1OCHANOMIZU UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLSTUDENT EDITION, NOVEMBER 2020EDUCATIONLANSTUDENT EDITION, NOVEMBER 2020

Education × Communication ＝ PenTomo
Among numerous disease
prevention measures being
taken in our everyday lives for
COVID-19, one that is taking
the most toll on students is
mandated school closures.
While those with online
classes and parents who could
help them on their studies havereceived sufficient support for
their education, those without
such educational aid are left
with no choice but to continue
their school work on their own.
Consequently, the long days of
isolation has shed greater lighton
educational
inequality
between students.
In addition, mental andfinancial strain from teleworking
or unemployment has prompteda rise in domestic violence andchild abuse cases. According toSpousal Violence CounselingSupport Center, reported casesof domestic violence and childabuse as of April 2020 was
13,272, a number 30% higher
than last year (Figure. 1), and2019

Figure. 1

Figure. 3

Credit: Fumio Kawasaki

66,789, with an increase of 12%
since January to April of lastyear (Figure. 2), respectively.
In
contemplationofprospective means to mitigate
such aforementioned issues,
PenTomo comes into play
(Figure.3).
PenTomo is a project where
elementary school students
exchange letters with high2020

schoolstudents. PenTomo
could
lead
elementary
schoolers to an educational
experience, as they will honeetiquette rules and grammar
skills required for writing
letters, and learn about the life
thatawaitsthem
after
elementary school by getting to
know
their
older
peers.
Consequently, PenTomo could

2020

2019

Figure. 2

help them to become proficient
writers and give them themotivation to continue theirstudies with excitement for the
future to come. Furthermore,
PenTomo will enable them tomake friends with anyone fromanywhere,regardlessofwhether
they
own
any
electronic
devices(manyelementary schoolers do not
own their own communication
devices at their age), evenduring quarantine. Having afriend who you are comfortableenough with to write aboutproblems at home may leadthem to get the help that theyneed to resolve their domestic
crisis.
PenTomo has the potential touncover hidden educational anddomestic problems which areprevalent in this society, andwith it, we will be able to forge
precious connections that we soyearn for, especially in thisdifficult time. We hope that
PenTomo will be utilized in a
fun and practical way that could
promote education and thewell-being of children from thiscoronavirus era and on to the
future.
-------------------------------------By Akari Tanaka, Fumio
Kawasaki, Hinata Tanno, Miho
Yako, Miki Kiyonaga andNonoka Sato-------------------------------------

Credit: Fumio Kawasaki

A B OU T U S
Establishedin
1882,
Ochanomizu University SeniorHigh School (formerly known asTokyo Girls’ Higher Normal
School) is one of the oldest girl’shigh schools in Japan.
LAN is brought to you by theaspiring students of Ochanomizu
University Senior High School in
Bunkyo-Ward, Tokyo, Japan. It isthe culmination of our students’
independent projects to strategize
and design a solution to current
global issues.

LAN consists of threeconsecutive themes which are:problems that have taken shapein the midst of the coronavirus
outbreak, issues that arise in theface of ubiquitous disasters that
plague Japan, and the future thatawaits us in the post-COVID-19
world.
COVID-19,with
its
devastating ferocity, has not only
demonstrated our fragile way oflife, but also led us to theharrowing realization that we area part of a global society; that eponymously suggests, we hopeeverything, both auspicious and to play a small part in creating a
Fumio Kawasaki
catastrophic,
could
spread Credit:
networkof awareness forthroughout the world to elicit a universal obstacles prevalent in
revolutionary change in life as we these turbulent times. Althoughknow it. Thus, we have reached we are at a time in history where
the inevitable conclusion that we are encountering an entirely
every worldwide issue must be unprecedented lifestyle thattaken as our own if we are ever to prompts
divisionandovercome them. Now, more than abandonment, we must all take aever before, the future of our moment to remember that there isworld is in the hands of each and light at the end of the tunnel. We
are all in this together.
every one of us.
As LAN (Local Area Network)

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LAN

STUDENT EDITION, NOVEMBER 2020

HEALTH

Making Informed Choices
Prevent Spread of Diseases
COVID-19hasdrasticallychanged our lives as we know it.
However, humans have always
found a way to coexist withvarious deadly infections sinceancient times, and the day justmight come when we can have ourold days back even with the virus
still around.
Although we may feel like
medicine will take care ofeverything when it comes to any
common sickness or irregularities

Front Page. 1

in the body, taking the wrong typeor amount of drugs could havefatal consequences.
Have you ever heard ofantibiotic-resistant bacteria? They
are the bacteria that have changed
over time in response to theoveruse of antibiotics. They stop
responding to the antibiotics
designed to kill them and render
infections caused by them harder
to treat. As a result, the infections
could become deadly, and the risk

