Organization:  J Productions

Representative:   Junji Kashiwagi

Program:  “The School of The World” 

"The school of The World”,
The children's network using Internet through Visual Arts.

Through Jproductions, we aim at making this world a school, a “school of the world”, inter-connected through the Internet and networking between children promoting international understanding between children and their cultures? Children are the future of the world.  What we do is to take movies of the lives of different cultures, and then, interconnect such videos, giving children a peep into the life of a child in a far-away country, a glance into a life they never ever thought exists? In such way stimulating the idea of a wide-wide world in the small mind of every child.   We therefore would like to approach you and other organizations, communities and individuals for grants/sponsors/or donations to enable us to introduce children through our films of other children to concepts, ideas and cultures of far-off places? "Children Educating Children".  Any form of contribution, whether in the form of old, out-dated personal computers, books, clothes, pens or pencils can bring the worlds of children closer together.  Through our “revival” and installation of old computers in schools in third-world countries we create a medium through which we can show our videos made of children to children--"A visit to a far-off school in 5 min". 

If you are interested in materializing the dreams of many children, please e-mail us in order for us to get to know you and you to get to know us.

This is an article from Yomiuri News Paper in Japan.

Web site gives glimpse of schools from around the world

Naoki Hosaka Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

Like many people, Junji Kashiwagi said he used to want to be rich, but added that "such thinking changed thanks to South Africa."

A year after graduating from university, Kashiwagi left for the United States with the aim of getting a job. On his way there, he stopped off in South Africa for a visit, as one of his friends had recommended he do so. But Kashiwagi had no idea what an astonishing impression he would leave with.

Kashiwagi, 34, said he was astonished to see how people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds in South Africa were living different lives.

For Kashiwagi, it was love at first sight, and he found it difficult to leave the country.

But he decided to visit other African countries, and during his travels, Kashiwagi found himself fascinated by one specific thing--schools. In a remote village in Uganda, for example, a teacher who was born with physical disabilities taught English and math, using a stick of chalk between his toes with which to write.

Although the teacher made mistakes spelling simple English words, Kashiwagi felt the enthusiasm of the teacher and students, which made him think about the meaning of learning.

Since then, Kashiwagi has visited schools in many parts of the world, videotaping his experiences and editing them himself with his computer at his home in Yokohama. Some of these images can be seen on the Web site he has launched, named "The School of the World" (http://jproductions.tv; in Japanese and English).

Kashiwagi said he used a simple style to convey his message to visitors to the Web site, letting them watch the images with very little verbal or written explanation so as not to push his own viewpoints.

"Schools are a place to help children learn the basic skills necessary to survive," Kashiwagi said. "Therefore, if you take a look at schools around the world, you learn that values differ from place to place and our (Japanese) sense of values are not the only kind."

"The School of the World" is more than just a Web site showing classrooms. It is actually a "school" where visitors can learn something about themselves. Just click to visit--it will give you a chance to reevaluate yourself.

Copyright 2003 The Yomiuri Shimbun