[Ms. Sekitani Yangzi of Iwate Prefecture, Japan] Since she took over her father’s job, Sekitani Yangzi of Iwate Prefecture has been conducting abacus calculations in the Moriya’s juvenile house of correction for 23 years. Both she and her father are “dedicated interview commissioners” (similar to juvenile crime counselors), and the two have worked for 39 years in total so far. The following are the published contents of her achievements.

    I. What are dedicated interview commissioners?

    Dedicated interview commissioners are a group of non-governmental volunteers who guide, interview, educate and train the inmates of Japan’s correctional institutions (prisons, detention centers and juvenile houses of correction) to help them turn over a new leaf and return to society. Among various qualifications and skills training provided by the institutions, they provide guidance on abacus skills to all inmates.

    II. The relationship with dedicated interview commissioners

    About 30 years ago, Ms. Sekitani’s father went to the East China Sea region to attend a research gathering. In a sushi restaurant there, he met Mr. A, who had been taken in by the juvenile house of correction. Mr. A said that at first he was only responsible for cleaning the store and delivering food. Later, he slowly began to do change management and cashier work because he had obtained the third-grade qualification of abacus calculation. The comforting appearance when her father talked about this matter left Ms. Sekitani with a deep impression on the dedicated interview commissioners.

    III. Corrective education in the juvenile house of correction

    Juvenile houses of correction are different from prisons in that they provide re-education not for the purpose of punishment but for the healthy return of problem juveniles to the society. Its educational policy proposes that “no matter how small a thing is, the process of achieving a grand goal through continuous accumulation is the process of opening up the hearts of teenagers”. Abacus exercises are just proof of this policy. Only through constant accumulation and practice can we challenge the abacus examination. These accumulation and practice are very useful in the corrective education of teenagers.

    IV. Teenagers in Moriya’s juvenile house of correction

    When Ms. Sekitani began to take over her father’s job, she trained and tutored nearly 100 students in the audio-visual room of the juvenile house of correction twice a month for an one-hour session. Now she has 50-minute sessions in three dormitories simultaneously (150 minutes in total). Teaching in the dormitory can help students study in a more relaxed manner. The guidance on practice for abacus examination has been strongly supported by the WAAMA. All lectures are free, and students can take the examination starting from Grade 9. Mental arithmetic as a warm-up before training is very popular among students, many of whom are eager to challenge 2-digit and 3-digit mental arithmetic. In addition to the lectures, Ms. Sekitani also talks with the teenagers in a friendly way to close the distance between them and actively participates in various activities in the juvenile house of correction. The happy talk with teenagers makes the whole classroom full of laughter.

    V. Teenagers returned to the society

    Ms. Sekitani recited the composition written by the qualified student K at the beginning (omitting part of the content): “Every day when I study abacus attentively is full and happy. I have achieved rapid growth in my study. The experience of abacus practice in the juvenile house of correction is a precious treasure in my life”. After reading the composition, Ms. Sekitani also expressed her thanks to student K.

   VI. Education of problem juveniles more about rebirth than correction

   Ms. Sekitani pointed out that “corrective education is not to correct but to help students change their past life attitude. Although this cannot change their past selves, it can help change their future selves. I have been guiding students’ abacus exercises for 39 years, and I am truly proud of it as an abacus professional.” At the end of her speech, she said that she would like to participate in more such activities in the future, so as to get closer to the hearts of teenagers. Her speech won warm applause from the audiences.

(This news is reproduced from the National Abacus News of the League for Soroban Education of Japan. Inc., Japan)