of the nuclear power industry.
Even before the Fukushima disaster, there had already been two terrible nuclear accidents – Chernobyl
and Three Mile Island. Through those tragedies, the inherent risks of exposure to radiation werelearned, but unfortunately the reality of the danger was not appreciated fully in Japan. And then the
Fukushima disaster happened, with many people being exposed to radiation and having to flee theirhomes, with great suffering for both the people who fled and also those who stayed. As many as 15,000
children suddenly were faced with the reality that they couldn’t go to school, their families and friends
scattered. Mr. Oshima asked us to try to imagine that situation. The terrible damage that was not visible
to the eye is reminiscent of Chernobyl. Mr. Oshima asked us not to view what happens in foreigncountries as someone else’s problem, as well as stressing the importance of learning from history. He
expressed his hope that in the society that will be led by the next generation there will never be a
tragedy in which people suffer as they did at Fukushima.
2017/12/13-14 -GUS Basic Field Work -1st Year High School

Biomass Maniwa
Fifteen students from GUIS Basic class took part in the school’s third study tour to Maniwa city inOkayama prefecture. Maniwa city utilizes its rich forest resources, making progress to realizing asustainable society based on biomass activities. On this tour, the students visited sites where many
types of energy are being used to replace petroleum fuels based on effective utilization of the region’s
resources.
[Contents]
First Day:

Visit Maniwa City Hall
Visit Katsuyama-cho Protected Town Area
Visit “Mokuzai Fureai Kaikan” Ki-no-Eki
1. Hear about Maniwa Biomass Industry programs
Visit Tsukita Collection Facility
1. Conditions of Maniwa area man-made resources
2. Biomass activities of the Forestry Coop
3. Forest management with local owners and biomass energy generation
Visit Maniwa Industrial Park
1. Visit collection area and learn about stable supply of source biomass
2. System of return to land owners
3. 10,000 KW wood-fed biomass generation facility using local resources
4. Energy supply to local grid with free energy production

Second Day

Visit Maniwa City Katsuyama Area
1. Biomass energy generation

2. Pellet production facility
3. Hear about CTL new wood-based materials
Visit CLT Model Construction
Visit Maniwa Indusrial Park
1. Movie about CLT production line, visit factory
2. Utilizing heat from air conditioning chip boiler
3. Energy supply destination for biomass energy generation
4. Bus stop using CLT new wood-based materials
The morning of the second day was a beautiful white landscape thanks to the snow that fell the night
before. On this trip we were able to get many perspectives on how timber resources are used without
waste in the Maniwa Model.

2018/01/17-18 -GUS Basic Field Work -1st Year High School

Tokyo Fieldwork: Embassy and International Organizations
As preparation for the “Learning from Environmental Leadership Countries” activity, the GUS BASIC
class sent 15 students for fieldwork in Tokyo at the Embassy of Germany and other internationalorganizations. The group explained its learning objectives at each destination, and heard overviews of
the environmental activities of each institution. The group had a talks from our graduate Sekikawa
Chisato of JAXA and the Reconstruction Agency’s Ijichi Ryo. It was a very meaningful experience
for the group.
[Contents]
17 January (Tue) Travel to Tokyo
Visit Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Library
Official visit to Ministry of Foreign Affairs
After lunch, visit JAXA, Reconstruction Agency andExchange with graduates in “Requirements for being a
global leader and choosing your future path”
Stay at hotel

18 January (Wed) Official visit to German Embassy
Visit JICA
Return to Kyoto
The student’s visits are introduced here.
Blog of the German Embassy
http://young-germany.jp/2018/01/17

2018/01/20 -GUS Basic Lecture -1st Year High School

Cosmopolitan
Today we welcomed two lecturers for a talk called “Cosmopolitan”. The speakers were Mr. Saeki
Seiichi, a businessman working on the front line of global business, and his wife Motona, a native of
Guangdong province in China who works as an interpreter with customs and the airport police.
First, Motona spoke to the students about Guangdong province in Chinese, with Mr. Saiki providing
interpretation. Her hometown of Guangdong has much beautiful nature and a slow pace of life. Aftercoming to Japan, she was shocked at the high speed at which time flows. There is almost not a daythat China is not in the news here, reminding us of how close the two countries are, but her message
today was about how much different there is in lifestyle, culture and language between different
regions in that huge country.
Mr. Saeki graduated from Doshisha University and started working for a company that produces andexports glasses frames and sunglasses. For the next 25 years he would work in product developmentin the China context. He shared many examples from his experience of doing business and working
with Chinese staff about how unpredictable it can be to work abroad. There are many things that are
difficult to understand from the Japanese view of common sense. Of the various things around us, notmany are produced completely in one country, from resource procurement to production and assembly.

The products we use today are composed of materials and processes that cross many boundaries. Byutilizing division of labor, production costs can be lowered, and as a result peoples’ lives benefit. He
explained to us how this is precisely the meaning of globalization. His attitude about accepting various
differences in values and cultures, trying to understanding them in a constructive and positive way,left a big impression on the audience.
Today’s lecture from an international couple working in the real world was an extremely valuable
experience, for which we all express our appreciation.

2018/01/27 -GUS Basic Lecture -1st Year High School

Reporting from Fieldwork Participants
Today’s GUS BASIC class was a report from students that participated in the recent fieldwork“Maniwa Biomass Tour” and “Tokyo International Organizations”.
The students who participated in the fieldwork at the Maniwa Biomass Town explained how city policy
and private sector actors come together in a system that supports activities to utilize the rich forest
resources of the area. Forest covers 79% of the land, and supports the generation of biomass energythat supplies all households and still produces a surplus. The realization of this system prompts us tothink about more potential and alternatives for the future.
Students returning from the Tokyo fieldtrip reported on their meetings with international organizations.
First was a career seminar from a graduate of our school. The lecturers were Sekikawa Chisato, whoworks for JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Ijichi Ryo, who has provided many
inputs to the Reconstruction Agency’s work. The students seem to have been greatly moved by thescale of their seniors’ field operations. The speakers touched on the importance of cultivating diversity
within oneself, which will link in to future opportunities. Becoming a global leader takes time andeffort, but anyone can become a global citizen. Visiting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the German
embassy and JICA, the students were able to see how various organizations work. Through the lecturesand follow-up discussions, they could then begin to think in new concrete terms about what thestudents could do to be involved in the diverse issues they experienced. The fieldtrip was a valuable
opportunity to gain this type of practical exposure.

2018/02/17,24 -GUS Basic Class -1st Year High School

A place I have never been, a culture I have never experienced
For the last two classes of GUS BASIC, we heard presentations from three seniors about African
culture. The three students were introduced by Mr. Yamamoto, and then they each gave reflections on
their year of learning.
In our GUS system, we would like to be able to provide the valuable opportunity to understanddifferences among people in the world so that we can start to visualize the ideal borderless world. To
do that, we rely on getting to know about culture from countries and regions around the world, throughtalking to people who have been to these places. Previously, Mr. Yamamoto gave us a message fromMs. Hamada Mariko, who lectured to the students about Africa. Ms. Hamada lived in Zimbabwe,
Mozambique and Botswana until middle school, because of her father’s work. When we say Africa,
we tend to think generally of one large continent, imagining things like safaris, Maasai people, poverty
and civil war. Ms. Hamada’s message was that Africa is not that simple, by any means. In each national
flag there is a unique history and background, and there are many issues involved in trying tounderstand the cultures of that region. These differences are easy to perceive from the beautiful
pictures we saw. She explained to the group how she knows she could never solve all the problems
there, but she expressed her gratitude for the good fortune to live under good environmental conditions,but has been able to consider more deeply the ideas of “Japan” and “prosperity” and in the future wants
to make as much contribution to the solution of Africa’s problems as she can. It is important for us all
to share this feeling as we learn about different cultures. GUS for second and third year students are
determined by a selection process, but we would like to create a class where everyone moves forward
enthusiastically to think about how global issues can be solved.

