Chapter 1

“Yoshi, turn on NHK news; there’s a news report I need you to watch with me.”

“Hai. What’s it about, Dad?”

“It’s about bullying in the school system. As student body president, you need to be able to help address this issue and help educate your fellow students. Bullying is reaching epidemic proportions along with bullying-induced suicides of children. Since you’re going to medical school next year, you need to keep abreast of these health and mental health issues.”

Yoshi grabbed a bottle of water and sat next to his dad as they waited for the news feature to begin. Katsu, Yoshi’s dad, was chief administrator for the University of Tokyo Hospital. He said as they waited for the story to begin, “You know, Son, we are seeing a lot more cases of violent bullying come into the hospital. I want you to take the lead at your school and be a force for change. Stop it, report it, and help the victims whenever you see this happening. You just may save someone’s life.”

“Hai!” Yoshi replied with an affirmative head bow. “Now that you mention it I have witnessed mild cases of bullying like name-calling and some pushing and shoving, but I’m ashamed to say, I pretty much went my way and didn’t get involved. I would like to think that I would have been more proactive if I saw someone being assaulted or abused. I never gave a second thought to the obvious that name-calling is abuse also.”

Bumping his son’s arm, Katsu motioned towards the TV and said, “Here it is.”

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I am Hiroshi Kashuahara, special investigative reporter for NHK news, bringing you a startling new report issued this afternoon by the Ministry for Education and Science on the topic of bullying in the school system, This report even addressed the growing problem of cyberbullying.”

“Today’s statement by the Ministry is the most forthright and clear statement issued to date on this sensitive subject. Japan is not alone in the community of nations where bullying and cyber-bullying are on the rise and reaching epidemic proportions. Bullying in school has become a global concern.”

“Ever since the Republic of the Philippines passed Republic Act 10627 in 2013, or the Anti-Bullying Act, countries throughout Asia are scrambling to follow suit in an attempt to stem the tide of bullying: both in the schools and in the workplace. Following suit, the Japanese Diet passed its version of the act in 2013, but it has done little to slow or halt the rise in bullying cases nationwide.”

“As I mentioned at the top of this report, the Ministry today has been surprisingly candid in its press conference. They started by pointing out what makes bullying in Japan unique. Professor Mieko Nakabayashi, a professor in the school of social studies at Waseda University, stated in their investigation, ‘In Japan, different is dangerous. A student standing out from the rest of the class is a recipe for trauma, with the child more likely to become a victim of intense bullying by his or her classmates. Bullying cases have now hit a record high. So, if you are talented in class, or if you are a girl who is too pretty, or if you play a musical instrument well or if you just act differently ― anything that makes you different, you are a target.’”

“Bullying is common in most countries, but I feel it is different here in Japan,” she said. “In schools here, a pupil who is different from the others will be a target. This is true throughout Japanese society. Conformity is important. This attitude is so prevalent in Japanese society that there is a saying that sums up how anyone who stands out from the crowd is treated: ‘The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.’”

“According to an October 20, 2019 article in the Japan Times, recorded incidents of bullying in private and public schools across Japan, from elementary school through senior high schools, were as high as 414,378 in the academic year to March 31, 2018. That figure was up steeply from the previous year, rising by more than 91,000 cases. A sharp increase in the number of bullying cases at Japanese elementary schools has been seen in recent years, according to an education ministry survey.

“Bullying cases recognized by elementary, junior high, high schools and special-needs schools in Japan in fiscal 2019 grew by some 60,000 from the previous year to a record 612,496, the education ministry stated.”

“As a forerunner of today’s report, the Ministry stated in their report released this past October 25^th earlier this year shows that cases of bullying in schools have reached a record high. And the real figure is likely to be even higher, experts warn, as many children are too frightened to come forward and denounce their tormentors.”

“What is striking is that the Ministry addressed all chairs of prefectural and municipal boards of education, governors, and vice-chancellors of all national universities with affiliated schools urged that bullying was not be hidden. However, teachers and school administrators understand that ‘problems’ such as bullying, school nonattendance, student injuries, accidents, and the like, would impact negatively upon their performance evaluations.”