Front Page. 2

Canof disease spread increases. Thus,
it is crucial that we take the rightprescription of drugs and makeinformed choices to ensure thesafe use of medicine.
We have made three different
types of leaflets to raise awarenessof infectious diseases and disease
prevention. On the front side ofthe leaflet are catchy phrases withstriking designs, specifically,“Infectious diseases: you may notknow it, but it’s there” (Front. 1),“Our immune systems deserve
some rest, too” (Front. 2) and“Going somewhere? So are
infectious diseases” (Front. 3).
Every phrase addresses the same
issue; that infectious diseases are
dangerous and are all around us.
On the back are information
related to infectious diseases suchas genome editing, social
prejudice and discrimination

Help(Back). We have distributed theseleaflets in hospitals and banks ofvarious locations in the prefectureof Chiba, Japan. We are working
to distribute our leaflets in moreplaces in the hopes that they reachthe hands of many in theoncoming "twindemic", as manyof the issues and tasks presented
in the leaflets could be hints todealing with COVID-19 as well.
Hopefully, microorganisms likeantibiotic-resistant bacteria serve
as a warning for everyone tobecome an informed consumer.
Learning more about infectious
diseases and ways to treat it mightjust save you or your loved ones’
life someday.
---------------------------------------By
Ami
Negishi,
HiromiYokoyama, Mioko Kurokawa,
Rika Matsumoto and Waka Yokota--------------------------------------

Credit: Hiromi Yokoyama, Rika Matsumoto
Front Page. 3

Back Page

When Do We Feel Stress?
Stress. That dull ache in yourchest, butterflies in your stomachthat you come across once in awhile? It’s a familiar feeling for
all of us, but in what specificsituations are people more prone
to feeling stress?
In December, 2019, we
conducted questionnaires in
Ochanomizu University SeniorHigh School, from which we
received 227 answers. We asked
the students to rate the intensity ofstress they would feel in thefollowing
situations:
being
squeezed into a confined space,having an argument with parents,
not seeing progress in their studies,and using electronic devices for along time. In the survey, 52% of
the respondents answered thatthey are either moderately orstrongly stressed in confined
spaces (Figure.1), 89% in parental
conflicts (note that a whopping
56% of the respondents felt
strongly
stressed)(Figure.2),
about 81% by not seeing progressin their studies(Figure.3), about
39% when using electronic
devices for a prolonged period oftime (Figure.4).
The results of the questionnairesuggest that the vast majority ofhigh school students tend to
experience stress regarding theirstudies, and relationships withparents. Therefore, we have beenable to conclude that stress factors
are mainly found to be closelyintertwined with daily andpersonal life.
Since
COVID-19
has
fundamentally interfered with ourdaily practices, it is no doubt that
we have accumulated more stressin the past couple of months when
we had to be quarantined due tothe coronavirus. Many people
were overwhelmed with theextraordinary lifestyle and felt agreat deal of stress. Our survey
conducted during this period at
Ochanomizu University SeniorHigh School showed that many
students experienced stress from

Figure.1

Figure.3

Figure.2

Figure.4

Credit: Ikue Suzuki

not being able to go out, not seeing
their friends and loved ones, andnot getting the motivation to study.
However, when encountering
hopelessness and anxiety, we haveto adapt to the new normal of oursociety today, or we will never
have our old days back.
Fortunately, there is a way for us
to feel a little less anxiety andkeep your hopes up, and that isnone other than practicing social
distancing. Avoid going to
crowded areas, sit side by side or
diagonally when talking to friends,

and most importantly, keep yourmasks on.
They may be the kind of things
we have been hearing over andover. Nevertheless, it certainly is
not rocket science and it does not
hurt to follow them if it makes ourlives a little less stressful.
--------------------------------------By Asuka Kikuchi, Ikue Suzuki,
Mizuki Tezuka, Momo Ono andToshino Miyauchi----------------------------------------