2017/04/11-GUS I Class-2nd Year High SchoolFirst Class: Global Understanding Skills 1 [Learning about each other]
The first GUS-1 class started as an elective of the second year high school students. The teachers forthis class will be the science teacher Mr Sakashita and the social studies teacher Ms Chosa, who willlead a joint teaching experience bringing together two very different subject matters. We will learned
many different things from this approach, and will focus on three main areas of focus:
1. Based on our learning about environmental problems from last year, students will exchange
ideas about what they had learned concerning the environmental problems, policies andimplementation measures of Europe in order to arrive at possible solutions
2. Learn about problem solving methods
3. Make suggestions about how our immediate school and neighborhood trash problems could be
solvedFor each of these, students will develop their own knowledge and opinions, and further expand theirhorizons through group discussion and fieldwork.
First, we needed self-introductions. Students introduced themselves using a form that they completed
out in advance, covering such issues as name, club affiliation, special skills and qualifications, dreams,
social issues of interest, environmental problems of interest, reasons for entering the school andreasons for selecting the class. This was a chance for the class members to open up to each other,
revealing a number of commonalities as well as surprising answers.
In preparation for the next class, the theme “Reducing the morning rush in Tokyo” was introduced asa training in problem solving methods. The homework was for students to first start to develop theirown ideas on the question.

2017/04/18-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Training in Problem Solving Methods
In the first class the students took home the task of thinking about “How to reduce the morning rushproblem in Tokyo”, and this was our first step in exploring the steps of problem solving. After firstsharing ideas about problem solving, the students went through a process of identifying assumptions
and analyzing the current situation.
1. Identifying assumptions-

confirming terminology: defining unclear terminology, concrete definition of “morning rush”
establishing the clientele: the problem solving approaches will differ according to the position
making the objectives clear: many objectives, such as increasing sales, reducing damage

At the request of Tokyo Metropolitan Area, we will discuss the objective of how trains can balance
the supply and demand of passengers in the span of a few years, and then in the longer term of 5-6
years.
2. Analyzing the current situation-

framework (a system for dividing up the issues)
divide into ‘demand’ and ‘supply’ according to the definitions

From the demand side, we identified ‘commuting demand’ policy to reduce the need to commute,‘train changing rate’ of changing trainings, ‘rush-hour time selection’ to avoid the peak commuting
times. From the supply side, we identified the number of ‘train lines’, ‘number of trains’, ‘number ofcars’ and ‘number of passengers per car’.
This exercise is useful in making sure that there are no issues missed, as well as avoiding overlap. At
first there were quite a few of unexpected ideas from the students, but in the end these came together
nicely through the process of identifying which of the larger topics they were related to. In this class,we experienced the wide range of experiences from different areas and countries that is unique toDoshisha International.

2017/05/02-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Germany’s Environmental Issues and Policies – Data collection
Today we continued on from our previous training on problem solving. We run into a range ofproblems after problem solving options have been identified, regarding the difficulty of implementing
these solutions how these should be balanced with other problems that might arise. Within this, it isnecessary to identify what the real bottlenecks to implementation are. The issue under consideration
was the problem of the commuter rush. After consideration, three bottlenecks were identified andprioritized. The highest priority issue was developing a system whereby people did some work at home
and then made their commute after the rush. In addition, there was an interesting proposal to sell offpeak tickets and passes to people traveling in those times. This type of thinking is an important part ofidentifying effective ways to implement the solutions that are developed.
Next, we moved into the real practice. We moved to the communication center for this work, so that
we could get into the data collection activities using internet and books to research the German
environmental issues and policies we are interested in. The start to this activity was individual work.
Each person started with keywords like “Germany”, “environmental policy”, and “effective”, and fromthere expanded out in order to inform understanding and broaden interest. The comparison with Japanbrought out some interesting and surprising points of view. One common finding was the high levelof awareness that Germans have about environmental issues. What sorts of effects are achieved bydifferent things? Moving into more detail on these questions, we are well on our way to solid
preparations for fieldwork in Germany.

2017/05/09-GUS I Lecture-2nd Year High School

Germany’s Environmental Policy – Research
We are moving forward with preparatory learning in advance of the fieldwork on German
environmental policy. Today, we engaged in research activities including iPad and computer work andconsulting relevant books, about the areas of German environmental problems, the policies devised toaddress them, the results, and other related issues. Our objectives:
1. In-depth research into the issues of highest interest to each individual
2. Collect information broadly on the range of environmental problems in Germany, and do acategorization exercise

The issues raised included solid waste, recycling, energy sources, housing functionality andtransportation policy. A wide range of interesting topics were discussed.
Some students identified specific individuals and regions for further research. The students became
increasingly focused as time passed in the class.
We also had a lecture on the correct way to write a report, with particular focus on citations andfootnotes. We will continue to deepen our approach to the issues being researched.

2017/05/16-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Preparation for Fieldwork – Dividing into Groups
Today we divided into groups according to category, as an important step in moving into concrete
preparations for fieldwork. Students decided on appropriate names for the groups, chose people
responsible for synthesis and editing, as well as individuals to be responsible for each sub-topic.
Five categories were used, and each is further divided into sub-topics.
1) Basic Information about Germany2) Waste3) City Planning / Transportation Policy
4) Energy Policy5) Integrated Planning of Buildings including housing
A survey was administered to learn which topics were most popular. As a result, two groups wereformed for category (4), giving Teams A-F. The naming of the teams will influence the members
motivation in the work, and each took the naming process seriously, searching for something cleverthat reflected the substance of the category.
In the next steps, these teams will work together in their research, focusing first on understanding
Germany. However, some activities will be done in neighboring countries, so additional research will
be conducted for related points. Next, Frequently Asked Questions will be prepared for each category
to help raise the general level of understanding in a simple way. In order to make the experience ofboth domestic and international fieldwork as deep as possible, each team was asked to produce 20
questions of high importance to the category.
The group preparatory work will be brought together into a Handbook for Researching Approaches toEnvironmental Problems in and around Germany.

2017/05/30-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Report Writing – Learning from Mistakes
Today’s GUS I class began with an exercise to improve the students’ reports. The reports, covering
sub-topics on the environmental approaches and measures of Germany, were examined one-by-one.
Students were given advice on how to organize their information and ideas, and mistakes were pointed
out.
The reports had already been submitted to the instructors, and a three-level assessment was done. It
was very helpful to have comments coming from the different perspectives of Mr.Sakashita (naturalscience) and Ms.Chosa (social science). The reports were projected onto the whiteboard and read pageby-page, so that all could share in the feedback process. The advice provided today will be useful inany type of report writing that the students will do in the future.
Examples of points for correction
•
•
•
•
•
•

organization and consistency of paragraphs
clarity and concreteness of arguments, use of statistics and other datacredibility of references and websites used in citations
provision of sites for reverification
synthesis includes effective use of problem statement, explanation, results, and ideally future
developments
use of multiple sources, information well-organized and written in the authors’ own words

and others…

Next, the student drew together the other issues related to the sub-topics, paying special attention to
the level of importance, field and scale of each.
In the next class, students will decide on the people to be responsible for each sub-topic, continuing todeepen their preparatory activities

2017/06/06-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Preparations for Fieldwork – Organizing the report subtopics
The students have gone through the following process so far in preparing for the fieldwork in Germany.
1) Conduct problem solving training, learn problem solving methods
2) Collect a broad range of information on environmental problems and policies, using all
methods available3) Categorize information, form groups by category4) Research and write report on category of interest, individual activity5) Listen to lecture on report writing
6) Share individual categories in groups, organize topics
Today, students convened in the communication center to discuss which sub-topics would beresearched within each category. Research tasks were allocated. Building on last week’s work onreport writing methods, students continued individual research activities, moving into the summarizing
stage. Students were also encouraged to keep in mind possible comparisons with Japan, as these will
be added in the future. Adding new references and resources, students continued to deepen their active
approach to carrying out the research project.

