In this documentary film of a large Japanese elementary school located in a Tokyo suburb, Ema Ryan Yamazaki weaves together scenes from 700-plus hours of films to tell a story of how a Japanese elementary school instills distinctly Japanese characteristics in children. Long seen with curiosity and suspicion from western eyes, Japanese ways of teaching discipline and responsibility at elementary schools have received much accolade in recent years, becoming a model to be exported. What happens at a Japanese elementary school that would turn many unsuspecting 6-year-olds into well-disciplined 12-year-olds, and what might be the possible costs and benefits of such an education system? A critically acclaimed young documentary filmmaker, Ema Ryan Yamazaki, who is known for Monkey Business: the Adventures of Curious George’s Creators and Koshien: Japan’s Field of Dreams, will join us for a viewing of her latest documentary and a discussion. 

Instruments of a Beating Heart (New York Times Op-Docs version of Ema's Japanese Elementary school project, 23 minutes)

First graders in a Tokyo public elementary school are presented with a challenge for the final semester: to form an orchestra and perform “Ode to Joy” at a school ceremony. The film examines the Japanese educational system’s tenuous balance between self-sacrifice and personal growth as it teaches the next generation to become part of society.

Speaker:

Ema Ryan Yamazaki, Documentary Filmmaker

Discussant:

Mariko Yang-Yoshihara, Ph.D., Instructor and Education Researcher, Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE)
Co-founder, SKY Labo

Moderator:

Kiyoteru Tsutsui, Japan Program Director, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC)

Free lunch will be served at this event