Unlike the U.S., elementary school kids in Japan clean their own classrooms, serve each other lunch, and eat lunch in silence while a timer counts down. That’s all captured in the Oscar-nominated short documentary Instruments of a Beating Heart. It follows a group of first graders who form an orchestra to play Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” as part of a welcoming ceremony for the incoming class of 6-year-olds.
Director Ema Ryan Yamazaki grew up in the Japanese elementary school system. She says she adopted traits there — such as working hard, being a team player, and showing up on time — that earned her praise when she moved to New York. “It's just such a uniform system. And it's all about: How do you contribute to your community, to your group? And I think ultimately, that's what Japanese society is known for as well.”
Yamazaki says Japan is well known for its food, ninjas, samurais, anime, and history, but if people want a deeper understanding of the country, they need to look to its education system.
In her documentary, as 170 students go through tryouts to see which instruments they’ll play, Yamazaki heavily focuses on Ayame, who initially wants the drums but ultimately is assigned the cymbals.
“She was so strong and stubborn … but also a little bit slower than the rest of the group, a little bit late all the time. And so I just saw … when the music audition started, that maybe this was the moment she was going to come out of her shell, grow from it. And ultimately I think we see that happen in front of our eyes.”
A strict teacher singles out Ayame for not rehearsing enough, and she cries in front of the group. This is not rare, Yamazaki suggests.
“I think I was little Ayame, literally going through similar experiences like five years ago, where I was pushed by my teachers and my peers to overcome something. … There was a lot of tears in that sometimes. I think the question of: Is it a correct way to call someone out in front of a group, versus doing it individually? I think that's definitely a valid point. But in Japan as of now, it's also the reason that we can't just throw trash on the street. We care so much about how we're viewed and the collective eye. And I think that scene is symbolic that you also then try to never be shamed again in public, in a way. And I think that's still a common experience for the Japanese.”
After publicly crying and facing so much pressure, Ayame doesn’t want to join the group the next day. A different teacher gives her encouragement, says she doesn’t have to be perfect but just do her best. When Ayame says she’s afraid to get scolded again, the teacher replies, “If that happens, I'll get scolded with you. I'll hold your hand.”
“These teachers know all the kids, they've been with her the whole year, they knew, I think, that she could overcome,” says Yamazaki. “And the teachers are working together. The strict teacher can be as strict because he knows that she has that other kind of teacher to run to, in a way. So I think the teamwork of the teachers is also at play, and why this education is possible.”
Yamazaki acknowledges that teaching is such a difficult profession, where there are no right answers or scripts.
After the kids successfully perform for the incoming class, the male teacher asks if they think he was too strict. When Ayame says raises her hand to indicate yes, he says, “I knew you'd be able to overcome it, and you're all capable of hard work.”
“This teacher, he didn't just lash out on her. … It was very planned, also with the other teachers. And I think there's definitely fair criticism, regardless if this is a way to go,” says Yamazaki. “But if you think about Japan and how rigid our societies [are], and how we follow the rules, and things work, and also there's a base level work ethic that I think we're known for, I like to point out: Japanese people are not born that way, we go through this type of education system to build the society that we have.”
When Yamazaki went to NYU, was she shocked by the U.S.’ different teaching philosophy? Absolutely, she admits, and in fact, she nearly failed one of her classes because she didn’t speak up enough (whereas in Japan, it was sufficient to be quiet and attentive).
Ultimately, she says, “I was able to combine the best of both worlds for myself, to have this collectiveness and know how to be a team player, but also really figure out myself as an individuality [sic] later in life.”
Growing up in Japan, though, she did stick out because her dad is British, and her hair looked slightly brown, not black like everyone else’s.
“I think that's part of the reason I ultimately wanted to leave Japan once. And it really took me to leave Japan to see Japan in a new light, and also become an adult to make meaning out of the uniform education system, which has led me to do his work.”
Today, Yamazaki lives in Japan and plans to enroll her son in school there.
“My husband is American, so my son looks quite non-Japanese, even more than me. But no school system is perfect. But I've been exposed to a bunch, and I've gotten to learn, at the expertise level, about the different strengths of different systems. And I still think that for that elementary school age, the Japanese elementary school system offers so much that at this point, that's what we plan to do with our son.”
However, those benefits don’t seem to extend to high school and college. “Something changes where more academics kick in. It becomes quite testing-focused. And I don't think that same magic that I see in elementary school carries over to the later years in Japan, honestly,” she points out.
As for Ayame, who’s now 9 years old, Yamazaki says she’s thriving. “The morning we were nominated for the Oscar, I went to visit the school and made sure the kids knew. … I like to think that maybe that experience that I captured was maybe a turning point for her, because she's not shy anymore, and I think she's doing really well.”