“The Ministry also came forth and admitted that they have found cases of falsifying reports and even failing to report and destroying evidence of bullying by teachers, principals, and school officials. The admission was followed by the statement that perpetrators will be disciplined and punished ― even prosecuted. If a teacher reports an accurate number of bullying incidents, it also implies that the teacher himself or herself has little power to control the class; this would decrease the possibility of promotion to become a principal. High Bullying statistics reflect on teachers and administrators as being incompetent and incapable of maintaining order, and THAT reflects a bad evaluation which affects promotions.”

“Fujiwara Tomomi, a writer, and critic pointed out that bullying has also become a convenient method of class management for some teachers who have lost the authority to manage their class. He writes: ‘When a homeroom teacher cannot be the pivot of the class, the atmosphere of the class becomes permanently unstable.’”

“According to the latest, startling statistics, in the 2019 academic year, there were five suicides by elementary school students, 100 at junior high school level and 227 among high school students. The total for high school students has risen by 67. Of those 332 deaths, 198 were boys and 134 were girls.”

“The number of bullying cases detected per 1,000 students was highest in Miyazaki Prefecture, at 122.4, and lowest in Saga Prefecture, at 13.8.”

“We will be watching this topic and following up to ensure you, the public who send your children to school will be armed with the latest information on how to deal with this issue. This is Hiroshi Kashuahara, special investigative reporter for NHK news signing off for now.”

Katsu switched off the TV and he and Yoshi just stared at each other. Yoshi said to his dad, “Man-oh-man, I never knew it was THIS bad! What I find hard to believe is that teachers and the schools are hiding reports of bullying and destroying evidence. What happens to the kid that reports it? Do they just sweep it under the rug and pretend this kid isn’t being tormented?”

Yoshi’s dad shrugged and replied, “Apparently so, Son. As you heard, if they report cases of bullying, that means they can’t control the classes, and that affects their evaluation for raises or promotion. I mean, they even said that some teachers use bullying to control their classes. I think it’s pathetic and disgusting that teachers cannot maintain order and discipline in the classroom.”

“Dad. please don’t think I’m bragging or anything, but Shino, Aimi, and I all have been in the advanced classes where all of the kids are there to learn. I personally have not seen any bullying in any of my classes so far. You can ask Shino and Aimi, but they haven’t mentioned anything out of the ordinary with their school experience. I mean, we hear of cases or of someone being harassed, but have no first-hand knowledge.”

Yoshi Suzuki, at eighteen and a senior, was the eldest of the siblings. He held the record as the smartest student at Tokyo Metropolitan Asuka High School, the second highest-rated high school in Tokyo. He was not only smart with an I.Q. of 146, but he was also, (according to all the girls) a tall, handsome god. Girls had been fawning over him since middle school and he was used to the attention. He stood a whopping 6’2” (188 cm.); a full 11 inches (28 cm) higher than the average man in Japan. He had an athlete’s physique and played baseball all throughout his school years. Yoshi wasn’t the type to get a swelled head over it though. He was known for being kind, caring, and considerate of his classmates. He never looked down on anyone and would help any or all who asked for his help. Yoshi was single-minded towards his studies, and although he could have any girl in the school, he had never had a girlfriend or dated. He socialized with his friends as a group but avoided the one-on-one boy/girl relationships thinking it would distract him from his goal of graduating this last year of high school and gaining a full-ride scholarship to the University of Tokyo Medical School and becoming a surgeon.

Likewise, Shino, Yoshi’s younger brother, also was a good-looking young man. He was smart, but not genius-smart like his brother. He was a grade-A student, and like Yoshi, played sports. Unlike Yoshi, Shino liked girls a lot and always had a girlfriend since he was fourteen. In the second year of high school or the eleventh grade, he was one year behind Yoshi.

Aimi, the baby of the family, was a very cute, slender 5’2” girl and at 101 lbs. had a cute teen girl’s slender figure and was well-liked. Her social life was very closely monitored by her father and her two brothers. At sixteen, she was not allowed to date one-on-one but could socialize in a group with her brothers’ permission and ever-watchful eye. They gave her some freedom but kept her on a short leash. She loved her brothers dearly and worshipped her idol, Yoshi from the time she could walk. He spoiled her, doted, and pampered her, always giving her money for clothes or jewelry. Like her brothers, Aimi was a straight “A” student. All three siblings learned very early in life that the best way to prepare for life and avoid run-ins with the parental units and earn freedom was to ace the report card and get straight “A’s.” Aimi would begin her first year in senior high school, or the tenth grade, at the same high school as her brothers.

