Encountering books scattered on the floor of the classroom, elementary school teacher Toshiki Hoshino politely told the kids, “You guys should clean it up, not leave them as they are.”

The boys who created the mess in the reading nook and just minutes earlier had been crowded around an illustrated reference book and other publications while lying on the floor did not respond. Instead, a group of mostly girls started tidying up.

Hoshino, who is 46 and an educator at an elementary school in Tokyo, decided on the spot to change his teaching tactic for the class that day to raise an issue he had confronted before in his teaching career.

QUESTION AND FEEDBACK

He started by stating, “I usually tell you that both girls and boys are part of the same human family that goes beyond genders, but today I will dare to talk about girls from boys.”

“The theme is gender equality,” he said.

Hoshino explained that interactions in classrooms can also be mirrored in society. He cited certain gender roles, such as household chores, that traditionally have been forced on women.

He added that the job of being a homemaker is still often underestimated, whereas working men are typically respected and financially rewarded.

Hoshino told his students that this type of unfairness is but one of a myriad of sexism examples.

The objective of his pep talk was to promote a sense of equality among the children that they can carry through life.

“Don’t you think the issue of girls putting books back for the sake of boys who do nothing to keep the classroom tidy stems from the same root as this kind of unjustness in broader society?” he asked.

“You all are studying in part to alter that aspect of society,” Hoshino went on.

One boy was seemingly inspired by Hoshino’s zeal.

“I had never felt men and women are unequal in school life,” the child later wrote in an essay. “Even what I take for granted may lack good reason.”

CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE

Citing specific scenes in daily life, Hoshino has been offering a succession of lessons on gender equality.

Hoshino draws deeply on his own childhood understanding of gender-relating issues.

For example, he was in turmoil when he found himself attracted to a male classmate in his third year at junior high school.

Homosexuality at that time was a subject of ridicule in conversations in classrooms and TV shows. His grandfather, despite gentle mannerisms, referred to gay singer and actor Akihiro Miwa as a “monster” whenever Miwa made an appearance on TV.

In his mid-20s, Hoshino came out of the closet and told his father he was gay. His family took him to a hospital.

Distraught, Hoshino felt he was the only one in the family struggling with a sexual stereotype.

Which is why he was so shocked when his younger sister confessed she had felt victimized by him.

“You are the eldest son in our family, so our parents gave you special treatment,” his sister said. “They would say I did not need to do well at school because I was a girl.”

The comment was the first time Hoshino gave any thought to the notion he belonged to an advantaged group of people at least in one respect. He had never questioned his parents’ stance of holding high expectations for their oldest son.

He was rocked by the realization he received privileges just because he is male.

TRUE STRENGTH

Hoshino has spent nearly 16 years working as a teacher. Casual acts and conversations are usually his catalyst for raising gender issues in front of kids.

Through his interactions with children, Hoshino came to realize that some boys are bound by “masculinity.”

Shouting “You must die” and “I will kill you” was how one boy tried to fix problems, always resorting to violence and verbal abuse when he faced a situation not to his liking.

Another boy hated having to pretend he liked fighting but could not admit it for fear of being perceived as weak.

“People generally expect boys to be ‘strong’ and can fail to listen to their dislikes and anxieties properly,” Hoshino reckoned. “For these children, it could be difficult to express their true emotions through words.”

Hoshino is working to create an atmosphere in classrooms where the pupils can say, “I hate it,” for what they hate, or, “It’s sad,” if that’s how they feel.

He also wants to take that message to grown men who enjoy all sorts of privileges in a male-dominated society such as Japan but are constrained by stifling feelings and mental scars.

March 8 was International Women’s Day. Gender equality will only become a reality when men everywhere embrace the notion.

“Only when we come to be able to acknowledge our own feelings, weaknesses and emotional wounds can we empathize with others’ suffering,” he said. “This is not easy but, in my opinion, it embodies what a true strength is.”

It is this sense of purpose that drives Hoshino to continue pushing for gender equality.