Kids Web Japan

Students show off their original coasters they made in industrial arts.

Homemade umeboshi produced by the students.

In addition to the plays performed onstage in the gymnasium, there were a number of other exhibitions at the school during the festival. The classrooms and hallways of the school were adorned with things created by the students, such as pictures, handicrafts, writings, and photographs of their everyday lives. A walk through the school revealed what the students normally do in their various classes.

In a classroom used by high school students, there were various handicrafts, such as wooden coasters, along with peanuts grown in the school's garden and umeboshi (pickled plums) and miso made by the students. Group-four student Suguru Yoshino explains, "When we made miso, we mixed soybeans in a blender. It was my first expereicne preparing food." Student Masaya Shimizu says, "When we pickled the plums, my hands felt cold, but it was kind of a good feeling." The students picked the plums from a park nearby the school, and while the umeboshi they produced were small, they had a smooth, mellow taste.

As they do every year, parents of the students sold pork soup, bento (boxed lunches), and sandwiches, which were so popular they quickly sold out. In addition, this year the eight students in group five of the high school students opened a small candy store in one corner of a classroom. The students practice shopping as part of their studies, and opening the store was their way of demonstrating that they have learned their lessons well. In addition to selling candy, the store offered stickers of Disney characters and trading cards of teenage idols. The store attracted many customers during the festival.

The students in Group Four pose with their umeboshi.

Group Four students enjoy selling candy from their store.

While enjoying snacks as they walked around the school, people visiting the Komei School for the Physically Handicapped during the festival were able to learn about everyday life there and the students' activities.