Japanese, 63, enters Grade 3

SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan ,Philippines  – It’s never too late to learn a new language.

A 63-year-old Japanese went back to school as a Grade 3 pupil in a public elementary school in Barangay San Juan here to fulfill his dream of learning the Filipino language and Pangasinan dialect.

Clad in denim shorts,

t-shirt and rubber shoes like his young classmates, Etsuo Yamagata from Okazaki, Japan, was eating taho (soybean snack with syrup and tapioca) during recess yesterday at the Jose Macam Paningbatan Sr. Elementary School, surrounded by classmates also buying taho from a vendor.

Yamagata married Belinda de Guzman, a Filipina from the barangay, and has fallen in love with the Philippines where he intends to stay.

Although he still has difficulty speaking English, Yamagata - who his 53 classmates call “Yama Chang” (an address intended for children), kuya (big brother), tito (uncle) or even lolo (grandfather) - said he is enjoying being back in the classroom.

“Too much enjoy. I love the school, very good teacher,” he said with a big smile.

He said he wants to learn about Filipino history but has to understand the language first. He said he understands very few Filipino and Pangasinan words and communicates mostly through hand signals.

He said he was slow to adapt to the dialect because they speak Nippongo at home. The Yamagatas have three children and four grandchildren.

Like any other pupil, Yamagata participates in school activities like lining up for the flag raising, doing morning calisthenics, singing, dancing, and cleaning.

His teacher Mary Jane Hermogeno said Yamagata loves children and is happy in their company. This was probably why he prefers to go back to school rather than have a private tutor, she said.

She said even before school opening, Yamagata, who lives more than a kilometer away, would come over and play soccer inside the school compound with his young schoolmates.

Arlene Sabangan, the school principal, said the Yamagata couple approached her before enrollment to signify the Japanese’s desire to go back to school to learn the local languages.

Etsuo said he prefers to sit in at a lower grade level because lessons taught are relatively easier.

“His is a special case but we treat him here as a regular student,” she said.

She said pupils totaling 301 love the guy because of his generosity and kindness.

Yamagata told her that he prefers to study here because of the wide campus.

Emmanuel Roy Paculanang, Yamagata’s classmate, said he would buy them food whenever they had no money or snacks to eat during recess time.

Joyce Nicole Aquino, another classmate, said their Japanese friend helps them in their chores like fetching water and cleaning the classroom.

He is also described by the two as very funny and would sometimes do magic tricks to entertain them during break time.

Yamagata said he finished high school in Japan and worked as a crane operator.

Last year, he also joined a Grade 6 class through a special arrangement in the public elementary school in Barangay Baldog. He also joined their graduation exercise last April 6, even wearing a toga.

But he said he still wants to learn the basics, thus he’s back in school, this time in Grade 3.