I ran into three of my Grade 10 students at Kichijoji station the other night. When asked what they were doing they grinned and strutted and said, "lets-u dance-u!" and promptly cracked a couple of moves.

This is what they do all day everyday in their free time. Be it outside the classroom, in the gym or at the train station.... They are really good, and enter comp's regularly. They're good fun to have in class despite their tendency to listen to music on their ipod headphones and read manga or hiphop mags all lesson long. I love busting them, it makes for great class entertainment when I pretend I'm going to confiscate their stuff then they pretend they won't do it again and I nod and roll my eyes and they act all apologetic and the moment my back is turned its on again. It's all a big game. When they actually choose to participate in activities they show themselves to be bloody smart kids. Natch.

There is no generation gap in all the world as big as the one in Tokyo.