Kids Say the Darnest Things

The following are all quotes from student essays from my various schools – all sannensei and ninenseis (juniors and seniors). A lot of these came from essays they wrote about various social issues in regards to Japan, and I have arranged them based on topic and have included helpful topical headings. Please note, original spellings and grammars have been maintained for the integrity of the authors’ intentions.

These kids are brilliant.

• On the aging population:

 “Old people should be kept by their children. If some of them have no child, I think they invite their own misfortune.”

• On the nature of love:

 “I’m for the plan for two reasons. One is that we can probably do everything for our own favorite person. The other is that we are alive because of love.”

 “But I think ‘love’ is important. However it’s easily beaten by vice.”


 “I think, at least, love is stronger than money. But, love is weaker than friendship. If I must choosed love or friendship, I would choose friendship. Friendship can break love. However love can’t break friendship.”

 “I think love is useless our lives and money is stronger than love. First, although we have a lovely feeling or love someone, love doesn’t any affects our lives. We can do without love. The other, I think money is much stronger than love. We can do without love, but we can’t do without money.

• On foreign policy:

 “You should refrain from recommending many Japanese cultures to her simultaneously and pretend to respect American culture.”

• On Marx:

 “It is impossible to make everyone in the world have the same amount of money. There are poor people and rich people.”

• On saving the environment:

 “The word ‘mottainai’ is used so many in Japanese life. The word means, ‘Let’s save more energy.’ If a man keeps water running, let’s say him, ‘Mottainai!’ and he would stop the water soon. U.S.A. is very large country, so you [Jessie, the American ALT] are the first person that use the word ‘Mottainai!’”

 “Mottatnai is used when


Oh, sorry, I don’t know.”

• On perseverance:

 “On New Year’s, I’ll visit Grandfather, but next year is very important for students because we have an exam. That exam is in order to enter the gate of university. So, next year may kill us.”