STUDENT EDITION, NOVEMBER 2020

LAN

3

DISASTER

We Must Secure Evacuation Sites
A
Unexposed
to Earthquake-Initiated Fires
As one of the most severe
disaster-prone countries, Japan is
known for its frequent anddeconstructive earthquakes which
occur as many as 2,000 times per
year. If an earthquake directly hits
the Tokyo area, the number ofearthquake-initiatedfires
isassumed to be up to 2,000, andmany people may be trapped as
flames are set across the city
center, killing an estimated 70%
out of the 23,000 victims.
Accordingly, we must secure
evacuation sites which are lesslikely to be exposed to these fires.
Believe it or not, many people
are shielded from fires after
earthquakes by none other thantrees. Normally, you may expect(Figure.1)
Effective Planting Method
Reference:
greening and planting manual
Credit: Nanami Yoshioka

the opposite, as trees burn andseem to help spread fires in awildfire. However, in the Great
Kanto Earthquake, many people
in areas full of trees actuallysurvived when a large fire brokeout. For instance, after theearthquake hit, people who ran totake shelter in Kiyosumi Garden,
which had been covered by trees,
survived the fire. Unfortunately,
the fires destroyed Honsho
Hifukusho, the remains of aclothing depot where there wereno trees, and killed nearly
everyone taking shelter inside.
Although size and geographicalconditions of each land were notso different, the two sites weremet
withvastlydifferent
outcomes. This strongly suggeststhat trees had played a significant
role in covering an open andexposed area from fires, andhelped save countless lives.
Furthermore,accordingto
Hiroshi Nakajima, a specialist of
fire-retardant trees, it has beenfound that trees that contain alarge amount of water and little oil
are resistant to fire. In addition,
planting shorter trees inside of theevacuation site, and taller trees

outside has been observed to be aneffective planting method forblocking out fires. (Figure.1)
Keeping these hypotheses inmind, we have made a To-Do list
to summarize methods forpreventing fires, and designed apark that could also be used as anevacuation site. (Figure.2)
However, it is difficult for someurban cities to build a park large
enough to prevent a fire.
Consequently, one of the only
alternatives is to turn cemeteries, ashared grave site, into theevacuation sites themselves, andplant trees inside to turn thelocation as close to fireproof as
trees can manage. Taking that into
account, we could also switch atombstone to a tree, and conduct
what is otherwise known as tree
burials. In fact, this will bebeneficial for an evacuation site,
as it will increase the number oftrees andcreate a safer environment toprotect people from fires. At thesame time, they are less likely to
be damaged by an earthquake thantombstones.
Nevertheless, by installing many
trees the visibility will get worse(Figure.2) Design of Ideal Park
Credit: Satoka Matsushita

and it may become a hot spot ofcrime. Though there is aninexorable need for evacuationsites where people would not haveto fear for disasters that strike
after earthquakes. Hence, we
greatly
encouragetheestablishment of evacuation sites
invulnerable to fires.
--------------------------------------By Ayano Mori, Mai Sasaki, Reiko
Tomita, Satoka Matsushita andYukiko Nomura---------------------------------------

Evacuation System for the Disadvantaged
According to the JapaneseCabinet Office, in the Great East
Japan Earthquake, the number ofdeaths among the elderly over 65
years of age out of the total was
about 60%. Furthermore, on the
coast of Miyagi Prefecture, anarea that suffered substantial
damage by the earthquake, themortality rate of the disabled was
3.5%, while the mortality rate of
all residents in the same area was
0.8%, according to the Japan
Disability Forum. Such statistics
alone underscore the need forsystems to safely evacuate
individuals needing more support.
"List of Evacuating Populations
with Special Needs" is a support
system run by the Japanese
government. Municipalities areallowed to provide information,with consent from the information
providers, to those who help
evacuate individuals with special
needs. However, in the event adisaster actually occurs, they are

permitted to disclose theirinformation without their consent.
If we can make use of the system,
people requiring support can bewatched over by helpers not onlyin an emergency but also ineveryday life without the need forcomplex processes.
Although we may benefit fromhaving the list, a number ofconcerns remain. To begin with,the criteria for activating thesystem is unclear and may varydepending
on
each
local
government, and since theygenerally take a cautious stance on
the disclosure of personal
information, they are reluctant to
use the system. Moreover, inprevious disasters, several local
governments were not able to put
the system to good use, as theinformation they had collected
had not been completely updated.
An even more fundamental issue
was power failure which made it
impossible for people to even use

Credit: Erika Tomioka
The system of List of Evacuating Populations with Special Needs
Reference: the pamphlet made by the Japanese Cabinet Officethe system in the first place. So far,the system is not enough to beinstilled in our society.
The reality is that there are few
people who really know about
what some people have to go
through to evacuate during anactivedisaster.
However,
spreading information via anymeans is something that any of us

can do. That is the first step torealizing a society where no one isleft behind when a disaster occurs.
---------------------------------------By Aimi Taura, Erika Tomioka,
Rin Sorimachi, Saki Kamiyama,
and Yukino Terada----------------------------------------

