The moment has arrived for my son to meet his new school!

School starts at 9 am on weekdays, and we would take a ten to fifteen-minute drive from our lodging to the school. Our family would start preparing from 7 am so that my son would have breakfast before school.

On our first day, Imayi-san, an officer from the Shonai Town Office, would lead us with his vehicle to the preschool. We'll be on our own for subsequent trips.

The school staff welcomed us wholeheartedly. The principal, Matsuda-san, and many teachers were at the door greeting us before we stepped foot into the building!

The teachers began giving us a walkthrough of the school. I didn't take photos during our tour around the school compounds because classes were active, and we didn't want to be disruptive. 

In short, the school is spacious and well-equipped, offering a variety of toys and activities to engage children. After we toured the school, we were led to a welcome room full of toys, and it was time for Benaiah to warm up to the place by playing with teachers.

During our pre-meeting video call, the staff recommended that my son take a half-day of school for his first day. We agreed and confirmed with the staff that we would be returning at around noon for our son.

The teachers were skillful in getting Benaiah to lower his guard. At first, Benaiah kept holding onto me because he could recognize a school, and he felt separation anxiety throughout our tour. The teachers brought Benaiah interesting toys in front of him, and slowly but surely, he loosened his grip on me and started playing with the toys.

Once Benaiah was fully engaged with the toys, my wife and I slipped out of the room to allow Benaiah to engage with the school on his own.

It's normal for toddlers to feel separation anxiety, and Benaiah was no exception. Once he realized his parents were missing, Benaiah cried for twenty minutes.

However, the teachers began playing some music, and they realized music caught Benaiah's attention. He soon stopped crying and fully participated in the rest of the school's activities.

I'm very thankful that the school assigned one dedicated teacher to tend to Benaiah's needs. It is unusual for a single student to receive so much attention from a teacher unless they have enrolled in a highly exclusive private school. I didn't expect this level of attention from the school for my son.

It is labor intensive.

For lunch, my son enjoyed a simple fare of rice, vegetables, and meat. It is something that Benaiah eats in Singapore daily, and he has no problem adjusting to the meals.

Every day, the school staff would take Benaiah's photos to let us know about his progress, and they provided a written report in English for us to understand how my son was doing in school. The principal would send me Benaiah's photos on the Line app as part of their daily routine.

What did we do while our son was in school?

We went to Sakata Kaisen Ichiba for our brunch. 

Being a seaport and market, Sakata Kaisen Ichiba is renowned for its fresh seafood and sushi, and Matsuda-san also recommended it.

I was intrigued by their payment system for purchasing tickets for meals. I saw it on TV, but I had never experienced it since this was my first time in Japan.

As usual, the establishment doesn't accept credit card payments. We paid by cash.

Exploring our neighborhood

There wasn't much time left to explore because Benaiah was having a half-day school. We went to the school to fetch him, and the school staff gave us a detailed debrief of his first day.

Matsuda-san informed us that we should pick Benaiah up from 4 pm onwards, a full day in school.

While returning home, I drove past our lodging without realizing it, as every house looked similar to me, and Google Maps didn't help because it didn't direct me to the correct street.

However, we found a playground within walking distance from our house, and it was a blessing in disguise.

It's excellent because the playground has everything that Benaiah wants. It starts with the bucket swing.

We made some friends at the playground too! The children were curious because we didn't speak Japanese, and tourists are rare in Shonai.

Japanese adults who were tending their children at the playground, would ask, "Why are you in Shonai as tourists?"

Benaiah loves cars and wheels, so he was ecstatic when he found this structure to play with.

There were also a couple of different slides to play with. Benaiah was getting the hang of sliding down a slide.

This playground is located beside Amarume Train Station, and Benaiah would gaze at the trains as they pass by.

Overall, it's a great neighborhood to live in, and we're glad that we have many amenities available to us within walking distance.

Once Benaiah settles in well at school, my wife and I will explore Shonai and Yamagata for some quality time.