At the dinner table, Yoshi brought up the topic to Shino, his seventeen-year-old brother, and Aimi, his sixteen-year-old sister. Yoshi asked Aimi, “Sis, this will be your first year in high school, but do you know of any kids being bullied at middle school?”

“Yoshi,” you know as well as I do that we’ve all heard of bullying in school. I’ve seen girls aggressively teasing a student in the girl’s restroom and a few times in class. But I remained quiet like everyone because I didn’t want to become a target myself.”

Katsu wanted to sum up the dinner table conversation and said, “Each of you children has been blessed with a very high standard of living and a good education. I want you three to realize that with those blessings comes responsibility ― social responsibility to your family, your school and neighborhood, and to society. School starts the day after tomorrow and I want you kids to be proactive on this issue of bullying. If you are a witness to it, then report it. Don’t turn a blind eye on a fellow student being targeted and bullied. You just may save a life. Do you understand?”

All three kids acknowledged with a positive head bow and an affirmative “Hai!”

The three Suzuki teens arrived at school early. Being student council president, Yoshi had to help direct new students to their locations. Aimi made sure she held her big brother’s hand as they entered school grounds. He tried to shake her hand loose, but she held firm, and said, “Oh no you don’t. I want people to see us holding hands.”

“And why is that? Do you want people to think you’re my girlfriend?”

“Something like that. Those that ask if I’m your girlfriend will quickly learn that I am your sister. I will then become well known throughout the school and popular at the same time”

“Pretty smart, Sis.”

“You’re not the only smart one in the family, my tall and hunky brother. Shino has also benefitted from being your brother, hasn’t he?”

“Yeah, I guess you have a point there...”

“Well, baby sister also wants to get some benefit from riding your coat tails also.”

“Alright, Princess, I get it.”

“Thank you very much!”

Aimi’s thinking was spot on. As she and her brother walked through the school gates and onto the campus, all eyes were on Yoshi and that cute, short girl he was walking hand-in-hand with. Rumors immediately started, the word was out and before the two siblings walked through the entrance doors, everyone in the school knew that Yoshi Suzuki had a “girlfriend.” The rumor was given credence when Yoshi walked Aimi to her homeroom, she then pulled him down and kissed his cheek. Yoshi smiled, snickered to himself, and thought, Boy, the rumor mill will be working overtime today! Oh well, let her have her fun. She’ll come clean right away and then she will have her wish: instant name recognition and popularity.

Two weeks later, Yoshi was on his way to the administrative office when he was stopped by a tiny ― a very tiny young girl. She looked to be about 4’9” tall and no more than 90 pounds soaking wet. In fact, she looked like a nine or ten-year-old fourth grader, not a fifteen-year-old tenth grader. Very shyly, and with a deep bow, she said hi and asked for directions to class 1-4. Yoshi’s first thought was that it was strange that the girl didn’t know her homeroom. But then, it dawned on him that the way she slowly and dreamily said Konnichiwa like “kō-neee-chee-wah” she simply wanted to speak to him. Smiling and returning her bow, Yoshi was flattered that she definitely looked infatuated. Curious as to who the tiny pixie was, he asked her name. She bowed again and answered “Emiko [EM-ee-kō] Tanaka.”

Yoshi politely gave her directions and pointed out the way to go. Nervously, she bowed twice more as she turned to leave for her class. Watching that tiny girl walking away he shuddered when he remembered the news report from the other evening... “In Japan, different is dangerous. A student standing out from the rest of the class is a recipe for trauma...” He thought to himself Dearest God above, please watch over her.

Several days later, Emiko recognized Aimi from the first day at school. She was the cute girl holding hands with that tall handsome god-like student, Yoshi. Emiko introduced herself and said to Aimi, “Your boyfriend is just so handsome! I’ve never seen a boy ― I mean, he looks like a man ― but anyway, he’s just so handsome he took m- m- my breath away.”

Aimi laughed and replied, “That was my big brother. Yes, he’s a real idol. He’s also a real big loveable teddy bear. I made him hold hands with me so that I would be noticed and recognized. Guess what? It worked! Hee, hee.”

They both laughed and parted ways as they both returned to class. An hour and a half later, Aimi spotted Emiko walking towards the cafeteria. She caught up with the tiny girl and asked her if she was going to lunch. Emiko nodded and replied “Hai Aimi-san.”