2017/06/13-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Preparatory study for fieldwork: Reviewing research topics as a group ①
Today, we made new teams based on the themes presented in each report. Each team reviewed thematerials it is responsible for. Sub-topics were organized, and the ordering and allocation were checked.
What makes German approaches to environmental problems advanced and effective?
The research is designed and carried out in a format that will allow us to understand the context anddevelopments that contribute to the results. It is important that the overall large story is underpinnedby our understanding of the sub-topics. This will make our reports easily understood by the reader.
The process consisted of team discussions and a serious attitude towards the advice given by the faculty.
Students reviewed the storyline and keywords of the materials, as well as checking to ensure that thedata and other sites are credible, and that the references are done in a clear and concise way. This wasemphasized repeatedly during report writing. The passion and collaboration discussions, as groups
analyzed the advice provided to them, was visible in each team.
We are continuing to prepare ourselves so that the research and summaries produced by each groupfor its area of responsibility are of high quality.

2017/06/20-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Preparatory study for fieldwork: Reviewing research topics as a group ②
Today’s class was the continuation of the previous session. First, we reviewed the relevant points forwhen we start and summarize our research. Then we moved to the Communication Center, and eachgroup started working concretely on its topic. This focused on consideration of the linkages andparallels between the various sub-topics and the overall framework. We discussed how each member
related to these aspects of the research.
The objective of this class was to finalize the table of contents that had been prepared for the booklet.
The groups are in the process of carrying out the necessary steps, challenging themselves to do theresearch, design the output and finish the product, which will serve as a teaching material. The plan is
to move next to the fieldwork stage of the activity. Participating in this stage of the work, each student

is deepening their knowledge, as well as formulating
questions. This will make the fieldwork all the moremeaningful for them.

2017/07/04-GUS I Class-2nd Year High SchoolFirst semester wrap-up: Completing
worksheets and preparing topics forsummer vacation
Today, students shared the contents of their individual reports, which were revised based on the initialadvice they received, and then completed the individual worksheet. Working through the newquestions and advice, the objective is to be ready to answer any questions about the material each is
responsible for.
Next, we moved to group work. Everyone offered ideas and possible solutions to problems, includingwhich organizations and which offices they would approach. Students also discussed the various
challenges they had not dealt with. The results of this interaction was put into the group worksheet.
By exchanging ideas about the current content and future directions for development of that content,
the students made good progress towards bringing together the materials for the Fieldwork Abroad.
Everyone’s reports will be brought together into one book. During summer vacation, each student willcontinue to work with their worksheets to become an expert in their fields.

2017/09/05-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Presentations on Summer Reading
The first GUS I class of the second semester started with Ms Chosa’s question about who would liketo report on their summer reading. Mr Sakashita was the first to respond. Of the 20 books he read, half
were about environmental problems. This was a result of having been influenced by the GUS program.
When visiting Nagano prefecture, he noticed many new solar panels that had been set up in the fields.
There is policy support from the national or local government, and one could feel the awareness ofenergy problems rising in local areas. The students have also begun to think about environmental
problems within their own daily lives as well, drawing on their research.
The format of today’s class was preparation from presentation of their summer reading about
environmental problems. We will be continuing this as part of their research, which will all be brought
together in September. The objective of the presentations is to communicate the content of the books
to people who have not read them. With successful presentations, it is as if everyone had read all the
books. The students were advised to make their presentations as concrete as possible. The groups took
quickly to their work, and once their summary notes are approved, they will move to practicing thepresentations.
The environment is a topic in which it may take time to find answers to problems, so it is especially
important for the students to share their different ideas and perspectives.

2017/09/12,26-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Making presentation notes
Last class was the first after summer vacation. On the 12th and 26th the students divided into groups
and started to make presentation notes for the vacation reading list. They are making the summary
booklet from the European fieldwork. After making the final corrections, the booklet was completed
today.
Next is the group preparations for the presentation. The format of the presentation is free, but it isimportant that the presentation finds a way to share the important messages explaining what the bookis about to people who may not have read it yet.

At the presentation, everyone read through thepresentation notes, and then filled in a worksheet
to signal points of doubt, as well as giving hints
about what parts were easy or difficult tounderstand. Group work is proceeding nicely, andwe saw many people proactively going to teachers
for advice. We will continue our preparations as
move to the real presentation.

2017/10/03,10-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Presentations
After the summer vacation reading and notes preparation, we finally held the group presentations on
the 3rd and 10th. Each group was allocated 15 minutes, with time afterwards for Question & Answer.
It was also a chance to share information about the fieldwork booklets to make sure that they arecomplete.
Theme of the Presentation Notes
10 Pioneers Who Changed Germany
Towards 100% Recycling Capacity! Energy Independent Areas of Europe
Energy Vende and Citizens
Learning from Germany: Energy Shift from Regions
Germany Environmental City Model
After listening to the presentations, the teachers filled out their impressions worksheet. Why were thepioneers so revolutionary? What kind of region is an Energy Independent Area? What is Energy Vende?
If you were going to participate in a meeting, what opinions would you express? What is the structurein which Germany citizens cooperate? What are the three types of Energy Independent Villages? What
are Germany’s three policies based on Learning Curve Theory? What Waste Management Measures
are taken in Germany? For what reasons are the cities known as Environmental Cities recognized?
These and many more areas of learning were summarized in the presentations.
The debate covered areas of Germany-Japan comparison and various environmental problems. In these
discussions, the students offered many different opinions about what kind of society they would liketo create and live in, as well as how to define the concept of prosperity.

2017/10/24-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Group Presentations and Revised Booklets
Today we had our last group presentation and discussion session about our notes, and then began towork on revisions to the fieldtrip booklet based on the forms that had been filled out.
In the group presentations, the last discussion was about to promote ecologically friendly power
generation. There were also opinions about why pellet-fueled heating was not successful. The teachers
responded to the students’ opinions from the perspective of the electricity generating companies. They
also talked to the students from the perspective of the pellet stove sales representatives, who which thestudent responded. These exchanges produced a good debate.
Next week we will continue to improve the content of the revised versions, working towards a final
version that will bring together all the elements in a coherent way.

2017/11/7,14,21-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Towards completing the booklet on German environmental policy
The last class of the semester will be a test. But test just not simply mean some questions to find out
about the students’ knowledge. It will be an exercise to find out whether each individual can express
their own ideas about the environmental issues we have learned and thought deeply about. We believe
this will be a good opportunity to demonstrate the outputs of the learning process.
In class, we care continuing the creation of a booklet about German environmental policy. This is an
important part of the preparations for the fieldwork, and is also a chance to get input from the teachers.
Over the course of three classes, students will work in groups to refine their ideas and share ideas,
thereby confirming the subject matter covered in this semester. When working in a group, it is notenough simply to complete the tasks that one is responsible. The final product must reflect the relations
between the parts and bring together the work in one piece. It also requires that the appearance andimpact of the final product be considered and reconsidered, working with maps and images to find theright combination of visual impact to aid in the communication. The students worked hard, and were
proactive in engaging with teachers for assistance. One could observe each student deepening his or
her understanding. As the project nears completion, the students are checking their research against achecklist that was created through objective analysis of their materials. The next step is the editing
process, which will lead to the final production of their booklets.

