The culmination of more than a year of careful planning, and funding from Toyota in excess of half of million dollars, the fifth annual Toyota International Teacher Program opened doors and opened the minds of fifty fortunate high school teachers from the U.S. Each day was filled with a broad range of activities and visits coordinated to educate and enlighten the teachers about Japanese History, culture, environment, and technology/industry. It was truly a cross-curricular experience that showed the interrelatedness of program themes and allowed for teachers from a wide range of subject areas to learn about and enhance curriculum in their own areas of expertise. Being able to interact professionally and socially with teachers of other disciplines brought new viewpoints and increased understanding of the themes we studied.

As a technology teacher it was amazing to see how advanced the Japanese society is. However, our close examination of other topics in Japan showed that dramatic development of technology has not always resulted in positive end results. Over-development in some areas, and the “burst bubble” of rapid growth has spawned new serious issues for Japan to address. To be able to now speak to a multitude of topics in Japan as a firsthand observer is the most wonderful result of this amazing voyage. My new contacts, friends, experiences and knowledge will be remembered and treasured.