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LAN

STUDENT EDITION, NOVEMBER 2020

TECHNOLOGYThis App Helps You Prepare for Earthquakes
Let us imagine a situation where
you are hit with an earthquake atthis moment. Would you say thatyou are prepared? In Japan,
people are forced to confront
many disasters. According to“The number of the dead andmissing" published by the Cabinet
Office, earthquake kills more
people than any other disasters at
once, topping the casualty rates offlooding, which occurs mostfrequently in Japan. Furthermore,according to “public opinion poll

Script of softwareof disaster prevention” publishedby the Cabinet Office, there are
10.8% of people who are notprepared for disasters. Thesestatistics alone are clear signs thateven people living in the mostdisaster-prone countries are notyet ready for an oncoming disaster.
This has inspired us to develop an
app that acts as a picture book foreach cases of disasters whichtargets the younger generation.
Our game aims to provide a
visualized guide for what to do in

Credit: Rina Onisi and Ringo Kawamura

times of disasters in an enjoyableway.
In the game, the player mustfirst prepare evacuation goods.
The time setting then switches toafter the disaster-strike, and theplayer who is in the city must go
to a school registered as a shelter.
The player faces many obstacles
on the way, in which they would
have to choose the three useful
items to move on from eachobstacle to the next. The items
included are water, newspaper,saran wrap, etc., all of which canbe used for many purposes in adisaster.
We have been able program thisapp using a software called
SWIFT, which is a programing
application for Android andiPhone. The app only uses colors
red, blue and green and prevent
digital eye strain, and we haveprogrammed the UI (UseInterface) design and the UX(User Experience) design for thegame to be played in the easiest
way possible. In addition, thegame presents the least number of
obstacles and includes many
dialogues so that the players could
have a lasting impression on themostessential
piecesofinformation needed to survive.
We hope to develop this app for
more various types of natural
disasters other than earthquakes
and tsunamis, such as typhoons,floods and volcanic eruptions. The
app can be used as a gateway tolearning more about disasterprevention and visualizing natural
disaster events in the real world,and may help save many lives
when an actual disaster strikes.
---------------------------------------By Arisa Chishiro, Chiho Ito,
Megumi Karasawa, Rina Onishi
and Ringo Kawamura----------------------------------------JIZO ATSUME To Bring Back the Tourism
Industry
Do you know Jizo? Jizo is a
guardian deity who protects thesouls of children from going tohell when they die. We see themoften on the roadside as well as
temples.
Due to COVID-19, the tourism
industry is seriously damaged by
the declining number of tourists
visiting Japan. To tackle this issue
and promote travels to various
prefectures in Japan, we havedeveloped an app called JIZOASTUME. It is a free app thatcombines gaming and real-world
elements. The game uses theplayers' GPS to track the locationof Jizo. Once the players findthem and take pictures, they thenget points which can beexchanged for coupons in arcades
in the real world.
Jizo is an ideal element for agame that promotes tourism in thesuburbs, in that we can find themin any city or prefecture,
regardless of whether they are in
the city or the countryside. In
addition, as Jizo incorporates thebeliefs of both Buddhism andShintoism, which is a unique
Japanese religion, Jizo is an
important part of Japanese culture.
This app can invite tourists not
only to popular tourist sites, butalso to the countryside where notmany people tend to visit. Thus,
this app may inspire many tourists
to visit various sites wherever they
may find Jizo. In particular, someof them may even encounter
various lifestyles of people livingin the suburbs and come across a
deeper understanding of their wayof life. As a result, players could
gain an interest in Japaneseculture and values.
Imagine a new phenomenon:“Jizo tourism”. Thanks to the
popularity of Jizo and theircalming and zen-like presence,
Japan may see a boost in theeconomy of the tourism industry.
We hope that foreigners willtake the time to see all of Japanand explore the beautiful
scenery of the country’s suburbs.

Data by JTB Tourism Research & Consulting Co.
Credit: Emika Funakoshi

LAN

Published by a group of 40
students
ofOchanomizu
University Senior High School,
national high school in Bunkyo
Ward, Tokyo, Japan.

Logo of JIZO ATSUME
Credit: Aya Nakamura---------------------------------------By Aya Nakamura, Emika
Funakoshi, Fuyu Endo, Rina
Matsuoka and Yumi Tsunoda---------------------------------------

Publisher:
Ochanomizu
University Senior High School
Project Supervisor: Naoko
Tamatani
Editor: Chio Fuseya
Assistant Editor: Hinata Sato,
MadokaTakato,Nanami
Yoshioka
Staff Writers : 3R
Contact : 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo
Ward, Tokyo, Japan 112-8610
URL: http://www.fz.ocha.ac.jp/fk/