2017/11/27-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Last class of the second semester
Today was the last class of the semester for GUS I. As advised, the first hour was a test to check on
the students’ understanding, and in the second hour the students worked on completing the collectionof research essays about German environmental policy. Each group brought together the articles, using
a checklist to objectively review their research. This final step was meant to ensure that the final
product was consistent and well organized. Today’s goal was to finish the table of contents.

Today we also had visits from Sophia University staff and OECD Student Ambassadors who are
graduates, or assisting graduates, of our school.

2018/01/09-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

The Shock of the De-Carbon Revolution
The third term of GUS I has started. Today the students first brainstormed the title and catch copy
ideas for the booklet summarizing their research about German environmental policy. They will voteto decide next week. The students also watched the video “Rapidly changing world business: The
shock of the de-carbon revolution”.
Everyone knows that America announced it would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement,
claiming that it is bad for the American economy. The agreement aimed to reduce CO2 emissions tozero by the end of the century. At the same time, in the business world, there is a growing momentum
towards moving away from carbon. The movement is towards a de-carbon revolution. There weremany businessmen present outside the negotiations of the COP23, where the rules for the Paris Accord
were determined. This is because investment in companies that are working to address global warming
is increasing. You could also see representatives of American groups holding signs saying “We are
not going away!”. The American commercial giant Walmart has experienced great loss from natural
disasters attributed to global warming. They have opposed the US government’s policy and developed
their own strategy for reducing carbon emissions, all the while generating $100 billion of profit. Thischanged the perceptions of many investors. The Paris Accord made a big change in its assessment ofbusiness, and the reputation of companies with a high dependence on petroleum crashed.
China had previously been known as being a late-comer to the consideration of environmental
problems, but is now collecting money to stand at the front of the effort. Even though Japanesecompanies are supposed to have modern technology, they are being left behind in the field ofenvironmental business. They are struggling just to survive. We were surprised to see that in addition
to the question of addressing global warming through de-carbon, there is a large business opportunity
here.
For the next week we plan to have a discussion about the video.

2018/01/23,30-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Discussion and group work
In today’s class we first had a discussion about last week’s video “Dramatic Change in Global Business:
The shock of the de-carbon revolution”, sharing a wide range of opinions and impressions.
••••

The frustration of Japan’s inability to make its own decisions because of the difficulty of theJapan-US relationship
Engaging in environmental issues involves a wide range of related questions
More people will move when there is business interest at stake, compared to responding toenvironmental problems
Surprise at how quickly China moves when it is a matter of the nation

These and other ideas about business perspectives on possible solutions to environmental problems
were offered at this session.

2018/02/06,13-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Towards SGH Activities Reporting Meeting
In the GUS I class we began to prepare for the Annual Reporting Meeting of Doshisha High School
SGH, planned for February 17 at the Imadegawa Campus. This is a busy time, we are also in the middleof preparation for Europe fieldwork and preparation for booklet of year’s research findings. We
divided into Meeting Team, Editing and Publishing Team, and Fieldwork Planning Team. From theefficient cooperation we saw in these groups, we can say that this year of learning has already started
to yield its benefits.
After these activities, the team responsible for summarizing the year’s work gave an overview
presentation. Based on advice from faculty and students, the team revised the presentation, and lookforward to presenting the results of their work in their own words.

2018/02/20-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Using iPads in fieldwork
We invited our own Matsuno-sensei from the IT Department to give a lecture about how to use iPads
effectively in fieldwork. The students have grown up with smartphones and know how to use devices,
but there may be some functions that we are not familiar with. We reviewed these functions, as wellas going over some issues in information management that we may have overlooked. We also
increased our understanding of etiquette and how to use our iPads among groups of people.
Our research will benefit from this instruction on how to use iPads in fieldwork. The students
participating in the March European fieldwork will have ample opportunity to test their new skills andknowledge. Next week, we will continue with our information technology learning, with lectures on
how to share information with the entire class using our iPads. We will hear from a graduate of ourschool who used an iPad at OECD international meetings, and created a blog to share daily
observations and happenings.

2018/02/27-GUS I Class-2nd Year High School

Final Preparations for Fieldwork in Europe
Sharing information in a blog, messages from a graduate who participated in OECD meetings
Today’s class is the last GUS I for this semester. The lecture was about how to use iPads effectively
and share information from the European fieldwork with the rest of the class in real time. The lecturer
was Ms.Inohana Kazuna, a graduate of our school who went to Paris in 2014 to participate in OECD
meetings. Blogging from the OECD meetings was Ms.Inohana’s own idea. With her daily updates
from Paris, all the students were able to share in the learning. The blog also formed a nice record of
the events and her reactions, as well as serving as a useful forum for exchanging ideas.
She introduced her actual blog posts, giving advice on how to create a blog and what the blogger
should be careful of when making posts. Next, as a practical training, the students used their iPads tointroduce our Communication Center to people who were not familiar with it. This consisted of taking
pictures and writing posts, and benefitted from Ms.Inohana’s advice and hints.
The students have made preparations for the fieldwork, learning many methods for researching theenvironmental policy of Germany that they will use during the trip. These research skills are directed
at problem-solving. The spring break is coming, and soon they will have the opportunity to put these
new skills and ideas to use. The European fieldwork will be conducted March 21-31. We look forward
to seeing what kinds of information they share and how they report on their experience.

2018/03/21-31-GUS I Overseas Field Work-2nd Year High School

Environmental Leaders: Study trip to Germany and Denmark
The SGH GUS I class visited Germany and Denmark between March 21-31, as part of the SGH
program, to participate in a study trip on the policies and approaches in place to deal withenvironmental problems. In Germany, we started in Freiamt and Breitnau, learning about Village
Energy Independence. Winner of the Order of the Rising Sun Ms. Maeda Seiko escorted us to a

meeting with the Mayor of Breitnau, and the group got a very good impression from the welcoming
village. After that the group got a chance to experience directly the environmental systems and policies
they had learned about in the Environment Capital of Freiburg. After finishing the visit to Freiburg,
the group traveled to Hamburg, the second largest city in Germany. The group made an official visit
to the Consul General, discussing the environmental awareness of the German people in thismetropolis.
In Denmark, the group first visited Lolland Island, where the group was guided by Ms. NilsonKitamura Tomoko, the author of the Lolland Island Ecological Challenge. The island is now 700%
self-sufficient in energy supply, and the group had the opportunity to speak with Leo Kristianson, who
made the island famous. Seeing him work hard without pay to realize his high ideas and never-ended
ideas was a real inspiration for our students. Then, on Funen Island the group visited MHI Vestas,
which is a joint venture between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Denmark Vestas, and toured theworld largest output wind generation station. Vice President Mr. Yamada Masato gave the group alecture about the real world of green energy production. Here the students saw the actual facilities andheard first-hand experiences, things that could never be obtained in the classroom. It was an excitingtime for the students.
It was 10 days full of new learning and experience each day. On the last day the students ate at a fancy
restaurant in Copenhagen, choosing whatever each wanted from the menu. While enjoying thedelicious food on the last day, one student commented “This 10 days has changed my life!” Our
students confidently and directly asked questions with deep curiosity, making the most of each
opportunity to meet new people and experience new ways of thinking. The knowledge and wisdom
they gained will certainly bring new perspectives and learning for them.

