How to Entertain the Kids? Make ‘em Work!
I recently noticed the above picture on a delivery pizza menu. No, “Pizza-La” haven’t introduced a policy of child-labor. Apparently, it’s an ad for a place called “Kidzania” in Toyosu’s LaLaport complex in Tokyo, where kids go to try out different jobs for fun. Kind of like an employment-themed amusement park.
According to the offical site, it’s “a child-sized replica of a real city, with buildings, shops and theaters, as well as vehicles and pedestrians moving along its streets. In this city, children, aged 2 through 15, learn about the adult world, and the value of money and work, by experiencing over 60 different professions.”
As a child, I would have moaned “this sucks, where are the rollercoasters?!” but it’s no surprise that in Japan, where children are insanely bright and well-behaved, it’s a smash hit.
But before anyone says “only in Japan”- the idea comes from Mexico, and there are already two Kidzanias in Monterey and Mexico City.
I can’t decide if this is a cute idea which effectively teaches children about employment, or part of a cynical corporate agenda to “get ‘em while they’re young.” Hmm.
You can read about it in more detail here
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I know someone who was an angel investor on this project in Japan, giving the equivalent of $1 million to the guy who started the project (who is from Mexico). It is designed from the get go as a marketing tool, intended to give the next generation an early taste of the brands they will be expected to buy. It’s not even that cynical, other than the fact that the business plan and PR are 180 degrees apart, but that’s the norm these days anyway.
Are you kidding? I bet kids would love this, at least for the first five professions.
Maybe as coincidence, the Christian Science Monitor is reporting about a theme park on… crossing the border:
Oh taht looks cool(especialy since I’m 12)
“but it’s no surprise that in Japan, where children are insanely bright and well-behaved, it’s a smash hit.”
Can we stop with the fake stereotypes about Japan’s kids being “brighter”? Smart kids are smart and it doesnt matter where you are. AND cramming like an idiot for all kinds of exams is not necessarily smart. It is merely what it takes to survive in this rigid country.
And I’m sorry, but “well-behaved”? Kancho-ing the gaijin is not well-behaved and a lot talking in class too. That shit would get you a fuckin detention in the U.S., but in Japan students can’t be denied the right to learn, or some MEXT B.S.
As for the actual Kidzania, I think it’s a great idea. Fuck! They should have this for kids of all ages. It ’s like the precursor to internships in College.
I’m going to have to side with Joel on this one. Look at the individual, not the group. Doing otherwise would be saying: “if a Japanese person trips, it means he had an accident; if a foreigner trips, he doesn’t know how to walk.” We can’t make claims of foreigner discrimination and then act indifferently in our own writing, as is sometimes the case.
Sounds like a great idea – the closest thing I had seen to this up until now was in the Ishiya factory in Sapporo; parents paid for their kids to work in the bakery making Shiroi Koibito and other cookies.
Headed for Beppu this weekend, Joel.
I think they aren’t usually bright (sorry! ha ha) and well behaved, but only towards native nihonjin teachers. Gaijins bring crazy with em to class.
Anyhoo, I am suprised by how young the choose careers and start doing Job training in this country.
that should be “YET, they are well behaved”
in an episode of hello! morning some of morning musume girls went there, haha
I think that this is pretty cool.
I would like to do this sort of thing.