Food in Japanese Schools

One of the real highlights for me was experiencing the school lunches in elementary schools. School lunches in Japan were cooked and prepared at the school for every child. This was quite a culture shock for me as school lunches in New Zealand are packed at home by individual families and brought to school.

It was really nice to see the cultural values coming through during lunch time such as the blessing of the food. I gained a new sense of respect for unique and diverse ways of life around the world. The biggest being the culture of care for others and the appreciation of hard work.

This trip has broadened my understanding of culture which will benefit me in my future classroom within the multicultural environment of New Zealand. This experience will positively impact my teaching practice for the rest of my life.

Caitlin Loose.