Freiamt
Hotel Vitoria

Lolland Island
Copenhagen
Climate Center
Wind power generator

Freiburg Recyclingcenter

Funen Island MHI Vestas

2017/04/11-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

Freiburg Promenade

Copenhagen RDF

Freiburg

First Class: Global Understanding Skills II [WALS]
The SGH program started two year is reaching its first milestone. The first batch of students havebecome third year students, and the start of this class will bring the end of the first cycle. We willcontinue to deepen our global leadership learning, and each individual will work on developing areas
for contribution to problem solving, while considering how to clear the hurdles that face eachindividual now.
Today we watched a video about the many ‘walls’ that separate people. Three walls were introduced
here – the Mexico-America, Morocco-Spain and Zimbabwe-South Africa borders. The video
introduced the stories of the people that live along these borders, as well as the officers that protect theborders and the doubts they have about that task. There are people who place crosses in the ground forthe nameless individuals that had lost their life trying to cross the border, as well as those who placewater in the deserts as a lifeline for the people who still try to cross. People risk their lives to crossthese borders in order to obtain a more prosperous life or to escape from religious persecution.
Globalization proceeds in the world, yet the increase in these border walls seems to contradict what
the fall of the Berlin Wall represented. Are the worlds separated by these borders sustainable? Arethey heading towards a future of peace?
The words at the end of the video left a strong impression:
Walls will be crossed for as long as they exist; that is the mission of showing the world that walls aremeaningless.

2017/04/18-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

Research and learning from newspapers
Today we learned about how to research with newspapers, by carefully reading three newspaper
articles. At the same time, we considered some hints for offering opinions. The first article was about
the news that a five-story wooden building will be built. This topic has several key points of interface
with our previous studies, such as the local production and consumption practices of Maniwa,
measures to reinvigorate the declining forestry industry of Old Keihoku, German environmentallyfriendly architecture, as well as the general topic of environmental problems. The students first pickedout the keywords from the article, and then used their iPads to explore what topics they want to know

more about. Engaging with the topics they were interested in, they aimed to collect observations andfocus in on the issues they would like to address. It was very useful to think about the big picture ofsustainable society through careful consideration of the news that is happening around us.

2017/05/09-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

Wadjda – understanding cultural differences
In today’s class we watched The Girl on the Bicycle. After this, the group exchanged ideas andopinions about the new things learned and impressions gained. Next there was sharing in the big group.
This is a story about girl named Wadjda, who lives in the Islamic world, a long distance from our lives.
In the film there are scenes of women who are not allowed to drive cars, cannot walk alone outsideand suffer under polygamy, such as Wadjda’s mother. But Wadjda is not a powerless victim in thisworld – she strives to gain wisdom from society around her and applies that toward achieving her own
goals. She is an energetic girl. She easily breaks her school rules, listens to western music, and wears
jeans and sneakers. She is looking for a bicycle so that she can race with one of her old friends.
Using the KJ Method to generate the following summary:-

It is not to be taken for granted that one can achieve what one wants with their own power
Appreciation for the girl who somehow got ahold of a bicycle even amidst all the obstacles insociety around her
In the oil-rich Arab states, there are large wealth gaps among tribes
Are the women whose voices are not heard in public living with difficulty, or are they being
protected?
When interacting with people from different cultures in our globalized world, we must be readyto accept things for the way they are in each place. This requires an understanding of religion.

There was a rich range of opinions and impressions that were shared in this session.

2017/05/16-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

Towards concrete recommendations
Today we considered what the possible concrete recommendations were, as a result of our research
until now. And what is the specific target audience for these recommendations? The group debatedthese points while doing follow-up research on individual iPads.
To start off with, the group produced concrete recommendations according to the various categories
that had been identified, including Kyotanabe City, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, NPOs and otherorganizations. It is necessary to research what sort of entry points there are at each organization, andwhat sort of systems these organizations have in place to respond to the public. The group thought
about how possibilities will broaden after making the first contact.
The students themselves have initiated a program to invite people from some of the places that they
have already visited – such as the Food Bank Kyoto, Kyoto Energy Center – as well as someone fromthe Kyoto Talk Delivery, to give the group a talk. There are already plenty of ideas about what sortsof questions should be asked and what opinions could be offered. It would also be a chance to get
specific advice on how to make recommendations. After observation and study trips to each place, wewill be in position to start a joint movement.
2017/06/03-GUS Basic/ⅡOther Activities-1st Year and 3rd Year High School

Film Tomorrow-Demaine – In Search of Permanent LifeOn Saturday June 3, as part of our GUS BASIC studies, we watched the film Tomorrow-Demaine –In Search of a Permanent Life.
“There is a danger that humanity will go extinct. And maybe not in the far future.” So stated 21
scientists in the influential magazine Nature in 2012. The article argued that If we continue our current
lifestyles, humanity will not survive.
This film is about Melanie Laurent, an actress who heard this fact, and since she had just become amother, decided that she needed to do something for the not only her own children but the children of
future generations. The documentary is the story of her travels around to meet people who had started‘new lives’, in search of new policy approaches.
“I am not talking about saving the world, I had to start with things around me”. The documentary takes
us on her travels, starting from her own garden to the people who have expanded their fields out into
the city. First it is necessary to think about food in general, then there are 100% renewable energy
towns, economic models such as regional currency and green economy, and democracy not dominatedby global capitalism. In the end, it will come down to a vision of education that is ready for the future.

It is important to do whatever we can, no matter how small. Like-minded people will come together
around the beliefs. These relationships expand and can influence decision making. The many examples
of how this works were a strong message supporting our SGH studies.
The actress Melanie Laurent is also a highly-acclaimed director, whose films have been shown theCannes International Film Festival. Featured on the front of fashion magazines, she is also a role model
for women in society. She set out on a journey with the journalist-activist Cyril Dion, exploring issuesof food, energy, money and education. This is a set of surprising encounters with “people who havestarted new lives”. The documentary shows a new lifestyle of shared linkages with the world.

©MOVEMOVIE – FRANCE 2 CINÉMA – MELY PRODUCTIONS
2017/06/06-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

Tomorrow-Demain - In Search of Permanent Life
Reflections
In today’s GUS Basic class, we divided up by class to do reflections on the film we watched last week
Tomorrow-Demain – In search of Permanent Life. To do this we used the Jigsaw Method.
What is the Jigsaw Method?
1) A method of processing multiple topics efficiently
2) Small groups engage in specialized study of different topics
3) Experts on each topic form groups, all topics. This process resembles putting together a jigsaw
puzzle.
First, students divided up into groups. Each group was given a keyword, and members reflected on the
keyword, sharing memories and impressions. Having deepened their understanding throughintroduction and sharing of these ideas, the next step is to present the information they gained acrossthe groups. This process was repeated, with questions and answers. The hope is that with the additional
information exchanged, the memories of the participants will be deepened and solidified.

Keywords from the film discussed today
Transition Permaculture
Urban Farm
Incredible Edible (Vegetables for All)
Movement“Nine seeds” Seed Bank
Biomass Energy
Renewable Energy
Reunion Island
Zero Waste Project
Carbon Neutral
By sharing the individuals’ different memories and impressions
from the film, the students were able to organize their ideas andstrengthen the less clear memories and impressions. This helped
them to improve their memory of the film’s messages.
2017/06/20-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

