General Incorporated Association
Association for the Promotion of Traditional Education in Local Communities
For more than three hundred years, “reading, writing and soroban (the Japanese abacus)” has been cherished as the very foundation of Japanese education. We redefine its educational value for our time, and pass it on and spread it for the future.
Why “reading, writing and soroban” now?
For more than three hundred years, “reading, writing and soroban” has been cherished as the very foundation of Japanese education.
We are convinced that it is not merely a technique for learning calculation or letters. It is a fine Japanese tradition of culture and education that nurtures children’s very “strength to live.”
Soroban
builds“concentration” and “right-brain power”Calligraphy
nurtures“a heart that quietly faces itself”These are closely linked to developing “visible skills (basic academic skills)” and “invisible strengths (self-esteem).”
In recent years, opportunities to experience this fine traditional education have become fewer and fewer.
The Association for the Promotion of Traditional Education in Local Communities aims to redefine the educational value of “reading, writing and soroban” for our time, and to keep its flame alive — passing it on and spreading it for the future.
The Association for the Promotion of Traditional Education in Local Communities was founded to pass on and spread “reading, writing and soroban,” a traditional form of Japanese education and culture.
| Name | Association for the Promotion of Traditional Education in Local Communities (一般社団法人 伝統教育地域推進協会) |
|---|---|
| Representative Director | Taito Morita |
| Purpose | To pass on and spread “reading, writing and soroban,” a traditional form of Japanese education and culture |
| Main activities |
|
Supporting the quality of learning,
turning effort into confidence
The Association officially certifies and runs the soroban and kakikata shodo exams that children work toward every day.
When children pass through their own hard work, a certificate is issued in the name of the Association (the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Education in Local Communities).
By turning each small, everyday “I did it!” into the form of an official “qualification,” we give clear proof of children’s efforts, and help that proof grow into the unshakable confidence that “I can do it!”
To realize our philosophy, we carry out the following activities.
To bring high-quality education to children, we hold workshops, training sessions and symposiums to raise the quality of our teachers.
We also run certification courses for teachers, and work to develop excellent people.
At the request of local residents’ associations and others, we hold soroban classes for older people at community centers and local meeting halls.
Beyond calculation practice as exercise for the fingertips and the mind, we also value these classes as a gathering place where familiar faces can enjoy talking together and share smiles.
Drawing on his experience running classrooms in Vietnam, the Association’s Representative Director, Taito Morita, actively gives lessons on “multicultural coexistence” at local elementary and high schools, as well as lectures for companies and organizations on “self-esteem” and “right-brain education.”
