Mottainai Grandma

My friend, Karin is a kindergarten teacher. She is a very enthusiastic and Passionate woman.

After I'd backed in Japan, I visited Karin and her kids at her school. Her kids are all English speakers.

I brought a KAMISHIBAI to show her kids a Japanese story. KAMISHIBAI is a Japanese cultural story telling, using big picture story boads. A long time ago, when we didn't have a TV or other amusements we have today, a KAMISHIBAI man came and told kids a story in a outside playground...

The story I told was named ''Mottainai Grandma''. MOTTAINAI is a cultural Japanese word, which means, ''Don't waste'' or ''What a waste''. I think many Japanese people have been told that word from grand parents, parents and teachers whenever we waste food,water,money or even tears...

An author, Ms.Mariko Shinjyu drew the usual scenes of Japanese grandmas saying the word ''Mottainai'' ... and now she is trying to spread the word ''Mottainai'' around the world, and also bring back the messages of other third world countries' lives to Japan using her pictures... She says she doesn't want Japanese children to think all the issues of the other countries are not for us. she wants to make those issues our own issues to foster the idea. We are world citizen.

I really felt sympathy for her ideas, So I got her book ''Mottainai Grandma'' and made a KAMISHIBAI with this story. Karin and the children seemed to enjoy my KAMISHIBAI ''Mottainai Grandma''. Together, they even repeated and memorised the word ''Mottainai''.

After doing the Kamishibai once, Karin tried to review the story.

That made children understand well.

Karin e-mailed me that day and after I left, one of the children even used the concept. He said, "MOTTAINAI! Don't waste your milk!" to his friend. I was really happy to hear that!

There is an African woman trying to spread the Mottainai concept around the world. Her name is Wangari Maathai. Her ambition is to spread MOTTAINAI around the world as a common keyword for conserving environment. The author of ''Mottainai Grandma'', Ms.Mariko Shinjyu, is also trying to do the same thing in different way.

So I'd like to try to join them ! Spreading the word is one thing I can do something for the world, something for global warming. In the modern world, people are living with an abundance of things...and becoming less grateful for what we already have...Think about the other places in the world. People in some countries hardly eat food and drink water...go to school.....get clothes, stationery...

It is important just to imagine how life is in other countries in the world. We are world citizens. We are living on our only planet.

Karin, she always says ''You are Japnese Karin !!'' For me, That is really fortunate. I want to be like her when I become her age...

Thank you for this friendship Karin !!