The Food Bank Kyoto
Today we had the pleasure of listening to talks by Takabatake Yumi, representative of Food Bank
Kyoto, together with Nogi Yoshimasa, an agricultural advisor. The impetus for this talk was a visit to
the Food Bank Kyoto office after a member in our school’s student association decided they would
like to work on a food bank.
A food bank refers to a completely volunteer activity, system or organization that deals with firms,
shops, farms and individual households to obtain still-edible foods that have been discarded, andprovide them to people who need them free of charge. We also learned the astonishing fact that foodloss in Japan amounts to 6,320,000 tons per year, which is almost twice the total amount of global foodaid (3,200,000 tons in 2014).
We are told that 1 in 6 people suffer from poverty in Japan. The global production of grain is estimatedat 2,500,000,000 tons. If the global population were 7,300,000,000, there should be 340 kg of grain
available to each person. Yet the reality is that many people die of starvation. The shocking fact is thatthe cause of starvation is not a lack of food, but is rather a result of our daily decisions – for example,
the over purchase and discarding of food.
The largest effort of Food Bank Kyoto is its food drive activities, where they reach out to households,
farms and organizations to request cooperation. Left-over food is delivered at the right timing to people
who need them. We learned that the roots of these activities lie in the heart of every person – to remind
people of the joy experienced when one does something for another person, and the importance of
spreading that joy.
We also learned from the talk given by Nogi Yoshimasa, of the agricultural school Small Farmers,
which participates in the Food Bank Kyoto activities and provides advice on vegetable production.
Students were shown the actual soil from the fields, where chemical inputs are not used, but thecapacity of naturally generated soil fertility is demonstrated. We were moved by his description ofhow plant and animal life can be harmonized under the basic natural principle of input-output.
Maintaining this harmony is one way to produce genuinely healthy lives. Feeling the softness of thesoil in their hands, the interest and understanding of the students was deepened.
One common theme in the two talks was that when pressed for a decision, we should make a choicethat produces not only benefits for ourselves, but is also beneficial for others. They emphasized thispoint by stressing that what benefits others, benefits ourselves too. It seems safe to say that this ishighly relevant to our search for sustainability in our society.

2017/07/04-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

Making recommendations and taking action
Today we enjoyed a lecture by Mr Tokura Ryoichi, of the Kyoto Shimbun editorial team, entitled“Making recommendations and taking action”. In his previous job, Mr Tokura worked in the Society
division, covering police, courts and universities. When he was assigned to the main office in Shiga,
he began his long experience of reporting on Lake Biwa environmental issues. He spoke to us today
about his own experiences, as well as some of the notable people he met through his work.
Four people engaged with environmental problems:•

NGO Teens for Environment – Futoda Kouhei
youth is the opportunity to act without hesitation, adult understanding to realize
one’s own principles•

Biwako Researcher – Kada Yukiko
tells of awareness and empathy
Break-the-mold public servant – Kitagawa Kenji
principles are not enough, and realization is the key; working for the environment
with ideas that conjure both••

The Wind Person of Shiga Environment – Fujii Junko
connecting Act Locally with the direct view from where you stand, broadening thesmall circles of connection

The commonality between these four individuals is that before speaking out, they standin the locality, research the feeling, awareness and situation, identify the issues and then
expand personal connections in search of solutions. In addition, they are all interesting
people who enjoy talking. There are many lessons that should be learned from theirapproaches to offering recommendations.

In one of his articles that offers ideas about circulation society in the 21 st century, Mr
Tokura took up the issue of water. Water, the source of life, circulates naturally, bringing
life to animals, plants and people. His writing encourages us to remember the vital
importance of watersheds and catchment areas. Circulation is a natural providence, andleft an impression on us as one of the key words from the previous session on Food Bank
Kyoto.
At the end, there was a very memorable sentence from one of Mr Tokura’s reports on
Lake Biwa. “Rather than debating whether human-nature coexistence is possible, thereporter hoped that he could write articles that consider the ways of living that coexist
with Biwako.” Over his long history of reportage, Mr Tokura demonstrated how he does
not report as a disinterested, objective observer, but that it is more important to look at
the problems as someone directly engaged in the problems. This strong message was wellreceived by the audience.
2017/09/05-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

Thinking about “Sustainable Society”
Today is the first GUS II class of the second semester, and we welcomed Prof Kohara from theDoshisha Faculty of Theology. He addressed our theme of “sustainable society” from an ethical pointof view, giving suggestions and hints about how we approach those things that are resistant to change
in order to change them.
Prof Kohara was an exchange student in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell. He himself went to thewall with his hammer to help bring it down. This ‘iron wall’ to separate the lives of people, but was infact constructed of very weak materials and crumbled easily when struck. The irony is surely not loston anyone. That night, something that no one thought could change, was changed suddenly. For him
this was a direct experience of how society can change.
When thinking about sustainability, he is reminded of the time in middle school when he was obsessedwith animated films. Nausica, Hokuto-no-Ken and Uchusenkan Yamato – these are all stories about
how human civilization is destroyed by humans themselves or by some power from the outer space.
At that time, we did not have the word “sustainability”, but he was felt like he was faced with the
disturbing questions: Is it possible that the world will change? Will the earth be destroyed? In fact,
civilization has been a cycle of flourishing and extinction. The common theme is the overuse ofresources, destroying the main foundations for life. Is our society ok in its current directions? We needto recognize the threats and formulate approaches to solving our problems.
Speaking from a theological perspective, in the Buddhist concept of the Four Noble Truths of suffering– birth, age, sickness and death – each person should look directly at their suffering to find the source
and then solve the problem. We are also told that the origin of faith was asking for rains for the cropsthat support life. The relationship between faith and food is deep, and the problem of starvation feels
like a serious contradiction for contemporary society. Considering environmental problems requires
reexamining the full range of natural resource issues, including food and energy.
Nuclear physics led the science of the 20th century. Nuclear energy made our lives more convenient,but the things that human society produce all possess positive and negative sides that can be utilized.
In the Garden of Eden in the Bible, Eve commits the crime of eating the forbidden fruit. We are also

being asked to consider carefully and make the right choice, from the point of creation where things
are made, to the conclusion where these things finish their role.
The German Ethics Committee report issued for the energy safety, triggered by 3.1, and the measurestaken is one part of a good model. This also includes the Pope Francis’ 2015 Laudato Si, a call forconcern for the weak in society who are always the first victims. History tends to silently accept
development that produces a certain level of victims. This must change.
He encouraged the students to continue to develop their unique thinking, based not only their studiesof economics and technology but incorporating consideration of ethics from the study of theology as
well, and offer definitive and earnest recommendations. We were impressed with his words urging us
to “Strive not to create the most happiness, but strive rather to reduce the most unhappiness.”

2017/09/12-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

How thinking about ethics moved the German exit from nuclear power
In Laudato, the Pope asked what type of world we want to leave for our children who are
growing up now. The small minority of people who control the common property
resources of this planet’s natural wealth through the political and economic systems thatprevail do not give serious consideration to this question. He made a strong case that
there is no sense of responsibility for the people who are made poorest by theenvironmental changes under way today.
Germany’s Chancellor Merkel is herself a physicist who previously held a strong beliefin Germany’s nuclear programs, but after the Fukushima tragedy she called together an
Ethics Committee and issued a report on their deliberations. Surprisingly, there were no
specialists in nuclear power on the committee, and the committee focused its discussion
on whether or not nuclear power was ethical. The report concluded that it is not ethicalfor contemporary society to dump its rubbish on the next generation. Immediately after
the report was issued, there was a shift to exiting from nuclear power by 2022. We cansay that the keywords underpinning Germany’s nuclear exit were ethics and devolution.
This brings question to Japanese ethics, and challenges the thinking of centralized state
governance.

2017/09/23-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

SGH Booth at the Cultural Festival and Food Drive
This year’s Cultural Festival was a clear autumn day, and the 3rd year high school students majoringin GUS II opened a SGH in the lounge. The GUS class activities and learning were showcased in thisexhibition of more than two years effort for the students and many other visitors to the Festival.
There was an audio-visual corner featuring a digital display of their activities, and at the counter
visitors could browse the newspaper articles and reports that had been written. There were alsomaterials that the guests could take home. The students sat in front of their informational display,reaching out to people passing by and answering questions.
There was also an effort to promote the idea of a Food Drive, led by the Student Council members, aspart of the Food Bank activities. This is a direct follow-on from the SGH learning activities, and wasan initiative of the students. A total of 73 kg of foodstuff were collected. The donations were taken
to the Kyoto Food Bank were delivered to the emergency assistance sites within 10 minutes of arrivalat the Food Bank and Childrens’ Food Hall. At the Childrens’ Food Hall the olive oil and basil sauce
were very popular. At the emergency assistance site, an elderly man who received the food was
extremely happy and relieved.
The Cultural Festival was successful in communicating these activities, andbrought about some changes in people’s awareness of food issues. People werealso shown how even small efforts to address environmental problems and help
people in need are important. This was a big day in promoting the activities andlearning of GUS, and communicating the issues and ideas to the world outsideschool.

2017/09/26-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

TASTE THE WASTE
Today we watched a documentary film produced by the German media about efforts to find solutions
to the global scale problem of food loss, based on fieldwork with many people involved in the manydifferent aspects of food products. The first scene, set in Vienna in Austria, introduced “dumpster
divers”, young people who go around at night on bicycle to supermarkets to gather discarded food.
But these are not poor people. They are people who are doing what they can to reduce the amount offood discarded so that they can contribute to the reduction of people who are starving. It is difficult tobelieve that in reality that 30-50% of the food we are supposed to eat is discarded before it arrives on
our tables. Discarding food results in rising food prices, and the methane that is created by disposingof food in landfills increases carbon dioxide by 25 times, contributing to environmental destruction.
These all make the lives of disadvantages people more difficult.
Learning about the problem of food loss, the student council took the lead in the Food Bank activities
at the Cultural Festival. They learned that much food that could still be consumed is thrown away inJapan as well, and the film made us think about what we could do to help this problem. The video
asked what choices the consumer should make. As consumers, we all make choices about what foods
we want to eat when we are shopping. Most people probably have the experience of looking for foods
that are not close to the expiration date, or looking for the largest, reddest tomato in the basket. The
video challenged us to think about whether these decisions, which seem normal, are really the actionsof consumers who are concerned with making the right choices. Large firms set standards that are toostrict in order to meet the needs of the consumer. The producers are squeezed by these firms, whichmeans that the amount of food products in the stores is too much, and the produce that is lined up on
the shelves is overly beautiful. Much food that could still be consumed is discarded when the expiration
date nears or if the color and shape are not pleasing. This creates huge amounts of waste. The imageof food being compressed in the garbage was a shocking a sad sight for all.
The film also introduced many different efforts being made to address the problem. There were
American farms trying to sell directly to consumers, German bakeries that recycle leftover bread to
produce energy, a German biomass electricity generator producing energy from fermenting food waste
and Japanese entrepreneurs safely producing animal feed. But we were still stuck by the words of a
farmer who said that the food that is produced for humans should be consumed by humans. The
question is not only about how food waste can be more effectively disposed of, but also about the morepressing question of how it can be reduced. Consumers need to understand that their behavior iswasteful and extravagant. We need to reassess the structure of food production and delivery to makebetter decisions for the environment.

2017/10/03-GUS Ⅱ Lecture-3rd Year High School

Aspiring for Sustainable Society
In today’s GUS II, we welcomed Mr. Oshima Hidetoshi, from the Mainichi Shimbun Osaka Office
editorial committee. He gave us a talk about sustainable society from the perspective of a journalist.
Mr. Oshima covered the Monju High Speed Nuclear Reactor in Fukui prefecture from 1990-1993 andhas continued to write about the issues since then. At that time, for resource poor Japan, nuclear power
was a clean energy source that looked like a dream. However, Mr. Oshima saw through his reportingthat there were many problems associated with nuclear power, sensing the downfall of the nuclear
power industry in the future. His talk explained how his awareness developed in his reporting and how
he reflected this in his articles.
In the Fukushima disaster, many people were exposed to radiation and forced to flee their homes.
Regardless of who stayed or who fled, the suffering was immense. It was reminiscent of Chernobyl.
In 2016, the Monju High Speed Nuclear Reactor was constructed at a cost of 120,000,000,000 yen. It
was slated for decommission as its rate of use was a mere 0.02%. Breeder reactors were first developedin the United States of America in 1940, but it has now been 20 years since those plans were stopped.
Perhaps the Japanese government and over-exaggerated belief in technology kept people from seeing
the truth, building up the dream. In those days, other countries and organizations that had promoted
nuclear power have now begun the shift towards renewable energy sources. The role of the media is
to collect information and provide reporting that can prevent problems, conveying the truth. The
message to the students was to respect and love life, creating a good energy system for the future. He
expressed the hope that there would never again be an accident that created refugees in the future.

2017/10/10-GUS Ⅱ Lecture-3rd Year High School

Towards Recommendations: Learning about how to make a project plan
Today, the director of YMCA Ms. Yamamoto Tomoe gave advice about how to make a project planfor making concrete recommendations. She had a look at the plans made beforehand by the students,
and then provided them useful advice.

Ms. Yamamoto has been involved in NGO work since she was a student. NGOs are a place where
like-minded people come together on different social issues and bring about action to solve those
problems. They discuss things about society that seem strange or wrong with volunteers, find out what
they can do, and then coordinate their actions. This is what the daily work life of an NGO looks like.
Even small things, if they are taking steps towards the ultimate goals, are tried. We learned about theimportance of plans in getting people to sympathize with the cause and provide assistance in working
towards those goals.
[Moving from plan to action]
1. First, the objective must be clear: Draw the vision of for what purpose, for what reasons, andwhat kind of society are we ultimately aiming for?
2. Understand the present conditions: Objective analysis is needed, concrete values should beshown.
3. Create a target: Establish the target as a progression of specific steps towards the objective,
how much has been achieved?
4. Analysis of issues: Preferences, needs, trends, patterns of action, economic conditions – narrow
down to the area where the various threads cross
5. Content: with whom, were? may also change; what will be the subsequent knock-on effects,
and what is the significance for society?
Worrying about the situation does not help you see it any clearer. We say that the gap between reality
and the target is where the issues lie. If you can see the issue, that is when you move into action. The
students seemed to get a good feeling for this. We also heard about how to obtain the necessary funds
when starting to implement an action. The students divided into groups and completed the plans. We
plan to ask Ms Yamamoto to come back again to provide feedback on the student presentations.

2017/10/24-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

Creating a recommendation document
In today’s GUS II class, we reflected on last time’s lecture and advice from YWCA head Yamamoto
Chie, and then divided into groups to review and revise the recommendation documents.
The student’s recommendations can be grouped into the following general issue-areas:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Reuse of plastic containers, reduction of plastic waste
Raise awareness of sustainable society and the reality of food in education
Expand Food Bank activities
Create communities for sustainable society
Reduce left-overs and restaurants
Create cycling roads and promote local production and local consumption

The recommendation documents will be presented in the next group meetings and shared by all
members. The students will evaluate each other, and there will be another round of advice from Ms.
Yamamoto.

2017/11/07,10-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

Presentation of Recommendations
The GUS third year class is working to make recommendations based on their research, as their last
big output of results. In today’s class the students brought together their ideas about what sort of society
they would like to realize in the future, and then divided into groups for presentations. Each assessed
the other groups’ presentation based on a scale of 10, providing comments as well. Ms. Yamamoto
from YWCA joined us for this session to provide feedback and advice.
One group presented its target of “Starting up a Kyotanabe Food Bank”. This plan focuses on the local
administrative unit to work on the micro-level poverty issues of the area, deepening regional linkages
and broadening the network for assistance from there. Using a diagram about the divide-and-conquer
algorithm, they did a simulation of what approaches had worked and what had not.
Another group made a presentation entitled “Where is Superman?”. For this group, Superman refers
to people who are concerned for the environment. The goal of the group is to achieve “Zero loss infood nationally”, by planning practical education activities with Kyotanabe elementary schools andkindergartens as well as providing messages and suggestions to students of the groups same age. They
also have a plan to raise awareness of the need to reduce food waste and move towards local
production-local consumption, by opening a stall at the schools Cultural Festival using foods that arenearing expiration date, or other foods that are perfectly good to consume but will be discarded becauseof various aesthetic standards. In the “Zero Plastic Waste Starbucks”, the group proposed advocating
for reuse of plastic containers in Starbucks shops and raising awareness of the issues among young
customers. In the project “Food Waste” the concern is for reducing solid waste in Kyotanabe andpromoting transformation of waste into energy, while “Such a Waste” would promote the sale ofagricultural produce that do not meet the aesthetic standards of the market. Each group took their ideas
and shaped them into concrete proposals.
Mr. Yamamoto spoke about how in real life it is important to continuously increase the number ofpeople that want to work with us, as well as getting the local community to sympathize with the issues
we work on. He also reminded the students that presentations should not be one-way communication,
but are an opportunity for dialog. Even if the audience is sympathetic and supportive, a presenter must
understand who the audience is and make adjustments to the presentation to reflect that. The activities
proposed to support our recommendations must be clear and focused.

2017/11/17-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High SchoolStudent Presenters
In today’s GUS II, two people from each class gave lectures. The topic of the lectures was open, but
the students were encouraged to speak about what they learned in the class, what types of experiences
they gained and what issues they were currently thinking about.
The Friday session’s speakers were a student who lived in three African countries until middle school,
and a student who has a Chinese father and has been coming and going between Japan and China since
being born in China. The first lecture was entitled “Africa and Me”. She lived in Zimbabwe,
Mozambique and Botswana until middle school, because of her father’s work. When we say Africa,
we tend to think generally of one large continent, imagining things like safaris, Maasai people, poverty
and civil war. Ms. Hamada’s message was that Africa is not that simple, by any means. In each national
flag there is a unique history and background, and there are many issues involved in trying tounderstand the cultures of that region. These differences are easy to perceive from the beautiful
pictures we saw. She explained to the group how she knows she could never solve all the problems
there, but she expressed her gratitude for the good fortune to live under good environmental conditions,but has been able to consider more deeply the ideas of “Japan” and “prosperity” and in the future wants
to make as much contribution to the solution of Africa’s problems as she can. Certainly today was thefirst step in that direction.
The second lecture was entitled “Socialism and the Media”, with a subtitle of “The Socialism that We
Don’t Think About in School”. What sort of image to we have of Socialism? What is Socialism reallylike? In our Capitalist societies, have are the ideas of Socialism and Communism really completely
rejected? This talk was based on the speaker’s own family experiences, and shared some detailed
consideration of these questions. In slides about the actions of North Korea and the United States, heshowed that just as his own opinions are included in the information, what we hear in the media isalways influenced by someone’s opinions. Therefore, in our globalized society it is extremely
important to try to understand events from multiple perspectives. We were impressed with the way thelectures took up issues we hear about on a daily basis and presented ideas about them in a direct, yet
sophisticated way.
The lectures were unique, reflecting the personal experiences and backgrounds of the speakers. Theyboth taught us of the importance of going to a location directly to see and hear for ourselves. Only byexperiencing and feeling these things directly can we obtain “correct information”. With messages like
this, it was easy to see how the students were all quickly drawn into the lectures.

2017/11/21-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High SchoolStudent Lecturers
In this GUS II class, the students became the lecturers, communicating ideas about what they learnedin the class, as well as a wide range of other issues that they were thinking about. It was a free lecture,
up to the speaker to determine the topic. This week it was the Tuesday class students doing the lecturing.
Before the lectures, the students who presented posters at the SGH national Forum in Yokohama
reported on what type of presentations they made. Presentations require the desire to communicate andspread ideas, as well as the ability to transmit information. This is part of our Global Understanding
Skills. We will report on the actual presentations at that venue in a later update.
Today’s first presenter introduced the history behind the name he received from his father who is a big
baseball fan. He went on to share his reflections on what type of international person one can become
through GUS study. He also introduced us to a new quiz that got us to think together. He was
influenced by messages about the importance of “going to learn directly in a specific location”
delivered by many of the lecturers. In the summer break of his third year, he made a solo trip to New
York and experienced life there for two weeks. Through this challenge he was faced with therealization that as a Japanese person in the world it is also very important to know about Japan. It isalso crucial that one holds one’s own opinions and is able to communicate them. Additionally, hereflected on the idea that it is important to have interest in issues beyond one’s own immediate concern.
His message was that these three points are part of what is needed to become a global citizen.

2017/11/25-GUS Ⅱ Other-3rd Year High School

Participating in the 2017 National SGH High School Forum
Four GUS II students made poster presentations at the 2017 National Super Global High School Forum,
organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and Tsukuba

University, at Pacifico Yokohama. The poster presentation was done by hand, not printed, todemonstrate an ecological approach to the preparation of the presentation.
The title of the presentation was “Humanity + Ecology=Cosmopolitan”, and introduced the students
experience with environmental policy through the fieldwork-based learning in Germany. They also
conducted a 4-minute English session on the importance of being involved in environmental problems.
There was a question-and-answer session after this important event.
In total 211 schools participated in the Forum. Interaction through joint sessions with other schools
highlighted the significance of the students’ participation.
Forum website
http://www.sghc.jp/2017forum/2018/01/30-GUS Ⅱ Class-3rd Year High School

Final ClassThe GUS II High School Year 3 group of the SGH Program had its final class. This is the first batchof SGH Program students. Today, each team brought together its recommendations, and decided on
the following concrete proposals.
Team Course 1: “Implementing a Food Bank in Kyotanabe City”
Kyotanabe City
Team Course 2: “Controlling Microplastics”
Kyoto City
Roles were divided up among smaller groups. The learning to date was summarized for presentation,and plans were made for contacting the various individuals over the spring vacation to move forwardwith the proposals.
Today we also heard comments from each of the students about their experiences over three years
learning in the program and their reflections on the class.
“I learned about social issues from a number of different perspectives. This knowledge and content ofour discussions was useful in my university test preparations.”“There were many chances to make presentations and write reports, and I think that I gain a lot ofskills from these. I also felt the importance of language skills.”“Learning directly from many people active in the local areas we visited really stimulated my thinking.
I found some issues that I am interested in, and have identified personal goals.”“Thinking about things from diverse perspectives and participating in many different discussions will
help me in the future.”“This class not a place where we studied for tests. It was a place where we engaged in learning basedon our own interests.”“I learned the importance of listening to people, thinking for myself and then communication my ideas.”“I am generally a passive person, but in this class I was motivated by my peers’ enthusiastic
participation. This made me want to change, and I think I was able to make that change.”“There were many different opinions in the class. More than anything it was a place to proactively
express our opinions.”“The students are from various backgrounds. A class like this, where we can exchange opinions,represents what an international high school should be.”“I was able to conceptualize environmental and social problems in terms of issues very close to me in
my daily life. This made me think seriously about what I can do. I want to continue learning andbecome a person who can contribute to solutions.”

“Through the fieldwork, external lectures and interactions in the class I was motivated to think about
what I want to do and what I can achieve.”“I developed interest in issues that I had not thought about before.”“I respect everyone in class after studying and developing a shared sense of purpose together.”
The students expressed much moving sentiment about their desire to put these experiences to use inuniversity studies and to continue learning about these issues. Some students said that theseexperiences helped in their university selection thinking. From the teachers, there were expressions ofappreciation: “Thank you for being the first batch of SGH1 students. We were able to rely on you allas we led the class.” We look forward to following the development of each and every student as they
set out on the next stage of their journey!